Sharing with Lao Dong, many students in Kien Giang and Tien Giang said they did not feel excited about the opening ceremony. The reason was that having to sit in the school yard to attend the ceremony in hot weather was very tiring and uncomfortable.
As someone who has been involved in the teaching profession for many years, teacher Truong Chi Hung (An Giang province) believes that there is a reason why students complain about the opening ceremony.
Mr. Hung explained that, first, many schools require students to arrive early, line up outside for a long time, and wait for all the delegates to arrive before the ceremony can begin, which makes them tired. If the weather is hot or rainy, the situation is even worse.
"I noticed that the speeches took up most of the ceremony's time but often lacked anything new, generally just talking about the school's traditions, achievements, and directions for the new school year... The political tone of the speeches made it difficult for students to understand," said Mr. Hung.
Festival for students
Sharing about his wishes for the opening ceremony, D.GP (a 4th grade student in Can Tho City ) excitedly said: “I like to play quizzes and receive gifts on the opening ceremony. And when I sit at the ceremony, I want to have a fan and a bottle of mineral water to drink.”
Similarly, student D.TN (grade 12 student in Can Tho City) expressed his wish that the opening ceremony program would be shortened, replaced by more practical activities: "I really want to meet and listen to the experiences shared by former students of the school, helping us have more motivation to start the new school year."
As a teacher, Mr. Hung hopes that schools need to base on practical situations to build appropriate opening ceremony programs, and should not follow a stereotype from year to year.
“Instead of organizing in a cumbersome, formal way, which is both wasteful and ineffective, I hope that schools can turn the opening ceremony into a festival for students, truly focusing on students. It is necessary to minimize formal elements, increase recreational and artistic activities...”, Mr. Hung expressed.
