Ninh Giang promotes the art of folk singing in schools.

From preschool to junior high school, many schools in Ninh Giang commune are bringing folk singing closer to students as a way to preserve traditional art.

The teacher and 5-year-old children from Dong Tam Kindergarten sang traditional folk songs with local artisans.

Sowing the seeds of folk singing from the village school.

In the classroom filled with laughter, the 5-year-old children of Dong Tam Kindergarten enthusiastically got acquainted with drums and clappers, attentively listening as the artisans sang traditional folk songs. From simply learning to play the instruments and humming simple melodies, many children gradually immersed themselves in the unique folk art of their homeland.

In September 2025, Dong Tam Kindergarten launched a thematic project titled "Integrating the art of folk singing into music education for 5-year-old children in a multicultural approach." Just one month later, the school organized its first exchange between students and folk singing artisans in the commune.

Because folk singing is a difficult art form, teachers choose a gentle and approachable method. Using familiar themes such as family, homeland, parental gratitude, or the beloved President Ho Chi Minh, the teachers compose new lyrics and set them to music, creating songs suitable for preschool children.

To date, the school has developed six folk songs specifically for children, such as: "Dong Tam, My Hometown," "Beautiful Ninh Giang," "The Merits of Parenthood," "Coming Home Together," etc. The songs are edited using information technology and then sent to parents to help teach their children at home.

Teacher Nghiem Thi Trang, homeroom teacher of class 5B, shared: “Initially, we were worried because we thought singing folk songs would be difficult for young children. But when they heard the music and rhythmic clappers, the children really enjoyed it. Many children memorized the lyrics very quickly and even sang them to their grandparents and parents at home.”

Not only at the preschool level, but Thanh Nhan Secondary School also maintains the practice of incorporating traditional Vietnamese folk singing into school curricula through music lessons and extracurricular activities.

In the 2025-2026 school year, when the city organized the " Hai Phong Children's Singing Contest - Nightingale" focusing on traditional music, the school chose to participate in the competition by performing Chau Van singing. After the selection process, Ha Duy Quang Minh, a student in class 6D, was assigned to perform the entry. After only one week of practice under the guidance of his teachers and the artist Luu Duc Anh Tuan, the head of the Chau Van Singing Club of Xu Dong, Minh won first prize in the competition.

According to teacher Nguyen Thi Thuy Nga, a music teacher at Thanh Nhan Secondary School, singing folk songs is a difficult art form, requiring talent and perseverance from the learner. However, once students understand the value of folk art, many become very passionate about it.

Ignite a love for art.

Ha Duy Quang Minh, a student in class 6D, won first prize in the "Hai Phong Children's Singing Contest - Son Ca" for the 2025-2026 school year thanks to his performance of Chau Van singing.

According to Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Huyen, Principal of Dong Tam Kindergarten, the choice to include folk singing in the curriculum was not accidental. The school is located next to the Quan Lon Tuan Tranh Temple, where folk songs have long been intertwined with the cultural life of the local people.

"Every day, students hear the sounds of traditional folk singing emanating from the temple near the school. For the people here, folk singing has become a familiar part of their spiritual life. Therefore, the school hopes to contribute to preserving and spreading this traditional cultural value right from the preschool level," Ms. Huyen said.

To improve the quality of the program, the school regularly collaborates with the Xứ Đông Traditional Singing Club to organize training sessions for teachers and students. Twice a year, students visit and experience the Quan Lớn Tuần Tranh temple to directly listen to performances and participate in traditional singing exchanges.

According to teacher Nguyen Thi Thuy Nga, Thanh Nhan Secondary School plans to establish a folk singing club in the new school year to create a playground for students who love traditional art and to discover talented individuals.

According to the distinguished artist Luu Duc Anh Tuan, Chairman of the Xu Dong Folk Singing Club, folk singing is a form of folk art deeply rooted in the spiritual and cultural values ​​of the Vietnamese people. However, currently, the number of young people who love and pursue this art form is not large, so introducing folk singing into schools is a meaningful direction in the preservation of this heritage.

"To preserve folk singing, it's crucial to create opportunities for the younger generation to be exposed to it from an early age. By listening, learning, and directly performing, they will gradually appreciate the unique beauty and value of this traditional art form," shared artisan Luu Duc Anh Tuan.

MINH NGUYEN

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/ninh-giang-lan-toa-nghe-thuat-hat-van-trong-hoc-duong-544217.html