Developing arts and culture activities in schools.

Along with focusing on improving the quality of education , in recent years, the Education and Training sector has paid attention to developing the arts and culture movement in schools, creating a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere and a healthy playground for students, contributing to spreading the movement "Building friendly schools, active students," and improving the overall quality of education for students.

A dance performance by the performing arts team of Nguyen Trai Secondary School, City.

Currently, the province has 609 schools with over 370,000 students. 100% of schools have performing arts teams. During the period 2020-2023, schools established and effectively maintained 417 hobby clubs and 204 skills clubs. Depending on the event or theme of the holiday, such as International Women's Day (March 8th), the founding day of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26th), the opening ceremony, the end-of-year summary, Vietnamese Teachers' Day (November 20th), career guidance extracurricular activities, etc., the performing arts teams perform appropriate acts.

Most of the cultural performances in schools are deeply rooted in ethnic identity, such as: Thai Xoe dance, Au Eo dance of the Khmu people, bell dance of the Dao Tien people, and flute dance of the Mong people... The songs praise love for the homeland, the country, the beloved President Ho Chi Minh, and the people's teacher... To promote ethnic identity, some schools also cooperate with specialized agencies to teach dances such as: the Unity Dance, teaching folk songs and dances of ethnic groups, Xoe dance... They also establish clubs using traditional musical instruments.

Furthermore, in line with youth trends, modern dance and international folk dance have been developed in schools at all levels in recent years. With many genres such as breakdance, hip-hop, dancesport, popping, and folk dance; fast rhythms and youthful, fresh choreography create a vibrant atmosphere through modern dance performances on social media platforms. Many dance performances are creative, highly artistic, suitable for students' age group, and convey meaningful messages, such as praising Vietnamese people and culture, and honoring positive values in life. To promote this movement, the Provincial Youth Activities Center annually organizes the Youth Dance and International Folk Dance Festival, attracting numerous dance groups and clubs from schools. This creates a healthy playground for students.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Vien, Head of the Education and Training Department of Song Ma District, said: The Department has directed schools to regularly organize cultural and artistic activities. This includes organizing competitions and exchanges between schools; and participating in performances on the occasion of local holidays and major events. Many schools have outstanding artistic performances that are regularly selected to perform at district events.

Currently, the Provincial Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities has a performing arts team consisting of three groups: singing, dancing, and performing, and a flute club, with over 40 students participating. Lo Thi Ngoc Le, a student in class 11C, said: "I've been a member of the school's performing arts team since 10th grade. Depending on the activity and theme of the event, we choose to practice and perform appropriate acts under the guidance of our teachers. Participating in the performing arts team helps me develop self-confidence, improve my ability to handle situations in front of a crowd, and helps me relax after school hours."

The arts and culture movement in schools has increased students' confidence in communication, helped them develop comprehensively, and contributed to building a more diverse and rich mass arts and culture movement in local areas.

Text and photos: Huyen Trang

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