Editor’s Note: Joshua Durkin, an American freelance writer in Ho Chi Minh City, sent us his feedback on the story “Vietnamese students abusing Facebook to badmouth teachers.”

Students in the United States have the opportunity, and perhaps the luxury, to go to the head of the department, or another member of the faculty and protest what they believe to be infractions against their rights. It seems far less common that students would create a Facebook page in order to criticize a poor teacher, or to maliciously attack an innocent teacher, because they would have the option of confronting the teacher through the higher administration which employs the teacher.

In the United States, it does not seem to be a common occurrence to create a Facebook account in order to humiliate or dishonor a teacher’s image. That said, I have myself and know of other students who have in the past voiced opposition to decisions made by educational institutions like high schools and universities publicly and on social media. In the U.S., some students use a website called www.ratemyteachers.com, which gained in popularity in the latter 2000s. Yet, even then, it was not a noticeably popular website. You knew enough to take what the people wrote on the site with a grain of salt, and could assume that those who did visit the site tended to realize that people who complain are the loudest individuals, and people who are pleased are often quietly content – despite any urges to believe the contrary. 

To move on, if a student were to create a website vilifying a teacher, a public or private school would most likely expel the student(s) involved, once they learned who they were. But they may not necessarily do that, because the student(s) in question attending the institution may be able to afford to pay a fine in order to stay in school. Also, if there was any doubt regarding the actions of the student, or the expulsion, it could result in enough litigation to drive most people mad, and at least compensate the student for time lost in class, or land them a degree.

American students are not necessarily encouraged to voice their dissent, but they have several options to protest, for instance, a teacher they do not approve of, or a situation which they do not find conducive to a reasonable learning experience.

If this is the only outlet that Vietnamese students have for their grievances, it would seem that generating Facebook pages to ridicule or mock improper teachers would register somewhere within an appropriate range of response to the situation. 

Whenever an institution bans young people from using something like a social network, the institution treads on dicey ground. The action of banning Facebook or other social media does not resolve the problem. It would simply cut off one outlet for students to express themselves, and they would just find another to replace it. In order to resolve a problem like discontent with a teacher, or teachers, students would need to be able to voice their opinions publicly.

If they are allowed to voice their opinions publicly, then students would be able to recognize the ridiculous act of creating Facebook pages to attack teachers who do not deserve negative attention, or perhaps do.

Do students in your home country use social networks such as Facebook to attack or show their dissatisfaction with their teachers? Please send your story to us at ttn@tuoitre.com.vn.

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