'Do not turn happy schools into competition criteria'

The representative of the Ministryof Education said that teachers are currently facing a lot of pressure, so he called on localities and management levels not to make happy schools a competition criterion.

At the Happy School Discussion on the morning of October 25 organized by the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences and the Happy School Support and Development Fund (Happy Lof Schools), Mr. Vu Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Teachers and Managers, Ministry of Education and Training , acknowledged that happiness is an abstract concept, each person and each stage has a different understanding. In short, happiness is a feeling of excitement and positive emotions of people in each specific situation. Taking an example from himself, Mr. Duc told his generation that going to school is happiness.

Regarding the reason for building happy schools, Ms. Louise Aukland, a neuroscience researcher at Oxford University, UK, said that the education sector needs to be responsible for building a better learning environment for students.

Citing data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ms. Louise said that one in three students are subjected to violence every month at school and 20% of adolescents worldwide are suffering from mental disorders.

"We must not only make students laugh, but also help them enjoy going to school, have positive emotions, thoughts and mindsets. Happy young people will achieve better results," she said.

Since 2018, when the Ministry of Education and Training began implementing the happy school model, some provinces, cities, and schools have turned this activity into a competitive movement, with summaries and rewards. However, Mr. Vu Minh Duc said that this must come from the needs of the schools and teachers themselves, aiming to bring positivity and excitement to students.

"Don't turn happy schools into a movement or a competition criterion and then force schools to implement it. That will create more pressure on schools," Mr. Duc said.

In addition, according to Mr. Duc, many schools have implemented it effectively, helping to reduce the learning pressure for students and teachers, and teachers and students enjoy going to class. However, some models are not suitable and are being exploited for economic purposes. Therefore, he suggested that schools must ensure core values.

Mr. Vu Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Teachers and Managers, Ministry of Education and Training, at the discussion on the morning of October 25. Photo: Thanh Hang — Mr. Vu Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Teachers and Managers, Ministry of Education and Training, at the discussion on the morning of October 25. Photo: *Thanh Hang*

Dr. Le Thi Quynh Nga, Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, suggests a happy school model with two main factors: inside and outside.

Ms. Nga said that "outside" is understood as external factors such as friendly and safe landscape, solid facilities, suitable for the age and development of children. In addition, this criterion also includes relationships between people, so that students feel respected, trusted, and shared.

"For example, if the school gate is about to collapse or the ceiling fan is at risk of falling, how can students be happy? Similarly, the way teachers treat each other and staff treat students also needs to be focused on, ensuring civility and respect," she said.

Regarding internal factors, Ms. Nga believes that because happiness is a personal emotional state, in order for students to feel happy, they need to be physically and mentally healthy.

"Schools should actively organize sports activities to help students improve their health. As for their spirit, how can we support them to think positively, which will lead to positive emotions, the source of happiness," said Ms. Nga.

Sharing her practical experience, Ms. Le Thi Mai Huong, Vice Principal in charge of the Experimental Science Education Primary, Secondary and High School, said that there is no general school-wide regulation. Instead, students in each class develop their own regulations. Then, they will be more responsible for implementing them.

"If a student violates the rules, we focus on psychological counseling to find out why the child reacts that way. We cannot criticize just because we see something wrong," said Ms. Huong, believing that school is a condition for people to develop their potential.

Nearly a week ago, a workshop on happy schools organized by the Ministry of Education and Training and the Nguyen Binh Khiem - Cau Giay Education System attracted more than 500 teachers nationwide. Here, teachers discussed and sought solutions to reduce pressure in schools, find ways to educate positively, resolve school violence,...

Thanh Hang

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