To keep the opening day from being proceduralized…

In the opening ceremony, with the "festival" part, each student must have the opportunity to participate so as not to be "proceduralized"...

Dr. Nguyen Khanh Trung said that the opening day is a happy day, a day with beautiful memories because we get to meet friends and teachers again... (Photo: NVCC)

To make the opening day a happy day…

The opening day is a happy day, a day with beautiful memories, excitement and nervousness when meeting friends, teachers, and school again after several summer months of student life... However, students today can hardly have these things because the opening day is usually not the first day of the new school year.

Therefore, it is not wrong to say that this day is just a “procedural” event. Not to mention, the content and organization methods in some schools often do not focus on students, whether it is the “ceremony” or the “festival”. Meanwhile, many students who are still at the age of running around will be very tired and lethargic when having to sit still for hours listening to adults give speeches and reports on school achievements.

The reason is probably that we are still attached to formalities, formulas, achievements and collective, uniform habits. That is, the school organizes like this because previous years also organized like this, other schools also organize similarly. We do not have a "philosophy" behind the activities, few people seek answers to questions, for example, what is the purpose of organizing like this, for whom, what benefits does it bring in the human education strategy?

In my opinion, we should take students as the center when planning educational activities, specifically the opening day. Schools should decide whether to organize or not, whether to organize large or small events, and whether to have grand or small ceremonies and festivals, depending on the needs of the students.

For schools with the means, they organize opening ceremonies with festivals and parties, but when there is a "festival", each student must have the opportunity to participate. They should not invite a singer or a group of people to come and dance and sing for fun without any regard for educational significance.

School art is also a meaningful educational activity when all students participate. The purpose is not to sing or perform beautifully, but to educate, so that students can have experience, practice confidence, practice eating and speaking in front of a crowd.

The same goes for parties. If there is any, the table should not be filled with beer, wine, or food for adults, but with drinks and food for the main characters, the students. When we sincerely put each child at the center and truly care for them, we will naturally reach each student.

Ngày khai giảng: Khi đã có phần 'hội', từng học sinh phải có cơ hội được tham gia

On the morning of September 5, about 23 million students nationwide entered the new school year 2023 - 2024. (Photo: Yen Nguyet)

There are many values that need to be taught to children.

On September 4, I took my child home from the opening ceremony. Schools in France do not seem to have a grand opening ceremony, but the first day of school is quite special. The most common form is to organize meetings.

The school gate on the first day of school is open to both students and parents. The school board usually stands at the gate to welcome students, especially new students, and greet their parents. The homeroom teacher will stand at the door of each classroom to welcome students and their parents.

On the first day of school, parents are allowed to bring their children to each class and stay to talk to the teachers and exchange with other parents. They ask each other about the summer vacation, about the trips, about the new school year, the teachers getting to know the new students…

There may also be “banquets” in the schoolyard, but they are mainly for children’s food and drinks, not for adults. The gathering lasts for a short time and the parents leave to make room for teachers and students, and teaching begins immediately afterwards.

Larger schools, such as middle schools, are divided into grades, the most important being the first grade. For example, September 4 is national school opening day, but my children's middle and high schools are only for welcoming first graders. Students in other grades will start school the next day, without any ceremony.

Returning to our country’s education system, I think there are many values that need to be taught to the younger generation, but in the current context, we should promote the spirit of “real learning”. That is, whatever you learn, learn for real, learn to know, to do, and to live. Learning to ride a bicycle means being able to ride a bicycle, not just to get a degree or to receive a certificate of merit for your achievements in describing the wheel but in the end not being able to ride the bike.

Learning about science is not just about knowing the basics, but also about knowing how to apply and do science. Students need to practice thinking like scientists. That is, they need to learn to follow the path that scientists have taken and, if possible, to further explore that path to contribute to life.

Learning History, Philosophy, or any subject should follow that spirit. Of course, this path also has many levels, many contents, which path is for which age group is the task of responsible educators.

If we want to create a spirit of real learning in students, leaders and teachers must also have a spirit of real learning first. We do not need many certificates, degrees or achievement reports, but we need inventions, scientists and always in the spirit of "real learning, real exams, real talents". The important thing is how to eliminate the disease of achievement, formality, and student "uniforms", so that students can be themselves and develop their personal strengths.

Dr. Nguyen Khanh Trung is an educational researcher, author of the book "Education in Vietnam and Finland"; translator of the book series "How to study now?".

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