Helping students become global citizens.

Over the past period, many public schools have been actively working in various ways to help students become global citizens.

Talk about history in English with your students.

Over a decade ago, before the integrated English program was implemented, at Luong The Vinh Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), teacher Le Vinh Phuc was admired and cherished by his students for his excellent English skills. He took every opportunity to speak English with his students to help them develop their reflexes.

Many public schools in Ho Chi Minh City have received significant investment in facilities, including STEM (or STEAM) classrooms, to give students the opportunity to access technology, creativity, and engineering.

In his lectures, Mr. Phuc always "challenges" his students by occasionally reading math problems aloud in English, telling history stories in English, or asking geography questions in English. The students are delighted and raise their hands enthusiastically.

"The students' English reflexes are becoming increasingly excellent. This motivates us to learn even more to teach them. In a science and English presentation competition where our group of students won an honorable mention at the district level, they confidently presented simultaneously in both English and Vietnamese on the topic of preventing school violence. I was very happy to witness those moments," said Mr. Phuc.

At Luong The Vinh Primary School (District 1), teacher Nguyen Ngoc Ho is also passionate about introducing students to competitions that develop critical thinking, teamwork skills, and foreign language proficiency. Every year, Mr. Ho and Mr. Phuc guide and encourage students to participate in international math competitions such as Violympic English Math and Kangaroo Math.

Ms. Ha Anh Phuong, an English teacher at Huong Can High School (Thanh Son District, Phu Tho Province), has been known in recent years as a teacher who always strives to help students from "village schools" access and interact with students and advanced educational systems.

The school where she works has 85% of its students from ethnic minority groups. Thanks to information technology and the internet, this teacher from the 9X generation has enabled her students to participate in cross-border lessons and carry out numerous international projects in 51 countries around the world. Ms. Phuong shared: "Students in Vietnam, the US, and India… despite differences in skin color and geographical distance, can still chat with each other daily about their cultures and lives."

According to Ms. Phuong, when first introduced to cross-border classes, the students, who are mostly from ethnic minority groups, were very hesitant. However, now that she sees them confidently communicating in English, Ms. Phuong believes they will become global citizens in the future.

More and more secondary schools are adopting the advanced school model in line with the trend of integration, so that students can confidently step out into the world.

Reaching out to the big stage with STEM.

Recently, many public schools in Ho Chi Minh City have received significant investment in facilities, including STEM (or STEAM - an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) classrooms, to allow students to access and become familiar with STEM-Robotics.

On September 5th, Cau Kieu Secondary School (Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City) was inaugurated with a spacious facility including 30 classrooms, numerous subject and functional rooms, a playground, an auditorium… and notably, a dedicated STEAM room with modern equipment to meet the creative needs of students.

Dual degree program

Since 2017, Hanoi has been the only locality allowing the implementation of a dual-diploma program combining the Vietnamese and British curricula at its first public high school, Chu Van An High School; in 2018, this was expanded to include Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted. Students who pass the entrance exam and enroll in the dual-diploma program at the high schools authorized by the city to pilot this program will have the opportunity to obtain a British A-level diploma according to the Cambridge curriculum and A-level certificates right in Vietnam, alongside their national high school diploma. By the 2018-2019 school year, the dual-diploma program was piloted in 7 junior high schools for grade 6.

In January, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training held a conference to summarize the pilot phase of the program and received much positive feedback. Students in the dual-degree program from the two schools won many high awards in national and international competitions.

STEM-Robotics provides students with more opportunities to test their skills in international competitions, learn from outstanding peers from many countries, and increase networking opportunities, such as the annual WRO - Robotacon competition. After a period of interruption due to the pandemic, this year's WRO - Robotacon 2023 world finals will take place in November in Panama, with 14 Vietnamese teams participating.

Linh Chieu Primary School (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) is one of the primary schools that has effectively implemented the STEM program, clubs, integrated activities, STEM festivals, etc., in recent years, thereby giving students more opportunities to interact and learn. The school currently has a smart science lab funded by the South Korean government. In addition to equipment such as tablets and management systems, the lab is equipped with VR glasses to help students conduct simulated experiments…

Throughout the school years, students from Luong The Vinh Primary School, under the guidance of teachers Phuc and Ho, have won numerous awards in national robotics competitions and participated in international competitions on several occasions. In the 2022-2023 school year, a group of six students from the school participated in the International Robothon competition in Malaysia and won one third prize and two consolation prizes, with the Vietnamese flag proudly raised on stage amidst overwhelming joy.

Strategy for integration

That is the direction and goal of high schools in Ho Chi Minh City, especially those schools that follow the advanced school model in line with the trend of integration.

The principal of a prestigious high school in District 1 (Ho Chi Minh City) said that in addition to providing maximum support for students to access and meet the criteria for participating in the preferential admission policies of domestic universities, it is time to consider building a strategy for them to integrate and compete with international students.

When specialized schools stop "training elite students"

In recent years, the High School for the Gifted (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) has made significant strides towards eliminating the notion that specialized schools are merely training "prize-winning students" for competitions, and instead focusing on academic knowledge. Dr. Tran Nam Dung, Vice Principal of the High School for the Gifted, stated that since the 2022-2023 academic year, the school has restructured its basic curriculum to be more concise and to dedicate more time to extracurricular activities and career guidance. These educational trends will help the school's students confidently navigate the world and become global citizens.

According to Mr. Dung, extracurricular activities include improving critical thinking skills in preparation for aptitude tests at domestic and international universities (SAT), and enhancing foreign language skills in German, Japanese, French, and Chinese. This also involves implementing programs with foreign universities, such as organizing AP courses and exams. In addition, there are club activities, volunteer work, projects protecting intangible cultural values, and projects promoting reading culture.

In addition to the national general education program, the school's educational plans are designed to achieve international standards in knowledge, English language proficiency, computer skills, etc. Furthermore, club activities and community service programs are essential. For example, besides physical training, each student aims to be able to play at least one sport or art form.

Also with the aim of integrating students into the international community, Ms. Bui Minh Tam, Principal of Le Quy Don High School (District 3), informed that the school plans to assign experienced teachers to support students in preparing profiles (summary introducing themselves and their abilities) to participate in scholarship programs and apply to universities around the world for optimal results.

According to Ms. Tam, in addition to organizing community activities and encouraging student participation, in the future, the school will compile certificates and diplomas in a bilingual format to move towards integration, in line with the school's model as an advanced school following the trend of integration. Thus, students' personal profiles will clearly demonstrate their content, activities, abilities, and qualities, allowing any university in the world to evaluate and approve them in the most systematic way.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/dua-hoc-sinh-tro-thanh-cong-dan-toan-cau-18523090800590674.htm