“Happy School” Model: Sowing love, reaping knowledge

The model of “Happy School” is being strongly implemented by the provincial Department of Education and Training, becoming a journey to create a safe, loving and respectful educational environment. From remote highland schools with many difficulties to spacious boarding schools, happiness is present in every look and smile of both teachers and students, bringing positive and sustainable effects to the cause of “growing people” in remote highland areas.

To see the effectiveness of the model, we went to Khau Ly Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, Phinh Ho Commune - one of the schools in the mountainous area with many difficulties. Here, happiness is not something lofty but comes from the simplest things.

Giang A De, a Mong student, shared: “I am very happy. Going to school, I can learn to read and write, have enough to eat, and play with my friends. Teachers love us like their parents. I am no longer afraid of going to school, I look forward to going to class every day.”

The simple joy of De is the result of the constant efforts of the school's staff and teachers. Teacher Nguyen Thanh Hue - Principal of Khau Ly Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, said: "Happiness is not a slogan, but the daily efforts of both teachers and students. We start from the smallest things: a greeting, an encouraging look, a cool green space, a full boarding meal... so that every day at school is truly a happy day, where the children are safe, loved and respected."

Those efforts have brought "sweet fruit" when in the 2024 - 2025 school year, Khau Ly Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities self-assessed that it had met 20/20 criteria of a happy school. The educational environment here is completely free of school violence, and there are no teachers who violate teachers' ethics. The quality of key education has also had many positive changes with 1 prize-winning project at the Provincial Science and Technology Competition, many students won prizes in excellent student competitions and handwriting competitions.

That spirit also spreads strongly at Mu Cang Chai Ethnic Minority Boarding Secondary School. The school has become a warm common home for hundreds of students from many remote villages. Lo Thi Mai, an 8th grade student, shared: “This is like our second home. In the evening, we study together, and on weekends we have cultural and sports activities. Teachers take care of our every meal and sleep, teaching us good things and the right things.”

For teacher Mua The Quynh - Principal of Mu Cang Chai Ethnic Minority Boarding Secondary School, the happiness of students is the measure of success. He shared: “Our goal is to build a comprehensive educational environment, where students are not only equipped with knowledge but also trained in life skills, and are nurtured with love and respect. When teachers are happy, positive energy will spread to students, and from there, good values ​​will be multiplied.” The clearest proof of this success is the outstanding academic results of students. In the competitions to select excellent students, the school had 11 students win provincial prizes (an increase of 4 prizes). The school aims for 100% of 9th grade students to graduate from secondary school, building a united collective where no student is left behind.

The success stories of the model from schools like Khau Ly or Mu Cang Chai are now not few. The "Happy School" model has been proven effective in many mountainous localities. For example, in Yen Bai province (old), in the 2024-2025 school year, 428/448 educational institutions were recognized as "Happy Schools", reaching a rate of 95.5%. In Lao Cai province (old), in recent times, many schools under educational projects have also been actively implementing the model, bringing about clear results in improving the quality of comprehensive education, reducing the rate of dropouts and creating close connections between families, schools and society.

A typical example is Ta Phin Primary School amidst the “clouds and rocks of Sa Pa”. This school builds a happy school by turning it into a center for preserving and promoting national cultural identity. The school has invested in modern music classrooms and established unique cultural clubs such as: embroidery, Hmong flute dancing; Nom script learning and Dao bell dancing. What is special is that the school has invited artisans and parents to participate in teaching, creating a deep connection between the community and the school.

The effectiveness of the “Happy School” model does not stop at the number of achievements. More importantly, the model has created a profound change in thinking and action throughout the education sector. The most obvious effect is the creation of a truly safe and friendly educational environment, where there is no school violence, no negative pressure on achievements. The relationship between teachers and students, between school and family becomes more connected, understanding and sharing. When respected and loved, students become more confident, proactive in learning, actively participate in extracurricular activities, thereby developing comprehensively in both qualities and abilities. This is the solid foundation for improving the quality of sustainable education, not only teaching but also truly “cultivating people”.

Entering the new school year 2025 - 2026, the provincial Department of Education and Training has identified replicating the "Happy School" model as one of the key tasks. The whole province has 1,040 educational institutions with 465,012 students, requiring careful and synchronous preparation. To achieve this goal, the provincial Department of Education and Training has been implementing a series of solutions: from reviewing the planning of the school network, repairing facilities, investing in teaching equipment, to training and improving pedagogical behavior capacity and teacher ethics for staff and teachers. At the same time, continue to advise the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and Provincial People's Committee to issue specific policies, mobilize all resources to care for the education cause, ensuring that every school in Lao Cai is a "happy school", a place to sow seeds of love and reap knowledge.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/mo-hinh-truong-hoc-hanh-phuc-gioo-mam-yeu-thuong-gat-tri-thuc-post882209.html