After seven years of implementing a policy to keep Da Nang’s schools open to all pupils during their three-month summer vacation, the meaningful activity has received positive feedback from them and their parents as it has met their entertainment needs.

Swimming pool of the Luong The Vinh Junior High School in Lien Chieu District attracts a lot of pupils. Photo: N.H

Useful activities for pupils

Citywide schools have been active in offering free swimming lessons for their pupils during their three-month summer vacation. The Hoang Du Khuong Primary School based in Cam Le District is a typical example, and the school provides free swim classes for its pupils with the funding from the city budget. These classes opens from 6:00 am to 6:30 pm during the week.

Ms. Dang Thi Thuy Lien, the Principal of the Hoang Du Khuong Primary School said that the school has already provided 4 to 5 swimming courses for its pupils during this summer. Such a course helps pupils improve their health and swimming skills in line with the city's policy on strengthening the prevention and control of child accidents and injuries in, on and around the water, as well as the prevention of child drowning. The focus has been on promoting the teaching of water safety skills for school pupils.

During this summer, the Nguyen Luong Bang Junior High School based in Lien Chieu District has provided courses on how to take effective notes using mind maps with 2 classes which have opened weekly to about 60 students from grades 6 to 9 in total.

According to Mr. Huynh Duy Linh, the school's principal, such a course helps students learn about new and effective learning methods in order to meet innovative requirements in teaching and learning activities to adapt to the new education program.

In a similar vein, the Hoang Hoa Tham Senior High School has maintained operations of its clubs for traditional music, fine arts, basketball, along with French club and skills clubs. The number of participants in these clubs reached nearly 300 students at peak times.

Students and their parents are excited about exciting summer activities in schools

Do Ngoc Gia Han, a seventh grader of the Nguyen Luong Bang Junior High School, highlighted the many benefits for her after attending the course on how to use mind maps for note taking, including training herself to be more patient, and improving learning retention. Gia Han hoped for similar courses to be offered to students in order to help them gain new knowledge and limit the use of digital devices.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Minh, a resident of Thanh Khe Dong Ward, Thanh Khe District who has two children in grades 9 and 12 expressed his joy at his children’s participation in clubs run by the Nguyen Luong Bang Junior High School.

“The interesting thing is that schools have offered courses to all students regardless of where they study, what class they take, and how old they are. Therefore, my son in ninth-grade can be able to join his older sister in twelfth grade for the skills club at the Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted", Mr. Minh shared.

Mrs. Le Thi Bich Thuan, the Director of the Da Nang Department of Education and Training, said that after seven years of implementing a policy to keep Da Nang’s schools open to all pupils during their three-month summer vacation, the meaningful activity has created the most favourable conditions for school pupils citywide to have fun and have a great summer vacation . The positive results have mainly attributed to the efforts of the Da Nang Department of Education and Training in launching useful summer activities, plus the efforts of local schools in building libraries, swimming pools, basketball and badminton courts, and more.

“It can be seen that the opening of schools for pupils during their summer vacation has brought practical benefits to them. Hopefully, schools will be more proactive and creative in keeping them open during the summer in order to get its students and their parents engaged with summer activities." said Mrs. Thuan.

Reporting by NGOC HA – translating by H.L