The percentage of students who lie to their parents increases as they grow older, an expert reported at an education conference on Tuesday.

Professor and Doctor of Science Tran Ngoc Them, the director of a cultural studies center under the Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, quoted a poll by the Vietnam Institute for Research on Educational Development as saying that eighty percent of Vietnamese college students lie to their parents, while sixty-four percent of high school students do so.

The survey also said that half of middle school students tell lies to parents, while the figure topped 22 percent among elementary school kids, Prof Dr Them added at an event in Da Lat City.

Social changes and a better living standard have exerted certain negative impacts on local students, in addition to good effects, the expert said.

He was referring to complaints about a surge in school violence, selfishness and narcissism among students, and the cursing of teachers and family members on Facebook, among other ill manners.

This may stem from the failure of teachers to teach their students life skills, apart from stuffing them with academic knowledge, local educators have said.

There is an absence of instructors formally trained to teach life skills, so schools often forget about this important part of education, Prof Dr Them explained.

Dr Huynh Van Son, a psychologist at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, suggested that parents should work with schools to teach students how to behave in social scenarios and respond to real-life circumstances to help rectify the situation.