The French used school textbooks in Vietnam to justify colonial rule. Explain.

Yes, it is true that French used school textbooks in Vietnam to justify colonial rule. They considered that it was their responsibility to educate and inculcate modern thoughts among the Vietnamese. They successfully established French schools in Vietnam and destroyed the traditional education system which was influenced by Chinese culture. The people who were making policies were confused about whether to make French or Vietnam as a medium of instruction. So Vietnamese were taught in lower class and French in a higher class. This way they would be able to learn about the culture of French and would be able to relate with them.

• They were realised through school textbooks that they were only capable of working on the fields but not to rule themselves.

• They considered Vietnamese were only capable of manual labour.

• They taught the school children that only French rule was good for their future and will maintain peace in Vietnam.