On the morning of September 13, dozens of parents of Nguyen Khuyen High School, Ho Chi Minh City had to stand outside the gate because they were not allowed to attend the meeting for the reason of being late.
After many parents expressed their frustration, the school organized an exchange and the principal apologized.
Going to meetings on time is a principle that needs to be respected.
Not only in schools but in any agency or organization, punctuality also shows a serious attitude towards work and respect for those waiting for you.
For parents, it also has another meaning. Adults still often require children to be disciplined, on time, responsible, and respect the rules. Therefore, parents' late meeting behavior is also a role model for their children to look at.
It is known that everyone has a job, and there are situations that may occur and they may not be able to arrive on time.
But if parents know in advance that they are late, they can completely proactively inform the homeroom teacher or the school, ask for permission to come later and state the reason clearly.
Parents' meetings should not be seen as something that can come at any time. Because when a meeting has started, just one person being late will cause distraction and affect the general program.
In the opposite direction, the school maintaining discipline does not mean that all cases of late arrivals must be handled in the same way.
According to feedback, the invitation letter on the morning of September 13 had two consecutive meeting contents. Some parents said that they came to attend the next meeting or had their own reasons. This information needs to be fully clarified before assessing the responsibility of each party.
But from this story, it can be seen that the school can completely choose more flexible handling methods.
For example, for parents who have notified in advance or have legitimate reasons, the school can arrange for them to attend. For those who arrive late without prior notice, a separate area near the door can be arranged for them to enter quickly, limiting walking and affecting the meeting.
That arrangement both ensures parents' right to receive information and is a profound reminder that being late is not advisable.
The school can also clearly notify from the beginning about the time for each content, regulations for late arrivals and how to handle them in special cases.
Discipline will be easier to be respected when the principles are clear, reasonable and implemented with a respectful attitude.
Parent meetings, in the end, are not just places where schools convey information. It is also a space for families and schools to exchange and share responsibilities in educating students.
If parents want students to know how to respect discipline, they must first set an example.
If parents want to accompany, schools also need to have flexible, thorough responses and create opportunities for dialogue.
Because in the end, the school and parents do not stand on opposite sides, but always stand on one side, together aiming for the common goal of student maturity.
