The encouraging thing is that the concept of happiness is not only understood as a spacious school, clean and beautiful green trees, but is placed in the overall humane educational environment, respecting and listening to learners and the development opportunities of each student.
However, what society cares about is that this model must be substantive, not stop at slogans, formal criteria or short-term campaigns.
School happiness is not measured by slogans or achievement reports.
Students who come to school in the morning with fear of being bullied, being isolated in class, being ridiculed on social networks, being insulted with words every day are not happy.
Students study from morning to night, after finishing official classes, they take extra classes, study on weekends to the point of overload, living under too much pressure about scores and exams is also difficult to call happiness.
Therefore, to build a happy school, the basic condition that must be done is to push back school violence and the disease of achievement.
Each student fight, each violent clip spreading on social networks is a warning that the education environment still has gaps that need to be filled.
Violence is not just punches and kicks, but also insults, offenses, discrimination, isolation and mental pressure.
Only when prevention, early detection and support for students, helping students feel safe both physically and mentally, knowing that they are being listened to, protected and supported when encountering problems in school can happiness be spoken of.
Along with that is the fight against achievement disease. Schools cannot be happy if teachers and students are always obsessed with targets, competitions, and beautiful numbers on paper.
A happy school must be a place where students develop according to their own abilities, are accepted for differences, and have independent thinking.
A happy school is a place to create space for students to be creative, not to exploit memory.
It is worth noting that this model is not only aimed at students but also cares about the teaching staff. It is impossible to demand that teachers bring happiness to students if they themselves are under too much pressure about work, income and life.
Happy teachers can build truly happy classrooms.
Ninh Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Ho Chi Minh City and some localities have models worth considering. It is necessary to replicate effective ways of doing things, and at the same time encourage creativity so that each locality can find solutions suitable to its actual conditions.
A happy school is not the destination, but the journey of education reform from the closest things.
No school violence, no achievement disease, reduce the pressure of extra classes, practice life skills, increase respect and listening to students.
That is the foundation of a happy school.
