The goal of the 2018 General Education Curriculum is to support pupils’ balanced physical and mental development, with school culture serving as a foundation to enhance the quality of education. Recognising this, the Da Nang Department of Education and Training has focused on building and enriching school culture to create a positive environment for pupils' holistic development.

The Thanh Khe District’s Office of Education and Training awarded prizes to teams with outstanding achievements in the 2024 School Culture Festival. Photo: KHOI NGUYEN

Friendly and safe educational environment

In mid-October 2024, the Thanh Khe District’s Office of Education and Training held a school culture contest to provide an interactive platform for junior high school pupils to engage with and raise awareness about school culture. Through various activities such as presentations, knowledge quizzes, and outdoor experience events, pupils were encouraged to build life skills. The presentation segment centred around topics such as the role of school culture in shaping pupils' ethics and character; the impact of online culture, virtual worlds, and other harmful influences on student development; cultural interactions between teachers and pupils, peer relationships, family dynamics, and interactions with the environment.

Mr. Le Thi Hoang Chinh, Head of the Thanh Khe District’s Office of Education and Training, emphasised that, alongside enhancing academic standards, fostering school culture should remain a top priority. As a result, local schools actively integrate cultural values into lessons and extracurricular activities, aiming to instill good ethics and lifestyle values in pupils. This approach also guides pupils to comply with laws, avoid social vices, and achieve comprehensive education aligned with modern educational reforms.

School culture is a crucial condition for character development, instilling young people with ambition and ideals. Consequently, building school culture should be central to each school’s activities. Mrs. Pham Thi Hoa, Principal of Le Do Junior High School in Son Tra District, shared that junior high school pupils often experience psychological and emotional changes, which can lead to conflicts. To address this, the school places a strong emphasis on student counselling through staff, subject teachers, and volunteer teams who provide bi-weekly counselling sessions.

These sessions help pupils understand themselves better, manage emotions, and resolve conflicts with civility. Additionally, the school organises extracurricular and sports events, improving pupils’ health while fostering teamwork and mutual support. In these activities, the school prioritises life skills education, aiming for pupils' comprehensive development.

Emphasising codes of conduct in schools

From a practical standpoint, school culture involves tangible actions aligned with the educational environment's specific people and situations. Teachers should exemplify ethical conduct for pupils to follow, while pupils should demonstrate respect and abide by school rules.

At the Tran Phu Senior High School, the management regularly advises teachers to maintain professional, fair, and appropriate interactions with pupils, addressing issues with patience and understanding. Deputy Principal Pham Thi Anh Tuyet explained that the school has established a code of conduct outlining expected standards for both teachers and pupils. This code serves as a mirror for self-reflection, encouraging appropriate behaviour. The school also reminds teachers and pupils of the importance of positive online behaviour, encouraging careful selection of information and respectful social media conduct. Conflict is handled diplomatically, avoiding parental or student discontent.

According to Mr. Tran Nguyen Minh Thanh, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Education and Training, in addition to achieving academic goals, the department has implemented measures to build and enhance school culture. This includes promoting revolutionary ideals, ethics, life skills, and health initiatives for pupils, encouraging them to contribute to society and strive for personal excellence.

The department also prioritises career guidance, skills education, and innovations in civics and ethics, as well as student organisation activities. Schools are encouraged to create clean, green, safe, and friendly environments and to diversify the content and format of academic and cultural events. Efforts to innovate school management aim to establish a democratic, culturally rich learning environment, making each day at school an enjoyable experience.

“These initiatives have created significant positive changes in pupils’ ethics, lifestyles, law-abiding attitudes, and aspirations,” Mr. Thanh noted. “They also provide essential knowledge and skills, helping pupils to learn independently, be self-reliant, and integrate into society.”

Reporting by KHOI NGUYEN - Translating by TRUC VY