One of the key tasks of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training in the new academic year 2023-2024 is to finalize the criteria for building happy schools.
Caring for teachers and prioritizing students.
Many education experts and teachers believe that schools are only truly happy when all goals are focused on caring for teachers and prioritizing the students.
According to education experts, the education sector is implementing many movements and models in schools aimed at developing students' mental health. However, alongside this, a regrettable reality exists: many students violate the law, and school violence occurs frequently...
Happy schools need to be built on the values of love, respect, and safety. Photo: HOANG TRIEU
Mr. Nguyen Huu Tin, Deputy Head of the Child Care and Gender Equality Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, expressed concern about the current situation, wondering what goals schools are focusing on when teaching students. Are students being taught to "achieve fame" before "become a good person," when ideally it should be the other way around?
Teachers at a high school in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, acknowledge that teachers have always played a crucial role. However, the reality is that teachers have not received the attention and recognition they deserve for their efforts.
"We hope that the management will, if possible, offer praise and recognition to motivate teachers. We also hope to be assigned work that matches our specialization and interests; and to have autonomy within limits," this teacher expressed.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Thi Xuan Yen, from the Department of Primary Education at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, argues that teachers currently have to handle a much heavier workload than stipulated. This leads to a situation where teachers are not given opportunities for professional development and do not receive the attention they deserve, making it very difficult to have happy schools.
Based on practical experience, Dr. Nguyen Thi Xuan Yen proposed 10 criteria for teachers when building a happy school. Accordingly, teachers should demonstrate positive emotions; be able to analyze students' psychology; provide counseling and support to students; develop and organize teaching and educational activities; manage students in teaching and educational activities; develop and proactively implement personal plans; manage their own emotions and those of their students in all contexts; develop plans and proactively care for their own and their students' mental and physical health...
Starting from each classroom
Mr. Pham Dang Khoa, Head of the Education and Training Department of District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, emphasized that happy schools must begin with happy classrooms. In the simplest terms, this means ensuring that every day at school is a joyful day for students, and for teachers as well.
To achieve this, relationships within schools need to be built on the values of love, respect, and safety. Specifically, students should learn, acquire knowledge, participate in various activities for holistic development, and express their opinions. This can only be achieved in a democratic environment.
On the other hand, a happy school is one where students feel safe coming to school and learning there. "They need to receive timely support from teachers when they have psychological problems," Mr. Khoa suggested.
According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Tam, a teacher at Mac Dinh Chi High School (District 6, Ho Chi Minh City), homeroom teachers play a crucial role in creating a happy classroom. Teachers need to respect students' private world , allow them to manage the class themselves, and give them the right to express their opinions in various movements and activities. Teachers need to care for and connect with all members of the class, build the classroom with love and concern for students facing difficult circumstances, and organize beneficial activities for them...
Many education experts believe that while education should be student-centered, teachers also need to be happy. Dr. Pham Thi Thuy, a lecturer at the National Academy of Public Administration in Ho Chi Minh City, argues that a happy school is impossible when teachers are burdened with worries and pressure.
A teacher's energy and demeanor strongly influence students and those around them. "An unhappy teacher will inadvertently put pressure on students. If this isn't addressed promptly, it can lead to the breakdown of relationships within the school," Ms. Thuy expressed her concern.
Conduct a pilot program in a number of schools.
Mr. Duong Tri Dung, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, acknowledged that building happy schools is a practical undertaking that needs to be implemented in depth and with widespread impact. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training will soon finalize the set of criteria, considering it as the basis for schools to organize implementation according to the actual situation at each institution.
Initially, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training will select a number of schools to pilot the model. After summarizing the results, drawing lessons learned, and evaluating the changes in schools as a result of implementing the "happy school" model, this model will be expanded throughout the city.
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