Schools ‘sowing the seeds’ of environmental awareness

For Nguyen Thi Thu Hai, Principal of Co Phuc Primary School (Tran Yen Commune, Lao Cai Province), the journey toward building a green school never began with awards. It started simply, from the wish that every day students come to class, they can live in a green, clean, beautiful environment - close to nature and safe for their development.

From the early years of her tenure, the school proactively established a “Green School” Club. There, students do not learn solely from textbooks but also decorate their classrooms themselves with plants, recycled models, and friendly learning corners made from readily available materials. Each classroom becomes an open space where nature is present in every pot plant and small object, unpretentious, not symbolic, but closely connected to children’s daily lives.

In the beginning, everything was done quietly, without targets for competition or comparison. Teachers, students, and staff shared a common belief: “If children grow up in a green environment, they will naturally develop a love for nature.”

It was only when the Lao Cai Department of Education and Training introduced the ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award that these persistent efforts were formally recognized, becoming motivation for the school to move further, more systematically and more deeply.

From small, scattered activities, environmental education was gradually integrated into lessons as a major theme, with the active participation of both teachers and students. Children learned to recycle familiar items: plastic bottles were cut and reused as planters or library decorations; larger quantities were exchanged for flower seedlings, hung in front of classrooms and cared for daily by the students themselves. The school minimized the use of single-use plastics and even reused fallen almond leaves for wrapping items, replacing plastic bags in very everyday situations.

According to Hai, the most important outcome is not immediate, visible results, but habits formed gradually. Students learn to observe, pick up litter, and collect plastic bottles not only on campus but also on their way to school and in daily living spaces. Small actions, repeated day after day, month after month, plant lasting environmental awareness in young minds.

That ripple effect does not stop at the school gate. Parents enthusiastically participate, accompanying their children in the simplest actions. The school welcomes neighboring schools to visit and share experiences, from green libraries to decorative corners made from tree trunks and natural materials instead of ready-made plastic products.

For Nguyen Thi Thu Hai, building an eco-school is not a short-term movement but a long, patient, and persistent journey. It is a way for each child, through very small actions today, to grow up with a green, clean mindset and a sense of responsibility toward the environment and the community they live in.

On the morning of January 31 in Hanoi, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment held the ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award Ceremony - Plastic-Free Schools. At the event, Co Phuc Primary School and Thuy An Lower Secondary School received Encouragement Prizes at the primary and lower-secondary levels.

Continuing the story of schools persistently planting green values for younger generations, at Thuy An Lower Secondary School (Quang Oai Commune, Hanoi), Tran Thi Nhu Quynh, the school’s principal, began her journey with a simple aspiration: to create a green, friendly learning environment where students not only absorb knowledge but also learn to live responsibly with nature.

For many years, the school proactively developed plans to expand green spaces—from classrooms and playgrounds to the library. These plans did not remain on paper but were translated into concrete actions, allowing every student to directly participate and feel the meaning of environmental protection.

When the Hanoi education sector issued guiding documents, they became a catalyst for Thuy An Lower Secondary School to implement its initiatives in a more coordinated and systematic way, and to confidently join the ASEAN Eco-Schools program as an opportunity to review and refine its chosen path.

Each school year, environmental protection activities are designed to suit practical conditions and different age groups. The school aims to become a “green – clean – friendly” campus, minimizing waste, especially single-use plastics. An environmental club brings together teachers and students, creating a shared space where responsibility spreads from educators to learners. Activities such as “Green Fridays,” tree planting, landscape care, and maintaining tidy classrooms gradually become routine.

According to Tran Thi Nhu Quynh, the most valuable aspect is not scale, but consensus. From the school leadership and teachers to parents, everyone shares the same mindset: starting with the smallest actions to build long-term habits for students. Environmental awareness is not confined to school grounds but is carried home, spreading into the surrounding community.

Strong parental support has become a critical foundation. Many families willingly contribute labor and greenery, working with the school to care for each classroom and courtyard. Across more than 19,000 square meters, Thuy An Lower Secondary School today is covered in green, with open landscapes and friendly open libraries that inspire students every day they come to school.

Looking ahead, the school is committed to continuing to nurture and spread this spirit—not only among its own students but more broadly within the community. From reducing waste and increasing recycling to caring for and regenerating green spaces, all efforts converge toward one shared goal: helping students form environmental awareness as a natural part of their lifestyle. This is not a short-term campaign but a long-term journey, enabling the “future owners” of society to grow up with responsibility and care for their living environment.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment assigned Vietnam Agriculture and Nature News to coordinate with the International Cooperation Department (ICD) and the Green Future Fund to organize the ASEAN Eco-Schools Viet Nam 2025 Award - Plastic-Free Schools. Further information is available at nongnghiepmoitruong.vn and the award website ecoscool.vn.