Over the past 13 years of implementation, the Educational materials have helped shape students’ attitudes and behaviors in daily activities, communication, and interactions to become polite and cultured students.
Putting people at the center of cultural development, Hanoi has been maintaining and continually improving the Educational materials “Educating Polite and Elegant Lifestyles for Hanoi Students” implemented in schools. Over the past 13 years of implementation, the Educational materials have helped shape students’ attitudes and behaviors in daily activities, communication, and interactions to become polite and cultured students.
The content of the lessons in the Educational materials is designed to be appropriate for each grade and the psychological development of the students. According to many teachers, the behavior of students in relationships with teachers, parents, friends, senior students, and others in traffic has become more refined and politer. Recognizing that teaching an elegant and civilized lifestyle is essential in shaping students’ character alongside family and society, Hanoi teachers constantly explore engaging teaching methods. Through lively and appealing lessons, they aim to make students enthusiastic about learning this subject. Many schools have even developed their own creative approaches. For instance, Dai Dong Primary School in Thach That district created a lesson called “Respect for Workers” to instill cultural values in students, while Can Kiem Primary School teaches students through thematic lessons using visual aids, pictures, films, and dramas. Van Phuc Primary School and other schools in Ba Dinh district integrate character education into ethics classes, various subjects, and extracurricular activities, with a range of rich, engaging content. Both schools and parents sign commitments to follow the regulations and rules regarding the practice of elegant and polite lifestyles.
Dong Da High School and Hoang Cau High School have organized seminars on integrating “Elegant and Civilized Lifestyle” education into literature classes. These seminars allow students to appreciate literary works and explore the connections between literature, history, geography, and civics. Furthermore, these sessions encourage teachers to develop integrated lesson plans for teaching this subject in schools across Hanoi. In addition to incorporating this subject across the curriculum, these schools include ethical education in after-school activities.
In Thanh Xuan and Hai Ba Trung districts, many schools frequently hold discussions on etiquette in school settings. These discussions often address real-life issues in relationships among colleagues, between teachers and students, and among people in general. Schools in these districts also use theater, skits, and competitions to promote messages of elegance, civility, and positive Vietnamese qualities in ways that are accessible, memorable, and easy for students to grasp. In Thanh Xuan District, many schools blend storytelling, modeling, role-playing, and modern visual methods, fostering students’ proactivity and awareness in practicing cultured, civilized behavior. Some schools have even established guidelines for elegant, civilized conduct for teachers, staff, and students. In Hoan Kiem District, schools offer classes on Hanoi’s distinctively elegant and civilized qualities. Teachers assign project-based tasks, such as recording videos that capture the everyday elegance of Hanoi citizens. Students also participate in competitions to explore Hanoi’s beauty, engage in role-play exercises, and solve scenarios related to communication etiquette. This education is invaluable, helping students—Hanoi’s future citizens—inherit a legacy of cultivated, respectful behavior that has been developed and cherished over a thousand years.
For over 13 years, the rollout of this program across Hanoi schools has brought students closer to real-life lessons. Students have shown noticeable improvements in manners, public hygiene, environmental conservation, and heritage preservation.
Through each lesson, teachers are helping students gradually build their character and lifestyle, upholding Hanoi’s traditional elegance, inspiring pride, and encouraging them to correct inappropriate behaviors from an early age. Starting from primary school and continuing through higher grades, this program instills the values needed for comprehensive personal development and cultural awareness.
Quynh Anh