When teachers "learn" to write press releases, playing the role of journalists

On August 3, the Department of Education and Training of Tan Binh district organized a seminar on crisis communication handling skills in schools.

More than 165 administrators and teachers from kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools in Tan Binh district attended this special "study" session.

Teachers practice writing press releases at the training session

At the training session, journalist Nguyen Truong Uy (Tuoi Tre Newspaper) said that media crisis management is an important skill that schools need to have. Being prepared and responding promptly to media issues can help protect and enhance the school’s reputation and the safety of students, parents and society.

When a crisis occurs, according to Mr. Uy, schools need to have a response plan to resolve the incident and control the situation. Responding to a crisis professionally will help protect and restore the school's reputation.

Journalist Nguyen Truong Uy (Tuoi Tre Newspaper) said that media crisis management is an important skill that schools need to have.

To handle a media crisis, schools need to set up teams and assign specific tasks to each group. “Effective communication channels for handling crises include school websites, social networks, emails, press conferences, and press releases,” Mr. Uy emphasized.

Not only do teachers learn the theory of crisis management steps, they also practice through three very specific exercises.

First, teachers practice writing press releases about a situation that happened in school, such as students fighting and causing injuries, parents accusing a teacher of forcing students to take extra classes, or a student dying in class.

Many real-life situations were presented in the program.

In the second exercise, teachers practiced their skills in responding to the press through a group exercise. One person played the role of the principal, one played the role of the vice principal, and one played the role of a reporter to verify an incident that happened in the school, which could be a poisoning case or a false rumor about the school.

Teachers practice crisis communication exercises in schools

Lively discussion

The final exercise of the program excited the audience when it simulated holding a press conference with permission from superiors to address false rumors that were stirring up public opinion.

In which, 5 teachers play the role of the school board, the remaining teachers will play the role of reporters asking questions. The exercise is an opportunity for the teachers to demonstrate their skills in handling and solving problems.

Ms. Dang Thi My Dung, Principal of Nguyen Thanh Tuyen Primary School, said that participating in a simulated press conference situation showed that the attitude and behavior of school leaders are very important. When answering questions, leaders need to be calm, listen and respond with an open-minded attitude.

The principal lacks experience in communicating with the media.

Mr. Phan Van Quang, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Tan Binh District, said that in reality, schools have many problems such as food poisoning, school violence, behavior problems between teachers and students, parents, and between teachers...

Reality shows that the current communication between school principals and the media is lacking in experience because they are not equipped with the necessary knowledge.

The expert-led training will help teachers master the skills needed to effectively manage a crisis. In addition, the training will help principals master the skills to communicate positive things about their school.

"If communication work is done well, parents will understand better and be willing to accompany the school in educational activities," said Mr. Quang.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tp-hcm-khi-thay-co-hoc-viet-thong-cao-bao-chi-sam-vai-nha-bao-196240803165241545.htm