The school yard is gradually devoid of birdsong.

Many schools that have been nestled among ancient trees for years are now gradually becoming bare from the sun and wind because the trees have been cut down, replaced by hot, gray tarps.

Bui Thi Xuan High School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) used to have a large yard, spread out under rows of ancient, green royal poinciana trees. Then one day, 3 royal poinciana trees were cut down. The hot sunlight of the southern climate heated up the school yard every day. During recess, this yard was no longer attractive to students and the season of royal poinciana trees lighting fires gradually faded into memory.

Cutting down trees is a last resort. Teachers would certainly like to keep the trees in the schoolyard, because this is where students play, practice, and learn physical education.

The shade of trees in the schoolyard and the chirping of birds are always beautiful images of urban schools - which are lacking in green space. But then, in April 2023, when the incident of a tree at Tran Van On Secondary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) rotting and falling onto the street, injuring several people, the principals of other schools could not help but worry.

After a period of appraisal by tree experts, many old trees in the school yard showed signs of damage and rot and were cut down. Many trees, although slightly diseased, instead of being cared for to provide shade, some schools chose the safe measure of cutting them down. Nowadays, in the middle of a large city, it is rare to find a school that still has a row of royal poinciana trees.

The story seemed to have calmed down, but in August 2024, a branch of an ancient oil tree in Tao Dan Park (District 1) broke off and fell on a group of people exercising. The incident, which caused 5 casualties, raised concerns about the safety of large trees, which are not many in the city. Many parks have had tree workers strip the branches of the ancient trees.

A school that still retains many trees in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: HOANG TRIEU

Sensitive to this issue, many schools are concerned that large trees such as oil trees, star trees, tamarind trees, and rosewood trees in the schoolyard could have their branches broken, causing injury to students, so they call in tree staff to handle the situation.

The yard of Hoa Binh Primary School (District 1) used to have many tall banyan trees. They spread their shade over the school yard, providing shade for students to play and study. Every day, birds would come and chirp on the branches. This was also the home of squirrels who ran around all day as if playing with the students. Not long ago, these banyan trees were all "dealt with", leaving only about 3 m of bare trunks. Instead of the shade of the trees, the school installed iron frames and covered the roof with canvas. Although the school yard was no longer sunny, it was always hot due to the lack of shade from the trees.

The concerns of many schools are understandable. In a cramped environment, if an accident such as a tree falling or a broken branch injures a student, the consequences will be difficult to reverse. Many parents also want to eliminate this concern for their children studying at school. The safest solution is still to trim branches, prune branches, or even cut down trees, replacing them with tarpaulins - steel frames or plastic nets to block the sun.

Meanwhile, the optimal solution of forestry engineers is not to rush to cut down trees in the school yard. Because, creating a network of trees in urban areas is extremely difficult, especially in school spaces. The school should invite tree experts to consult to find a suitable solution. If the tree is damaged or has pests, it should be treated; if it cannot be treated, then cut it down or plant a replacement tree. For tall trees that can cause danger, the branches should be trimmed and the tops should not be cut down.

The lack of trees in schoolyards is a regret for both students and teachers. It is also a regret for many people because of a period of urban life when they had to live in a stuffy environment due to the lack of trees.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/san-truong-dan-vang-tieng-chim-196250301212920905.htm