http://www1.dantri.com.vn//Sukien/Vi...8/1/214753.vip
Video shows preschool teacher beating kids14:54' 17/01/2008 (GMT+7) VietNamNet Bridge – A babysitter in the southern city of Bien Hoa, Dong Nai province, was arrested on January 16 after VTV broadcast a short clip showing her beating children.
Some scenes from the clip
On January 15, VTV broadcast a clip showing a baby-sitter named Hoa’s maltreatment of nearly ten babies. This clip was furtively shot by the local Dong Nai radio and broadcasting station. Hoa, 40, the owner of a private babysitting establishment in Bien Hoa City, beat and slapped children, grabbed their hair, cursed, etc. to force them to eat. The clip also shows a boy and a girl beating the children.
According to the initial investigation, Hoa’s babysitting establishment has been operating for three years without a license and she doesn’t have an occupational or professional certificate of any kind. She looks after seven children between the ages of 6 and 3. The woman admitted to using a plastic ruler, comb, spoon and bowl to hit the children in the faces. She also grabbed and pulled them by their hair and insulted them.
Hoa said the children suffered from a lack of appetite and she beat them to force them to eat. According to Hoa, of the seven children, five are her relatives and she is paid between VND200,000-VND600,000/child/month. These children stay with her from early morning till 9-10pm.
Police also identified the boy and girl in the video, Lam Anh, 20, Hoa’s son and Quang Thi Kim Tuyet, Hoa’s niece. Psychological and physical consequences suffered by the children yet have not yet been determined.
The public questions why this “kindergarten” was able to illegally operate for three years right under the nose of local authorities. The local Department of Education and Training in November 2007 even inspected this kindergarten and inspectors noted that Hoa used a corridor of only 7-10sq.m to supervise the children.
The report also says some parents complained that babysitters beat their children but Hoa said she only “scared them to help them eat faster”.
“The Bien Hoa Education and Training Department teaches babysitters how to take care of and educate children and asked local authorities to continue watching and assisting this kindergarten,” the report said.
Le Minh Hoang, Director of the Bien Hoa Education and Training Department, said around 100 families in Bien Hoa City are licensed by ward authorities to manage small kindergartens.
Despite public anger over Hoa’s cruel treatment, the parents of two children at Hoa’s kindergarten showed her sympathy, saying that perhaps Hoa was concerned that the children didn’t want to eat, so she beat and insulted them. They said before watching the clip, they didn’t realize their children were maltreated and looked fatter since being taken care of by Hoa. They said sometimes they themselves beat their children to force them to eat. One mother said she asked Hoa to beat her child if it didn’t eat.
“Perhaps these parents are poor laborers and would rather see their children fatter; they may not be aware of the psychological damage,” said Nguyen Manh Hoang, Vice Chairman of Quyet Thang Ward, where Hoa’s kindergarten is located.
This case is another example of the poor quality and control of the education and training sector as well as local authorities over private and small kindergartens. In late 2007, the public was indignant over a babysitter who stuck plaster over the mouth of a baby girl to prevent her from crying; the child died.
PV