From Eco-Schools to a generation of green citizens

On the afternoon of January 27, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment held a press conference to announce the ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award - Plastic-Free Schools. The event formally introduced the award while outlining its orientation, expectations, and the social and educational impacts the program seeks to deliver in the new phase.

Nearly 300 schools participate, scale up 3.5-fold

Speaking at the press conference, Dr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director General of the International Cooperation Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), said the Award is an initiative under the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) framework. Under the common mechanism, the ASEAN Secretariat assigns each member state to organize the award; winning schools are honored at side events of ASOEN meetings or the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment.

Building on the success of the 2024 award, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment continues to organize the ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award with the theme “Plastic-Free Schools.” The theme reflects the urgent demands of environmental protection today, as plastic pollution has become a global challenge with serious impacts on ecosystems and human health.

According to Dr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, the number of participating schools in 2025 increased 3.5 times compared to 2024, with nearly 300 educational institutions nationwide registering to take part. Following a rigorous review and selection process, the organizing committee selected 60 outstanding schools for awards across all levels of primary to upper secondary education.

The 2025 award structure includes one First Prize, three Second Prizes, five Third Prizes, eight Encouragement Prizes, and three Innovation Prizes. The results demonstrate that the eco-school movement in Viet Nam continues to grow strongly in scale, quality, and creativity, while reflecting the increasing commitment of schools, teachers, and students to building green, clean, and sustainable learning environments.

From awards to a sustainable environmental education strategy

Sharing at the press conference, Nguyen Ngoc Thach, Editor-in-Chief of Viet Nam Agriculture and Nature Newspaper, noted that 2025 marks a special milestone, as the newspaper is assuming, for the first time, a direct role in organizing environmental education initiatives, including the Viet Nam ASEAN Eco-Schools Award.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Thach, the award is not merely a professional activity but a strategic step that underscores the newspaper’s responsibility to accompany the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and relevant agencies in promoting environmental education in a new development context.

Practical implementation shows that environmental education has strong potential for broad outreach and long-term impact. Through the eco-school model, the program helps shape students’ mindsets, attitudes, and green living behaviors from an early age, a crucial foundation for building a future citizenry that is environmentally responsible.

Notably, during the 2025-2028 period, Viet Nam has been nominated to serve as chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Environmental Education. In this role, the VAN News will work closely with the Department of International Cooperation and ASEAN member states to organize workshops, expert consultations, and regional exchanges and gradually implement environmental education initiatives endorsed by the ASEAN Ministerial Conference.

Regarding the 2025 award, Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Ngoc Thach said it attracted nearly 300 submissions from educational institutions nationwide, including many schools in remote, border, and island areas. To ensure fairness and facilitate participation, the newspaper coordinated online training and guidance sessions across the northern, central, and southern regions, drawing broad engagement from schools. The selection process reflected significant efforts by the Jury and Organizing Committee to carefully and objectively assess each submission, while also supporting schools in refining their content in line with eco-school principles.

“This journey demonstrates the strong response from educational institutions and affirms the award’s clear and effective outreach,” Thach said, expressing appreciation to the Jury members, professional bodies, and media organizations for their support in amplifying exemplary school models.

The press conference also included a Q&A session with journalists and experts, focusing on clarifying award criteria, participation procedures, and the impacts of the “plastic-free school” model on students’ awareness and behavior. The organizing committee further shared information on planned exhibition booths, participating stakeholders, and the accompanying role of businesses, highlighting that the award is not only a recognition platform but also a multi-stakeholder networking space linking regulators, schools, students, experts, international organizations, and the private sector.

The ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award Ceremony is scheduled to take place at 8:00 a.m. on January 31, 2026, at Hanoi Children’s Palace (Facility 2), Pham Hung Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, under the chairmanship of leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. The ceremony will be livestreamed on Agriculture and Environment Television and the Vietnam Agriculture and Nature e-newspaper (nongnghiepmoitruong.vn), and simultaneously broadcast online via Zoom (Meeting ID: 973 8347 6746; Passcode: SA3101).