Eco-Schools initiative: Can Tho's green mark on education

For many years, the Can Tho Department of Education and Training has prioritized environmental education and education for sustainable development. This focus is closely tied to the movement for building friendly, eco-friendly schools.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hien, Deputy Director of the Can Tho Department of Education and Training, emphasized that the sector has implemented various synchronous solutions. These range from issuing guidelines on environmental protection education and plastic waste reduction in schools to closely coordinating with the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the City Youth Union, and the Women's Union to organize extra-curricular programs, training, and awareness campaigns.

For the 2021–2025 period, the Can Tho Department of Education and Training implemented a plan to promote plastic waste prevention across educational institutions. Simultaneously, it conducted numerous training courses for managers, teachers, staff, and students on source-based waste separation, reducing single-use plastics, and using eco-friendly products.

The promotion of the ASEAN Eco-Schools Award was widely implemented, sparking a vibrant, competitive movement among schools. Starting from pilot models like the "Eco-Schools - Plastic Waste-Free" initiative, the movement gradually spread, becoming an annual competition criterion for the entire sector.

To date, 100% of primary, secondary, and high schools in Can Tho City have participated in related activities. Notably, over 60% of schools now practice source-based waste separation and have established an "eco-corner" on campus.

As a result, students have become more conscious, with specific actions such as carrying personal water bottles, using reusable lunch boxes, and limiting nylon bags. The "Plastic-Free Day" movement is also regularly maintained in many units.

Some schools have gone further by creating ecological gardens and clean vegetable patches to supply semi-boarding meals, collaborating with businesses to collect recyclable waste to fund scholarships, or running the "Exchange Plastic Waste for Green Plants" movement, which attracts large participation from students and parents.

Despite many positive results, Mr. Hien noted that implementation still faces some limitations. Physical infrastructure in many schools remains inconsistent regarding waste collection and processing systems, and funding for environmental activities largely depends on external social mobilization.

Crucially, the widespread habit of using single-use plastic in the community poses a major challenge to sustaining the model. Additionally, some teachers and students have not yet formed long-lasting behavioral changes, requiring more time and supervision to establish a truly green lifestyle.

Moving forward, the Can Tho Department of Education and Training aims to make the development of eco-schools a routine task across all management levels and educational institutions. The sector will boost practical experiential activities, innovate communication methods, and increase social mobilization by engaging parents, businesses, and the community.

Pilot models will be reviewed and scaled up, linked to the sector's annual commendation and reward criteria. The city also plans to integrate environmental education and plastic waste reduction into professional meetings and regular and extracurricular classes and invest in a system of segregated trash bins and recycling collection points at schools.

Can Tho will organize a city-level "Eco-School Week " annually, fostering lively competition among schools. The ultimate goal is that 100% of educational institutions meet the "Eco-School—Plastic Waste-Free" criteria by 2030.

At Viet My Private School (Hung Phu Ward, Can Tho City), which won the First Prize in the "2024 ASEAN Eco-School Award in Vietnam", Ms. Vo Thi Tuyet Trang, Executive Director of the Viet My School System's Can Tho branch, shared that an eco-school is more than an educational initiative; it is an environment that nurtures character, lifestyle, and global citizenship for the younger generation.

Ms. Trang affirmed that teachers play a pivotal role in this journey, not only imparting knowledge but also inspiring a green lifestyle through exemplary actions such as conserving electricity and water, limiting plastic waste, and protecting the landscape.

Alongside them, students, the center of the movement, directly participate in planting trees, separating waste, and undertaking communication and volunteer projects. They become "green ambassadors," spreading the message of environmental protection to their families and communities.

In building an ASEAN Eco-School, Viet My Private School focuses on three core areas: developing individual qualities and competencies toward community awareness; communication and education; and hands-on, practical activities.

As a private institution, Ms. Trang stated that the school is committed to building an eco-school to nurture students' character, lifestyle, and sense of responsibility.

Through environmental education, students develop self-confidence, honesty, a sense of responsibility, and care for others. They also enhance their skills in observation, exploring nature, and applying knowledge to solve real-world problems, with an impact reaching the community.

The school also amplifies communication through presentations, reports, competitions, and social activities. In collaboration with the Youth Union, it implemented the "Red Phoenix Campaign 2024", cutting down on single-use plastic products and replacing them with eco-friendly materials. Students recycle plastic bottles, cups, waste paper, and leaves to make planting pots and decorative items. They also participate in the "Green Sunday" movement, organizing clean-up campaigns and entering science and technology competitions on environmental protection, winning numerous district and city-level awards. This effectively ignites the spirit of practical action among students in building an eco-school.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has tasked the Vietnam Agriculture and Nature News in coordination with relevant agencies and units and the Green Future Fund, with organizing the ASEAN Eco-Schools Vietnam 2025 Awards - “Plastic-Waste Free Schools.” 

For details, visit the online edition at nongnghiepmoitruong.vn, the Awards website: ecoschool.vn, or contact Journalist Nguyen Quynh Chi, Phone: 0967181555, Email: nquynhchi.00@gmail.com.