Vietnam is developing the UNICEF 'friendlier school' model to boost primary education

Vietnam will expand UNICEF’s "Friendlier School" model across the nation. The concept, which has already been applied experimentally, has been found to improve educational quality and help students enjoy studying, said Nguyen Thien Nhan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training.

A teacher and her students in a lesson at a temporary class at the courtyard of a local people’s house in Quynh Nhai District, northern mountainous province of Son La.

The minister was speaking at a ceremony yesterday to launch a campaign to extend the model developed at Van Phuc secondary school in Ha Dong City in the northern province of Ha Tay.

The model’s purpose is to create a safer, fairer educational environment, attract students to study, ensure their rights and improve teaching quality. Creating an interesting educational environment is focused on keeping students from being bored so that they can enjoy their studies.

"Being friendlier is also a good way of preventing students from leaving schools," said Associate Professor Tran Kieu, former director of the Institute of Educational Sciences.

Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) released a report showing that by March, 2008, about 147,000 students had quit school.

One of the 10 reasons given was the rigid and uninspiring teaching environment that had limited students’ interest in studying.

Dancing and singing

While creating Friendlier Schools that meet international standards and are suited to Vietnamese culture, MOET also wants children to be given access to traditional cultural activities from their own local regions.

It has been found that in a friendlier studying environment, students feel comfortable and want to join extra activities that teach them a lot.

"It is important for all schools to teach students how to respect traditional values," said Dr Tran Dinh Chau, director of secondary education development projects.

To complete the Friendlier School model, MOET will invite specialists to create extra activities involving traditional culture and history.

Students will be able to play traditional games from their own regions and also have game shows for studying. They will enjoy traditional games, songs, dancing and visit historical and cultural works in their own regions.

"Through game rules, children know how to respect themselves and other people. They also learn how to sort out problems through co-operating, discussing and persuading," said Dr Nguyen Cong Khanh, from Hanoi’s Teaching University.

A visit to a geography lesson in grade 3 at Co Loa "Friendlier" primary school in Phu Nhuan District, HCM City, proves its effect.

Thirty students start the lesson by singing and doing exercises. Teachers then provide them with pictures of Vietnamese ethnic minority groups and the students have to describe the differences.

"Students become very excited and want to talk and discuss their conclusions," said Nguyen Lan, the third grade class teacher.

"Besides knowledge from books, we need children to become independent, self confident and have interest in learning all their life. Friendlier Schools will help us to do that," said Khanh.

All primary, secondary schools nationwide will eventually follow the model.

In 2008-2009, the ministry will directly assist 200 schools to meet the model standards.

It will set up a steering committee to carry out the project. This will include publishing documents to guide schools on implementing the scheme.

Through co-operating with UNICEF, Vietnam has so far experimentally applied the model to 50 secondary schools - and got some remarkable results.

The Friendlier School model set up by UNICEF has been applied in many countries for several decades. The schools have to ensure standards such as no discrimination among students, a safe educational environment, close co-operation between school, family and community - and no pressure on students.

(Source: Viet Nam News)