The French people thought that it was the mission of the advanced countries like them to bring the benefits of civilisation to the backward Vietnamese culture.
The four features of the education being given in the Tonkin Free School were
(i) This school was started to provide Western style education.
(ii) In the new education system, more stress was given to science, hygiene and French.
(iii) Alongwith the education, these schools encouraged the adoption of Western style such as having a short haircut.
(iv) These schools also encouraged the students to wear Western clothes and play Western games like, tennis.
For the traditional Vietnamese, ‘having short haircut’ was a major cultural setback as they traditionally kept long hair. Thus, the establishment of new schools gave a major setback to the Vietnamese traditional culture.
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