Building happy schools: Don't wait until you have enough to start

On December 4, the Party Committee of Chon Thanh Ward (Dong Nai Province) issued the Project on Building a Happy Chu Van An A High School for the 2025–2030 period, with a vision toward 2035. The project serves as a “guiding principle” for the school in fostering a safe, respectful, and compassionate educational environment, where all students, teachers, and staff feel happy and are supported in their comprehensive development in knowledge, character, and competence.

Nguyen Thuy Linh, a chemistry teacher at Chu Van An A High School, guides students in an activity themed "Building a Harmonious Classroom" during the homeroom period. Photo: Hai Yen

With this project, happiness is no longer a subjective adjective but a system of measurable and quantifiable values.

Don't wait until you have everything to find happiness

Compared to other schools in Dong Nai province, Chu Van An A High School is not a large or well-funded institution, nor does it have a long-standing record of achievements. The school currently serves around 1,000 students and meets national standards at level 1. However, guided by the philosophy of “not waiting until everything is ready to take action,” the school's Strategic Development Plan for the 2020–2025 period, with a vision to 2030, has identified six core values: safety, respect, love, honesty, discipline, and responsibility, while reaffirming its commitment to building a happy school. The plan also outlines five core educational principles aligned with this goal.

Notably, on September 9, 2025, the Party Committee of Chon Thanh Ward issued Project No. 02/DA-DU on Building a Happy Chon Thanh Ward for the 2025–2030 period, with a vision to 2035. Within this project, building a happy Chu Van An A High School is designated as one of five breakthrough areas. These foundational efforts have provided a solid basis for the development of the project on Building a Happy Chu Van An A High School.

Principal Nguyen Van Nghiem shared: “In reality, Chu Van An A High School still faces several challenges in terms of facilities. Investment must follow the roadmap set by the education sector. However, we cannot wait until everything is in place to start pursuing happiness, as we must begin with the very first steps, just like this one. How can we ensure that every school day is truly a joyful day for students, a day when they feel safe, loved, and respected...”

To begin building a happy school, according to Nguyen Van Nghiem, Principal of Chu Van An A High School, the first step is to change the mindset of the school's administrators, teachers, and staff. First, the team must work together and agree on the system of viewpoints outlined in the project. “For example, regarding the perspective on students, the project clearly states: ‘Each student is an independent individual, with different development, diverse potential, a rich inner life, and always possessing good qualities.’ With that perspective, teachers will be able to interact with students more appropriately,” Nghiem shared.

The project outlines a three-phase roadmap. Phase 1 (academic year 2025-2026) is the foundational and adaptive phase, involving changes in perceptions, training staff to identify goals for collaborative action accurately, and disseminating information to parents and the broader community for support.

Phase 2 (2027-2030) is the development and enhancement stage, with specific tasks including: finalizing a system of criteria and indicators for evaluating "Happy Schools" tailored to the particular context of the school and locality; implementing comprehensive and in-depth solutions related to people, space, community, and processes; promoting innovation in teaching and learning through the creation of happy classroom and club models; and strengthening social engagement to attract community resources for school development.

Phase 3 (vision beyond 2030)  is the maintenance and expansion stage. Once the project has achieved initial results and affirmed the value of happy schools, this phase focuses on promoting its spread within the broader community, particularly to other schools within the ward, in a collective effort to build happy schools.

I was granted the opportunity by the school to participate in a training course on emotional intelligence. The course transformed my teaching approach, helping me better guide students’ emotions and conduct educational activities more effectively. I also began incorporating emotional intelligence education into my lessons, themes, and classroom activities to help my students practice self-love and develop empathy for others. This undertaking is also a key factor in fostering solidarity and compassion among students, thereby contributing to the creation of a safe and humane school environment.

Nguyen Thuy Linh, Chemistry teacher, Chu Van An A High School

Many priority activities in building happy schools

To build a happy school, Chu Van An A High School has developed a set of key solutions based on four foundational pillars: People, Space, Community, and Process. Each pillar encompasses its own set of values, which together form six core values and two guiding principles.

The six core values are: Safety, Respect, and Love (to build a nurturing educational environment); and Honesty, Discipline, and Responsibility (to shape student character).

The two guiding principles are: Dedication, Professionalism, and Creativity in the educational activities of school staff; and Understanding, Collaboration, and Responsibility in fostering relationships between the school, families, and the wider community.

These principles also serve as the guiding orientation for the school’s overall operations and ongoing educational innovation.

To achieve its stated goals, Chu Van An A High School has clearly identified key internal priorities, including: in-depth training and professional development for teachers and administrators; building a democratic and open working environment for teachers and staff; strongly innovating teaching methods towards a learner-centered approach; implementing activities to establish a healthy and positive school culture; and reviewing and improving learning and play spaces to ensure safety and friendliness.

In addition, the school will seek support and investment from both state budget allocations and external resources, particularly from funds dedicated to organizing experiential activities, career guidance, club development, scientific research, and initiatives aimed at fostering school culture.

To create a healthy environment for students and support the development of their abilities and character, Chu Van An A High School plans to establish a wide range of clubs, including: Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Practice, Life Skills, English, Information Technology/AI and Digital Innovation, Young Scientists/STEM/STEAM, Books and Reading Culture, Entrepreneurship and Career Guidance, Culture and Arts, Sports, Volunteering and Social Work, and Media/Photography.

The school also developed evaluation criteria to quantify the results of achieving the objectives set out in the project. The evaluation of these criteria was conducted through surveys of teachers, staff, students, and parents.

Le Thi Dan, Head of the Parent-Teacher Association at Chu Van An A High School, shared: “I had previously heard about the 'Happy School' model, but only in large cities. When the school adopted this model, we, the parents, were delighted and excited to welcome it. What stands out most to me since its implementation is that school violence has become almost nonexistent. Every student is respected and cared for, and the school organizes numerous activities that provide all students with opportunities to express themselves. When our children learn in such an environment, we as parents also feel happy.”

What makes me happy about studying at this school is the opportunity to participate in many activities, have my efforts recognized, and feel confident and comfortable when communicating with teachers and classmates. What I hope for most from this school is that it fosters a happy atmosphere every day, where students come to class feeling joyful, safe, and respected.

Vu Thi Ky Phuong, student of class 10B1, Chu Van An A High School

Chu Van An A High School is not the first in Dong Nai to pursue the happy school model. However, it is the first school where the Ward Party Committee has issued a formal project dedicated to building a happy school. This project serves as a solid foundation for collective action, not only among school staff but also across the entire local community. Under the leadership of the Ward Party Committee, this initiative is no longer just the school's responsibility, but a shared responsibility of the locality. It serves as both a source of motivation and a binding commitment for the school’s teaching staff in implementing the plan.

By Hai Yen – Translated by Quoc Dung, Minho