Building a happy school

The 2025-2026 school year has officially begun, with the theme Discipline - Creativity - Breakthrough - Development. Schools in Dong Nai province are ready and determined to achieve new successes.

Teachers and students of An Hao Primary School (Tran Bien Ward) welcome the new school year. Photo: Thanh Nguyen

From the very beginning of the school year, schools have implemented many key solutions, from building a happy school environment to innovating teaching and learning methods, aiming to develop students' capacities and qualities comprehensively.

Building a happy school

Chu Van An A High School (Chon Thanh Ward), with more than 1,000 students, has adopted the Happy School Project as a guiding principle for all educational activities. This clear strategic direction has garnered strong support from the entire staff and aligns with local policy. With spacious, well-equipped facilities meeting national standards level 1 and education quality accreditation level 2, the school is fully equipped to deliver high-quality educational programs.

Specifically, Chu Van An A High School has selected core values corresponding to the 3 pillars of the happy school framework proposed by UNESCO, including: place with values of safety - respect - love; people with qualities of honesty - discipline - responsibility; process with the motto of dedicated - professional - creative work. The first steps in this journey were implemented from the 2023-2024 school year and achieved encouraging results, demonstrating the suitability and feasibility of the project.

In addition, Chu Van An A High School also focuses on organizing activities of clubs, teams, groups, cultural, artistic, sports activities, implementing school safety work, preventing school violence, preventing drowning, preventing fires and explosions... for students.

In homeroom work, the school advocates using the first 15 minutes of class to organize activities aimed at strengthening collective cohesion, equipping skills, and creating excitement at the beginning of study.

The leadership of Chu Van An A High School has identified several priority areas to improve the quality of teaching and learning from the very start of the school year. These include: focusing on innovating teaching methods and student assessment to foster each student's capacity, engagement, initiative, and creativity; appropriately and effectively applying information technology and digital transformation; and early adoption and effective integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into school operations.

Teachers must be bold in innovating teaching methods by organizing student-centered learning activities, placing learning, rather than teaching, at the core, to ensure that real learning takes place. At the same time, it is essential to strengthen inspection and assessment practices oriented toward developing students' capacities and qualities, while recognizing individual progress and differences in types of intelligence among students, said Nguyen Van Nghiem, principal of Chu Van An A High School.

Overcoming difficulties, improving the quality of teaching and learning

Located in Tan Tien border commune, Tan Thanh Secondary School has 705 students enrolled in 19 classes this school year. The school continues to face numerous challenges. It lacks teaching equipment aligned with the 2018 General Education Program and is still relying on outdated materials from the 2006 program, many of which are damaged or in short supply. The school's computer lab is outdated, with only a limited number of functioning computers, falling short of students' practical learning needs. In addition, the school is short of teachers in several subjects, including Math, Literature, English, Civic Education, and Music.

Students of Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School (Dak Lua commune) are in a spacious classroom. Photo: provided by the school

Before the new school year, Tan Thanh Secondary School is delighted to have received a computer lab, including 20 computers, desks, chairs, and accompanying equipment, from Lac Hong University and Lac Hong Bilingual Primary-Secondary-High School. The sponsor also sent staff to assemble the computers and hand over a complete computer lab to the school.

Nguyen Van Hao, principal of Tan Thanh Secondary School, said that receiving support in the form of a computer lab with 20 computers would help students connect theory with practice. It would allow them to work directly on computers and participate in various online competitions held at different levels. The additional lab would also make it easier for the school to schedule both theoretical and practical lessons in Informatics, avoiding timetable conflicts and delays caused by having only one computer lab for 19 classes.

The principal of Tan Thanh Secondary School also stated: The school will synchronously implement educational activities to ensure comprehensive education, in line with the Party's policy on human resource development for ethnic minority and mountainous areas. "We are committed to completing and exceeding the quality education targets assigned by higher authorities, contributing to the successful implementation of educational development tasks in border regions," affirmed Mr. Hao.

Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School (Dak Lua commune) is also among the remote schools in Dong Nai province. Dang Van Thuy, principal of the school, shared with enthusiasm that in the 2024–2025 academic year, the school achieved level 1 national standards and level 2 in education quality accreditation. This accomplishment provides a favorable foundation for the school to continue improving the quality of teaching and learning in the coming period. However, Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School still faces numerous challenges. The school currently operates one main campus and three satellite campuses, with 23 classes and around 550 students, more than 120 of whom are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Many students live with their grandparents while their parents work far from home, which limits the level of care and support they receive from their families.

"Happiness in education is not just temporary joy or satisfaction, but a state of sustainable development, where every individual feels safe, respected, loved, and can maximize their potential."

Nguyen Van Nghiem, Principal of Chu Van An A High School

To strengthen communication and connection with parents, Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School has implemented the eNetViet software. This application enables parents to track their children's academic performance, class schedules, and attendance while communicating directly with teachers and receiving official notifications from the school. In addition, teachers can share photos of classroom activities, communicate with colleagues, and access administrative information. Thanks to this platform, even parents who live far from their children can stay informed about their academic progress and provide timely support.

In the 2025-2026 school year, this remote school aims to introduce the use of AI in lesson planning and teaching. "We are striving for 70 percent of students to receive commendations and 99 percent to advance to the next grade. Teachers will set their own performance targets and develop development plans tailored to the conditions of the school and local community," said Dang Van Thuy.

With clear strategic orientations in place, schools across Dong Nai province are ready to embark on a new academic year, one that presents many challenges but also holds the promise of significant success. Through determination, innovation, and creativity, each school is contributing to building a happy, high-quality educational environment where students can develop comprehensively, in line with the goals set forth by the 2018 General Education Program.

By: Hai Yen

Translated by: Mai Nga - Minho