Is going to school fun?

When asked, "What's fun about going to school?", elementary and middle school students vied with each other to answer. Some said, "I go to school to meet my friends," while others said, "I go to school to play with my friends"...

GO TO SCHOOL TO PLAY

At the beginning of this school year, I participated in a series of programs to inspire students in Quang Tri province. The program was for three groups of students, from elementary to high school. For all three groups, I usually asked different questions to suit their level of understanding.

Author and writer Tran Tra My ( standing in front ) with the principal and students of Dong Ha High School (Quang Tri).

With younger children, such as elementary and middle school students, I often ask, "What's fun about going to school?" and the kids sitting below eagerly stand up to answer. Some say, "I go to school to meet my friends." Others say, "I go to school to play with my friends." And so, the children all give the same answer: they go to school to play!

After introducing the question, I began to explain my reason for asking it and shared my life story, explaining that I didn't attend high school like the other children, so I couldn't possibly know what it was like to go to school. That's why I'm here today to ask you all.

However, at that moment, I suddenly paused after hearing the students' answers. Because for children, playing and meeting friends their own age is a joy and also a form of learning. Children don't need to care about grades, achievements, or certificates hanging all over the house. For a child's world , simply showing off their nice clothes, new toys, or good comic books is enough to bring them immense happiness.

When I reached the high school students' group, I asked, "In your opinion, why do we go to school?" The hands raised in the audience gradually thinned out. Most students answered that they study to become someone important in the future, to gain knowledge, and some even said they study to escape poverty. Only a few students recognized that they study to become honest people and to contribute something to their homeland.

Most of us, from a young age, are taught by our families and teachers that we must study hard, get high grades, and earn a good degree so that we can get a good job, a high income, and many opportunities for career advancement later in life. These answers from students are all correct, but they seem insufficient for a holistic education , especially for enhancing the beauty of the soul.

I DESIRE HAPPY SCHOOLS

I've always wondered how many schools in Vietnam truly embody the "happy school" model—schools where teachers don't need extra tutoring, students don't need extra classes, and students don't compete fiercely for every single grade? And if we were to conduct a survey on whether students are happy at school, what percentage would check the "happy" box?...

As I left a primary and secondary school in Hai Tan commune, Hai Lang district – considered the "epicenter" of the floods in Quang Tri province – I sent a message to the principal: "Sir, please try to create a happy learning environment for the children. There's no need to compete and chase after achievements."

On the way home, the drizzling rain made me think more about the children and about that school that's always flooded. I just hope that the teachers there create a happy learning environment, and then the children will surely grow up to be good people.

Similarly, after the exchange program at Dong Ha High School, I messaged the principal to ask if the school still maintains the practice of disciplining misbehaving students every Monday morning. Fortunately, the school has changed the regulations. Students who misbehave are now met with individually by teachers for conversations, books, and support, instead of being called to the flagpole to have their names announced in front of the whole school as in the past.

When I went to Huong Hoa, I met the vice principal of a high school in the district. He told me that he was developing a special program for students who don't study seriously and frequently violate school regulations. Every month, the school will compile a list and hire a vehicle to take these students to the Quang Tri Citadel Cemetery, where many letters written by soldiers before they died for their country are preserved. The school hopes that reading these letters will help the students appreciate their lives more and cherish the life they have.

I also firmly believe that Vietnamese education is and will continue to have more positive aspects, so that children are less likely to be compared to others, and those who misbehave will receive more subtle punishments.

Education contributes to people's happiness. This is a crucial principle in everyone's journey.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/di-hoc-co-gi-vui-khong-185241211180050353.htm