(VOVWORLD) - Primary and secondary students in Ha Long city are educated on local scenic and cultural values in a fun way. The pilot inclusion of this subject into school curriculums aims to raise pupils’ awareness of environmental protection.
 Trash is collected in Ha Long Bay |
In 2002 Hung Thang primary and secondary school began using the textbook “Educating preservation of Ha Long Bay’s natural heritage” compiled by the Department of Education and Training, the Ha Long Bay Management Board, the Ocean Conservation Program, and the Fauna and Flora International Organization.
The textbook provides basic knowledge from which teachers devise their lessons plans. First graders are taught about Ha Long Bay’s legends. Second to fifth graders learn about caves, mangrove forests, coral reefs, fish, limestone, tours of the bay, waste, and waste treatment. Many schools organize field trips for painting, cleaning up the environment, and visiting Ha Long Bay.
The People’s Committee of Ha Long city plans to permanently teach Ha Long Bay preservation at schools. Hoang Anh, Deputy Head of the Education and Training Division of Ha Long city, said: “We are in charge of introducing the textbook into school curriculum. We have also trained teachers on this new subject and the textbook has been in use since September, 2017.”
The Ha Long Bay Management Board, who leads the compilation committee, said the textbook provides current information with audio-visual aids about the beauty of Ha Long Bay, its eco-system, geomorphology, and environmental threats. Nguyen Ba Can is a member of the compiling committee: “We reedited the previously used materials and added more current information. We hope this will make young people feel more responsible for preserving and protecting Ha Long Bay and take concrete actions.”