Cultural preservation integrated into school curricula

(LSO) – To preserve and promote values of local cultural heritage, primary schools in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son have actively implemented the model “Schools linked with cultural heritage,” thus helping to educate the cultural tradition among young generations.

Since 2017, the provincial Department of Education and Training has set a key task for primary schools: combining theory with practice in order to create an open, friendly and safe educational environment, preserve traditional culture and promote traditions.

Many local schools have integrated the education of traditions and the exploration of local historical and cultural heritage sites in their teaching programme, hence encouraging students to treasure the cultural values.

Pupils of the Chi Lang Primary School in Lang Son city visit the provincial museum.

Chi Lang Primary School in Lang Son city organises extracurricular activities every year, including tours to the provincial museum and local tourist sites, and incense offering at Hoang Van Thu’s statue.

Vu Thi Quyen, Headmistress of the Chi Lang Primary School, said the school has selected outstanding festivals and relic sites for lessons as well as extracurricular activities in order to raise students’ awareness of preserving and promoting the cultural values.

Dong Dang Primary School in Cao Loc district has also organised monthly and quarterly activities, with various topics to introduce the history and traditional culture of the locality.

According to Nguyen Hong Hai, headmistress of the school, since the 2018-2019 academic year, the school has launched a programme during which students learn about the local culture and history, and they can introduce them to tourists.

In addition, to help students understand more about cultural and historical values, local schools have also actively coordinated with the provincial museum to organise extracurricular and experience activities at the museum.

Accordingly, since 2014, the provincial museum has cooperated with schools not only in Lang Son city, but also in districts to organise film screenings, and introduce video clips on cultural heritage, as well as activities at the museum’s gallery during anniversaries and holidays, creating opportunities for students to learn about the traditional culture.

Statistics shows that in 2018, the provincial museum attracted 14,800 visitors, 90 percent of whom are pupils and students.

Vi Tien Dat, a 5th grader from Van Quan Primary School in Van Quan district, said during classes of history, geography, and nature and society at the school, teachers often tell stories and historical events about the biography and career of revolutionary soldiers Luong Van Tri and Hoang Van Thu.

“The school also organizes tours to the provincial museum for us, which helped us get an insight into the province’s culture and historical sites”, he added.

Through activities organised flexibly by schools such as integrated teaching, or screening of cultural and historical documentaries, organising tours for students to museums, monuments, memorials, traditional craft villages; teaching folk tune singing; arranging art festivals, and contests to introduce books, local students have had more opportunities to learn about and expand their knowledge about culture and history of the homeland. These activities have contributed to raising student’s awareness of the importance of preserving and upholding traditions and cultural identities of their homeland.