To ensure children have a productive and meaningful summer vacation.

Summer vacation is a time for students to have fun, relax, and develop skills. However, for many children, summer is filled with extra classes, a lack of healthy recreational activities, or excessive time spent on electronic devices. To ensure children have a truly meaningful summer, the joint efforts of families, schools, and society as a whole are needed to create a harmonious, safe, and humane learning and recreational environment.

The awarding of scholarships to students at the Summer Opening Ceremony and the launch of the 2025 Action Month for Children demonstrates the concern and care of the government, departments, and the entire society for the younger generation.

When summer vacation doesn't allow... a break

For many people from the 80s and 90s generations, summer vacation was associated with days spent chasing cicadas, picking flamboyant flowers, playing traditional Vietnamese games like hopscotch, jump rope, or wading in rivers to catch fish. Back then, summer was truly a time to escape school, to have fun, immerse themselves in nature, and experience childhood in its truest sense. However, for many children today, summer vacation has been transformed into a "third semester."

Vo Tran Bao Truc (from Hiep Hoa commune, Duc Hoa district, Long An province), who just completed the 7th grade program, shared: “Last summer I had exactly two weeks off, after which my mother continued to enroll me in Math, Literature, and English classes. I hope this summer I can reduce my academic studies so I can participate in sports , dancing, and singing.”

Nguyen Khanh An, a 10th-grade student from Tan An City, said: “This summer I want to spend time participating in experiential activities and developing skills rather than attending extra classes. I always hope that the summer vacation will truly be a time for rest and relaxation.”

It's not just Bao Truc or Khanh An; many students have to "take a summer break to go to school." After the first week of rest, they return to the routine with a packed schedule of extra classes to prepare for the new school year. This unintentionally causes children to become stressed, and even puts them at risk of psychological and behavioral disorders.

The chess class at the Provincial Children's House increased its number of students during the summer.

From the parents' perspective, many are also aware of the importance of a relaxing summer. Ms. Thai Thi Thanh Ha (Ward 4, Tan An City) shared: “I have two grandchildren. Last week, after their semester exams, I sent them back to our hometown for a memorial service so they could be close to nature, experience life, and meet relatives. My 8th-grade granddaughter has a talent for singing, so I enrolled her in singing lessons. My 4th-grade granddaughter likes playing chess , so I'm taking chess lessons. Besides that, the family plans to organize a summer trip for the children. As for summer classes, if the children want to, the family will let them attend; we won't force them.” However, most parents face difficulties because while their children are on summer vacation, they still have to work all day, making it impossible to arrange time to look after their children and give them a truly meaningful summer.

Let's create a meaningful summer together with the kids.

According to information from the Provincial Children's House, there are currently more than 20 types of extracurricular activities such as martial arts (Taekwondo, Karatedo, Vovinam, traditional martial arts), chess, children's dance, vocal music, music, drawing, robot assembly, etc. In the summer, the number of students increases sharply from 800 to 1,000-2,000. The Provincial Children's House also increases teaching hours to ensure quality and meet student demand.

Taekwondo instructor Dang Dang Thanh Huy said: “During the summer, the number of students fluctuates because some go back to their hometowns for summer vacation, while others are sent by their parents to train for health and fitness. Therefore, we also change the curriculum to be more suitable, reduce pressure, and increase fun, helping the children to be enthusiastic about training.”

The students were sent by their parents to learn martial arts during the summer.

Beyond simply learning new skills, summer classes and extracurricular activities help children connect with friends, increase physical activity, and develop emotionally. Simultaneously, many localities organize volunteer activities to care for disadvantaged children. A prime example is the "Celebrating Children's Day with Children in Border Areas" program, organized by the Provincial Youth Union, the Provincial Children's Council, in collaboration with the G9 Group - For Children's Smiles, Techhorizon Company, and the Vinh Hung District Youth Union in Thai Tri commune, Vinh Hung district.

The program included donating 100 gifts to 100 disadvantaged families in Thai Tri commune, giving 100 gifts to disadvantaged children ; awarding 10 scholarships and 20 bicycles to "accompany border children to school"; organizing recreational activities; and implementing the youth project "Security Camera Route" with a total budget of over 125 million VND, contributing to bringing joy and hope to children in the border region.

Nine-year-old Nguyen Thanh Phat, who received a bicycle at the program, said: “I am very happy to have a new bicycle to go to school. Before, I had to rely on my parents to take me to school or go with a friend. Now that I have a bicycle, I will try my best to go to school regularly and study hard so as not to disappoint the kind people who gave me this gift.”

Tan An City currently has 14 primary schools and 9 secondary schools with over 19,500 children and students; including more than 13,000 members of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization. Vice Chairman of the Tan An City People's Committee, Nguyen Minh Sang, emphasized that summer is a precious time for students to rest and have fun after a year of studying. To ensure a safe and enriching summer, the city has issued a summer activity plan for 2025 with the theme: "Fun, healthy, safe, learning many good things, doing many good deeds."

The city has been making efforts to concretize these policies and guidelines through summer activity plans and support programs such as organizing free swimming lessons to prevent drowning; expanding life skills, digital skills, and self-defense classes; coordinating cultural and artistic activities, sports events, children's festivals, summer camps, and creative competitions; and strengthening career guidance activities to help children have a clearer direction for their future. In particular, Tan An City is promoting activities to care for disadvantaged children and children in difficult areas, helping them to have equal access to conditions for comprehensive development.

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union, Chairman of the Provincial Children's Council - Pham Van Hau, and philanthropists presented bicycles and study corners to disadvantaged students in Thai Tri commune, Vinh Hung district.

With the goal of mobilizing society to implement the movement "All citizens care for, educate, and protect children," prioritizing resources to support and assist children, this summer, the People's Committee of Tan An City awarded 358 scholarships to disadvantaged students in the city, each worth 500,000 VND. At the program, the People's Committee of Tan An City directly presented scholarships to 130 students and awarded 6 scholarships worth 5 million VND each to children orphaned due to Covid-19.

Pham Van Hau, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union and Chairman of the Provincial Children's Council, said: "Every year, the Provincial Youth Union and the Provincial Children's Council develop a summer activity plan with rich and practical content, aimed at meeting the needs for recreation, training, and comprehensive development of children."

In particular, we pay special attention to children in remote areas and disadvantaged children through programs such as awarding scholarships, giving gifts, organizing mobile playgrounds, summer camps, skills classes, etc. We believe that accompanying and caring for children is not only a responsibility but also a sustainable investment in the future of our province."

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Source: https://baolongan.vn/de-tre-co-ky-nghi-he-bo-ich-y-nghia-a196193.html