The Da Nang Department of Education and Training yesterday announced that, starting from 1 December, educational establishments across the city will roll out the city’s programme called ‘Open Bookshelves’.

Local primary school pupils

Under this programme, educational institutions will have their bookshelves unlocked and put in their school yards, walking paths, and playing grounds.  The intention is to allow school pupils easier access to books and newspapers to help to promote a healthy reading habit.

In addition, the city’s foreign languages and IT centres, along with other training institutions, are also being encouraged to introduce the programme and create favourable conditions for learners and their parents to read their favourite books.

The programme’s operational costs will be met by each educational institute, along with voluntary donations from generous donors and parents of pupils.

Also from early next month, local schools will be allowed to open their doors after school hours to offer a wide range of training courses for trainees.  The courses will include foreign languages, IT, life skills, aptitude, arts, sports and physical training.  The opening hours for these courses will be 5.00pm - 9.00pm on school days, whilst at weekends they can be from 8.00am - 10.30am and from 2.00pm - 9.00pm. 

The organisation of such courses will help local schools take advantage of their facilities to create extra funds.  This will, in turn, help them to ensure reinvestment into their facilities in the future, and increase the monthly salaries of their teachers and staff members.

In attempting to better promote the city’s swimming teaching and learning programme, the department has recently urged heads of local educational institutions to encourage their pupils to take part in swimming classes, paying fees of no more than 200,000 VND per month.  Also, they have been asked to offer fee exemption or reductions for pupils who come from social policy and poor families.