Modern urban life has somewhat impaired the good traditional values of ancient Hanoi. Therefore, the development of materials on educating the civilized and elegant life for students is a significant part of the Capital’s education and training section.
Hanoians and elegant and civilized qualities
Since the past, the elegance and civilization have been referred to as the identity of Hanoians. Thus, Hanoians are always proud of the praise: “Despite being not too fragrant, it can be equal to jasmine/Despite being not too elegant, we are Trang An people“. Such Trang An feature is crystallized in the image of cultural Hanoians. It is the essence accumulated from thousands of years, from hundred parts of the country, creating Thang Long – Hanoi cultural beauty with bolded values of elegance, sophistication, intelligence, support, compassion, respect for disciplines, laws and national rules.
Hanoi with thousand years of civilization has bright traditions of a capital featured by the well-dressed, elegant and courteous costume; where people express their affection through gentle words, always showing respect; where, in any circumstance they are helpful and courteous. The city is embellished by such deep beauty of humanity and love. Such Trang An beauty features a very unique and proud “Thang Long culture” of the capital, which is naturally and deeply soaked into the blood of individuals and passed from generation to generation.
Currently, along with the fast speed of development of a modern big city, Hanoi has been changing strongly in all aspects. Hanoians have a modern style and confident behaviours; young people are good at applying scientific and technological achievements into study, research, production and business. However, the broad exchanges and integration have also had many negative impacts. There has seen the decline in cultural behaviours, morality and traditional elegance through many manifestations in everyday life in all classes and environments. Modern urban life has somewhat impaired the good traditional values of ancient Hanoi. Therefore, the education of elegant and civilized lifestyle for Hanoi students is very necessary and important in the education and training of the capital.
Elegance and civilization contents are integrated into curriculum for students in Hanoi
Based on the educational objectives and the psychological characteristics of students’ development, the set of materials mentions the contents ranging from simple things to practical aspects and areas. For example, in primary education, students learn from: questions and answers, greetings, family meals, half-boarding meals, school costumes, home costumes, walk-standing ways and playing at school to listener respect, meals with guests, sportswear, lying and sitting ways, good saying, beautiful gestures, healthy playing, communication with strangers, respect for older people, and communication with foreigners, etc. Higher, at the secondary level, students learn more about the values of elegance and civilization – the beauty of Hanoians such as Hanoians’ eating and drinking ways, costumes, voice, family and social communication; gestures; behaviours to the natural environment, when participating in traffic and being at monuments and scenic spots. At the high school level, students are provided knowledge about building an elegant and civilized lifestyle; elegant and civilized style in family and social communication; elegant and civilized Hanoians in international exchange and integration and so on.
In general, the materials are designed to provide students with cultural life skills, orient and direct individual behavior in living activities, communication and behaviors in an elegant and civilized manner, focusing on five basic matters: the concept of elegance and civilization; Elegant and civilized style; Elegant and civilized communication; Elegant and civilized behaviors at public places; Elegant and civilized behaviors to the environment and nature.
At different ages, levels and behaviours vary from simple to complex. Therefore, according to each level of education, the contents are presented in a gradually higher and broader sense:
– At the primary school level: Focus on specific behavioural habits of eating, wearing, hearing, speaking, basic gestures; guide elegant and civilized communication and behaviours. The contents are the most elementary, close and easy to use in daily life.
– At the secondary school level: Focus on personal behaviours in terms of eating, wearing, listening, speaking, and basic gestures; guide elegant and civilized communication and behaviours between human and human, between human and nature, etc. At this level, knowledge is equipped in the most basic and most complete way.
– At the high school level: Refer to the concept of elegant and civilized communication; elegant and civilized behaviours in public places and to nature and environment; Elegance and civilization in international exchanges and integration. At this level of education, access to knowledge is more integrated, with the subjects of communication and behaviours being adults as citizens in society, to foreigners in the integration period.
Thus, with such contents and topics of education, it can be seen that this is a practical set of materials, bringing students into the real life lesson, from the very little things like knowing how to say “Thank you – Sorry” in the right circumstances, choose clothes suitable for ages and cultural environments so that the children proudly put on school uniforms when going to class. In the classroom, students know how to arrange their desks and drawers neatly. They are ready to wait in line for food at lunchtime, get on well with friends, and keep calm when handling the arising situations. Through each lesson, teachers can help students step by step improve their personality and lifestyle, contributing to the promotion of the traditional elegance of Hanoians, arousing students’ pride and encouraging them to overcome non-standard and non-civilized behaviors right from the primary and higher education levels, enabling students to have the right understanding to develop all aspects and live in a cultural way.
Through the practice of teaching, as the lectures are pretty close to the life in forms of stories and specific situations for the students to analyze and identify the right and wrong behaviors, thereby knowing how to behave ethically, the elegant and civilized life education is considered to be basically suitable for the ages of the students, meeting the actual needs, helping students learn, inherit and embrace the tradition of elegance, civilization, and cultural beauty characteristics of Hanoians. This has contributed positively to the formation of personality, from communication, behaviours, observance of school rules and regulations to the daily lifestyle such as how to neatly dress and live, etc. Students have positive changes in their communication and behaviours, like proactively greeting others, taking with others politely and affectionately, in public hygiene, nature protection, cultural heritage preservation, and so on.
The education of elegant and civilized lifestyle for students is concurrent with the innovation of capacity-oriented teaching methods and student testing and evaluation. Beside theories in materials, students are given chances to experience the learning contents in daily life. Thereby, students feel the beauty of Hanoi. Tree rows, street corners, historical sites, and scenic places make Hanoi a charming beauty that cannot be forgotten by anyone once reaching Hanoi. Hanoi is changing and developing. Besides a noisy and modern Hanoi, we can still find an ancient, peaceful and poetic Hanoi. Historical monuments and scenic places also enrich the spirit of Hanoians.
Today’s modern life, despite the hardships and rush, cannot make the high and human values disappear since they are real – kind – beautiful ones; Similarly, the beauty of the Trang An people still exists in the sense of preserving the elegance of thousands of years. And no matter how advanced the society is and no matter who we are, always keeps that noble culture, from the simplest things, from the language to behaviours as the most Hanoian characteristic is also the most characteristic of Vietnamese culture. Keeping it up today is to enable Hanoi to develop even faster, more powerful with everlasting Hanoi culture.
Nguyen Trong Huan – Hoang Thi Thanh Ha