Hue to become the regional hub for the Central Vietnam Eco-school Network

Hue City has favorable conditions to implement the “Eco-school” model. Since 2020, in response to the “Hue - Plastic Smart City” initiative jointly launched by the city’s People’s Committee and WWF, the Hue education sector has actively promoted various movements such as “Green Sunday” and “90 Bright Sunday Minutes,” aiming to build schools that are “green, clean, bright, safe, and friendly.”

According to the Hue City Department of Education and Training, in response to this movement, all general education institutions across the city have now implemented at least one model related to plastic reduction or eco-school initiatives. Many exemplary schools, such as Le Loi Primary School, Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School, Quoc Hoc - Hue High School for the Gifted, Hai Ba Trung High School, and Huong Tra High School, have established green learning spaces, ecological gardens, and creative recycling corners. Initiatives such as “Trash for Trees” and “Waste Sorting at Source” have been widely replicated, generating positive impacts within the community.

Le Loi Primary School, with more than a century of tradition in Hue, has been a pioneer in the “Plastic-Free School - Eco-school” movement. The school’s leadership established an Eco Council and issued a 2020-2025 action plan, divided into two phases: the 2020–2022 period focused on laying the foundation and raising awareness, while the 2023-2025 phase marks a journey of innovation, creativity, and broader community engagement.

Ms. Le Thi Ly Na, Principal of Le Loi Primary School, said the school focuses on three key objectives: educating students to develop positive awareness, attitudes, and behaviors toward the environment; building a “green action community” that connects teachers, students, and parents; and spreading the “plastic-free school” model to the wider community and the city.

“Teachers, as green ambassadors, integrate environmental topics into lessons and educational activities. Meanwhile, students, in their role as young green ambassadors, have established a Green Environment Club, planted trees, sorted waste, and organized events such as ‘Plastic-free Day,’ ‘Trash for Gifts,’ and the ‘Green School Fair.’ The school has also partnered with WWF to launch the ‘Dreams with Straw’ initiative,” Ms. Na shared.

With the implementation of various initiatives, teachers and students of Le Loi Primary School have achieved numerous awards in environmental protection activities, such as the Third Prize at the City-level E-Lesson Contest on Plastic Waste Reduction (2024–2025); First Prize in the 2023 “Love Angel” contest for their natural deodorizing powder; Second Prize in 2024 for the project “Biological Modeling Clay Made from Fruit Peels”; and Second Prize in 2025 for creating aromatic incense and herbal powder from lemongrass, orange peels, and cinnamon. The school also won Second Prize for an innovative community-serving idea - recycling fishing nets into waste bags.

According to Mr. Pham Ba Thanh, Chief of Office of the Hue City Department of Education and Training, to ensure that the ASEAN Eco-school Criteria move beyond awareness and into concrete action, the department has proposed five key groups of practical solutions for schools. These include strengthening leadership and integrating eco-school standards into annual educational plans; innovating teaching methods in connection with environmental education; investing in ecological landscapes within schools; mobilizing the participation of parents, organizations, and businesses; and maintaining, evaluating, and expanding effective models.

“In addition to the proposed solutions, we hope that in the coming time, the set of criteria will continue to be refined to ensure greater practicality and adaptability to Vietnam’s specific conditions,” said Mr. Pham Ba Thanh. “It is also important to strengthen training, knowledge sharing, and replication of successful models, especially the establishment of an eco-school network across the Central region, with Hue serving as the key connecting hub.”

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has assigned the Vietnam Agriculture and Nature Newspaper to collaborate with relevant agencies and the Green Future Fund to organize the ASEAN Eco-Schools Vietnam 2025 Awards - “Plastic-Waste Free Schools.” 

For more information about the Awards, readers can visit the online platforms nongnghiepmoitruong.vn or ecoschool.vn, or contact journalist Nguyen Quynh Chi at 0967181555 / nquynhchi.00@gmail.com.