What do you get for being a "5-Good Student"?

Tra Vinh University has many Buddhist monks among its students – Photo: NGUYEN KHOI

This was one of the issues raised at the workshop "Improving the Quality of the '5 Good Students' Movement" held on the afternoon of January 4th.

The workshop took place online at 55 locations nationwide, organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Union, the Hanoi Student Union, and the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade ( VietinBank ).

The workshop was attended by over 2,900 delegates, with more than 300 delegates from Hanoi alone, including those who had received central-level awards, outstanding students, and key officials of the Youth Union from various units in Hanoi.

Student monks actively participate in the "Five Good Students" movement.

Ms. Nguyen Khanh Bao Thuy Vy – Vice President of the Vietnamese Student Association at Tra Vinh University – said that Tra Vinh University is the only university in the country that trains students in the Southern Khmer language. Students in this department include Buddhist monks.

The "Five Good Students" movement has five criteria: good morals, good academic performance, good physical fitness, good volunteerism, and good integration into society.

Ms. Nguyen Khanh Bao Thuy Vy – Vice President of the Vietnamese Student Association at Tra Vinh University – suggested revising the criteria to recognize the efforts of exceptional students – Photo: Vu Tuan

The criterion of "good physical fitness" is used to score students who participate in sports competitions such as running, swimming, cycling, volleyball, or football... but Buddhist monks do not participate in sports competitions.

“We could earn points in other applications permitted by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Union, such as running and walking… However, these applications are few, and monks rarely use smartphones. Furthermore, what about other disadvantaged students (those with disabilities)? How can these students meet the criteria for the ‘5 Good Students’ title?” – Thuy Vy asked.

Thúy Vy suggested that revisions are needed to issue a new set of criteria, including specific criteria for students with special needs such as Buddhist monks or disadvantaged students.

What are the benefits of being an "Outstanding Student"?

This is a question many students have raised, demanding that the Vietnam Student Union at all levels address it. It was also a point raised by Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet – Secretary of the Central Committee of the Youth Union and President of the Vietnam Student Union – at the conference.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet – Secretary of the Central Committee of the Youth Union, President of the Vietnam Student Association – proposed criteria for recognizing the efforts and training of students – Photo: VU TUAN

Mr. Triet said that many students haven't yet seen the value of the "Excellent Student" title. Many students ask: "What do I gain from participating in the 'Excellent Student' movement?"

According to Mr. Triet, some units are struggling with solutions for implementing and organizing activities to create an environment for students to train and strive to achieve academic honors.

Meanwhile, training programs in schools are becoming increasingly shorter, with students focusing only on completing credits and paying little attention to extracurricular activities. In addition, limited access to information means many students haven't yet recognized the value that these activities bring.

Mr. Triet suggested that the Vietnam Student Union at all levels needs to address two issues: firstly, to organize a widespread movement, and secondly, to identify outstanding individuals to gradually improve the quality and standards of the movement.

Many opinions were discussed at the workshop – Photo: VU TUAN

Secondly, it's necessary to find solutions to acknowledge students' efforts. Mr. Triet gave the example of first-year students who have only achieved one or two criteria but have a strong commitment to self-improvement and strive for excellence, only reaching the full "five good" criteria in their fourth or fifth year. Therefore, there is a need for criteria to recognize achievements during the period when students are striving and improving.

The title "Outstanding Student" is not an exam.

Nguyen Tien Hung, vice president of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Union and president of the Vietnam Student Union of Hanoi City, said that the criteria set for the "Five Good Students" movement are aimed at changing students' perceptions.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Hung, president of the Vietnam Student Association of Hanoi City, chaired the discussion – Photo: Vu Tuan

"Achieving the 'Excellent Student' title isn't just about passing an exam; we need to understand the purpose behind those criteria," said Hung.

According to Mr. Hung, the criteria for good ethics are not set to "win this or that award," but to ensure students have firm political convictions. The criteria for good academic performance are not about achieving excellent or outstanding student status, but about providing students with a solid foundation of knowledge and modern, scientific thinking methods.

The criteria for volunteering is not about students trying to participate in all 5 volunteer days, but about students having a desire to contribute to the community and society.

Or, good physical activities aren't just about students participating in races or sports competitions, but about cultivating a healthy lifestyle.

Another criterion is good integration, which helps students maintain their identity during the integration process.

The title "Excellent Student in Five Areas" is a prestigious award of the Vietnam Student Union, a culmination of the "Excellent Student in Five Areas" movement with five criteria, including: Good Morality, Good Academics, Good Physical Fitness, Good Volunteerism, and Good Integration.

From 2018 to 2023, 2,046,593 students registered to participate in the "Excellent Student" program. Of these, 99,327 students achieved the "Excellent Student" title at the university level, 9,908 students at the provincial level, and 1,094 students at the national level.