School designs recess into music stage, cinema

(Dan Tri) - No longer looking at phone screens, recess for many students in Ho Chi Minh City has become a miniature movie theater or a colorful music program.

No longer focused on phone screens, recess time for students at Bui Thi Xuan High School (HCMC) has now become a music stage (Photo: BTX).

Recess: No longer a world of phones

In the first days of the new school year, during every recess, the atmosphere at Bui Thi Xuan High School (HCMC) is bustling and different.

As soon as the bell rang, instead of being engrossed in their phones, hundreds of students rushed out onto the lawn in front of the lecture hall. Each homegrown performance was enough to make the schoolyard explode.

On stage, student singers were passionately showing off their talents, while the audience, their classmates sitting below, raised their hands and swayed to the catchy tune. Applause and cheers followed one another.

In that atmosphere, music is like a "spiritual vitamin" that helps students "recharge" their energy for the next lessons.

Just a few steps away, at the 4th floor hall of Van Xuan building, the stage lights are also turned on, preparing for a special "movie screening" every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Students join in the performances (Photo: BTX).

The auditorium is designed to be a miniature "cinema" with carefully selected films. These works are not only entertaining but also carefully screened to ensure that they convey humane messages, educational values ​​and good life skills.

Each screening can serve up to 250 students, creating an opportunity for them to relieve stress after school hours and absorb knowledge naturally.

In the context of Ho Chi Minh City tightening the use of phones in schools, this model opens up a new, healthy way of entertainment, helping students relax and receive messages about living a good life.

Bui Gia Minh, a 12A5 student at Bui Thi Xuan High School, shared: "In the context that students are not allowed to use phones during recess, movie screenings or music performances are attractive activities that help students relieve stress after class and have more energy for the next class."

Miniature cinema at Bui Thi Xuan High School (Photo: BTX).

At Thanh Loc High School, recess has become more lively and diverse thanks to activities that replace the telephone. The school has equipped public telephones so that students can easily contact their families, and at the same time, encourage them to participate in many useful playgrounds.

From exciting sports matches, vibrant cultural and artistic activities to investing in libraries and creating open learning spaces, all aim to create a healthy and dynamic school environment.

After a year of implementing the “phone-free school” model, positive changes have been clearly recorded. Students not only focus more during class but also become more connected and active during recess.

Thanks to direct communication, students have reduced conflicts and disagreements on social networks. In particular, increased physical activity also helps significantly improve the situation of overweight and obesity among school-age children.

Mr. Dang Van Thanh, Vice Principal of Thanh Loc High School, said that the school implemented the regulation of "no cell phone use in school, including during recess" since last school year, based on observations of the reality of students "living in a virtual world".

However, now students in my school are familiar with and respond to learning and playing activities in a phone-free environment.

Leverage of innovation and change

Mr. Huynh Thanh Phu, Principal of Bui Thi Xuan High School, explained that the new model for recess is not a prohibition on students using phones, but a positive orientation.

Currently, the school still allows students to use phones during recess but proactively creates attractive playgrounds for students to voluntarily choose.

Each activity organized by the school has its own message. Film screenings convey human values, sports activities improve health and team spirit, and music nurtures emotions and helps students confidently express themselves.

All of these things have created a "happy school", where the value of experience is placed first. This is a deeply educational approach, helping students realize the value of collective activities and comprehensive development.

"That is the message the teachers convey: a happy school is not measured by modern facilities, but by unique experiences, full of love, so that each student grows up in joy, sharing and the desire to live a good life," said Mr. Phu.

Club activities are widely developed at Thanh Loc High School (Photo: NTCC).

According to the draft of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, the implementation of restricting the use of phones during recess at schools will begin this month.

Phase 1 is a pilot program at 16 schools until the end of semester 1. Phase 2, from January 2016, will be implemented simultaneously at all general education institutions in the area.

Regarding implementation, each school has at least 3 diverse alternative activities during recess (sports, arts, folk games, reading, life skills club...), students participate in at least one group activity, and there is no longer a situation of using phones for personal entertainment purposes during recess.

Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, affirmed that the Department's viewpoint is not to absolutely ban students from bringing cell phones to school.

Instead of outright bans, schools should focus on educating students on how to use their phones safely and appropriately. The goal is to turn the device into a useful tool that effectively supports learning and meets students' essential communication needs when needed.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/truong-hoc-thiet-ke-gio-ra-choi-thanh-san-khau-am-nhac-rap-chieu-phim-20250919073937115.htm