'Every school must be a green garden'

“Each school is a garden of green life, where ecological awareness is sown in every little heart. Protecting the environment is not something far away. It starts from the awareness - behavior - specific actions of each person, each student”.

Students of Le Loi Primary School ( Hue City) plant trees in the school grounds - Photo: V.DINH

That was the statement of Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ) at the workshop "Practical guidelines and roadmap for implementing the ASEAN Eco-School Criteria - Plastic Waste Free Schools" held in Hue city on the morning of October 21.

The workshop attracted more than 100 delegates attending in person and 1,000 online locations nationwide.

The workshop is part of the ASEAN Eco-Schools Award Vietnam 2025, aiming to guide educational institutions in applying the ASEAN Criteria in teaching, management and extracurricular activities, and at the same time share experiences from award-winning schools and pioneers in the plastic reduction movement.

Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), said that ASEAN is moving towards a "green and sustainable" future, in which schools are not only places to teach literacy but also places to form environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Since 2022, the "Plastic-Reducing Schools" model, sponsored by Norway through WWF-Vietnam, has been implemented in 180 schools with the participation of more than 54,000 students. 83 schools selected as pilot models have collected nearly 30 tons of scrap, of which more than 5.5 tons are plastic, contributing to significantly reducing the amount of waste released into the environment.

Mr. Le Cong Thanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, emphasized that environmental education is not only the task of schools, but is the foundation for building a green community with awareness and specific actions to protect the planet.

According to the organizers, the workshop is not only a place to share experiences but also a forum connecting schools, management agencies and social organizations to spread the model of "Plastic Waste Free Schools" nationwide.

The ASEAN Vietnam Eco-School Award 2025 is chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, with the Green Future Fund as the strategic sponsor for the second consecutive year, in coordination with the Agriculture and Environment Newspaper and the Department of International Cooperation.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/moi-truong-hoc-phai-la-khu-vuon-xanh-2025102110382953.htm