VietNamNet Bridge – The teaching of life skills in schools is becoming more popular, but a more comprehensive and sustainable approach is still needed, an educator has said.

"Life skills are quick responses to emerging problems among adolescents, like premature sex or school violence so that kids can learn to counter the risks as soon as possible," said Hong Thanh Linh of Van Lang University.

Linh drew on his background and experience through non-governmental organisations where he worked with disadvantaged children to come up with a new educational approach which he dubs giao duc thanh nhan, namely to train children into fulfilled individuals.

"Moral lessons at schools are quite general and not focused at all, so my approach highlights virtues as the pivot around which education evolves," he explained.

Linh was presenting his brainchild to experts and educators at a workshop held early this month at the city's Open University under the patronage of the Association of Vocational Schools.

In all, he condensed his theory to six virtues, which he said he had learned from Vietnamese culture: Tam (Kindness), Dung (Bravery), Nang (competence), Tin (faithfulness), Nhan (patience) and Trong (self-esteem).

"I believe that those values combined suffice to make good people," he said.

Chairman of the Association of Vocational Schools Nguyen Minh Thanh, who has been engaged in education for 45 years, hailed the approach as a creative investigation to complement existing pedagogic theory.

"We have myriad educational approaches, but they do not work satisfactorily," he said, adding that most youth were not sufficiently equipped when they reached adulthood even though they studied many subjects at schools.

"The deficit here is good quality and firmness they need to achieve successes," he added.

"For instance, many young adults dare not put forth their own initiatives or accept those of others," he explained.

The set of virtues were necessary and relevant given that they kept up with contemporary society and reflect what the society needed, remarked Nguyen Thi Hai, chairman of Club of Professional Social Workers.

However, she said that the approach should be developed further to map out a clear path to achieve set objectives.

The approach could work to its full effect if it was combined with life skills training, said Pham Thi Thuy, a sociologist who teaches at the National Institute of Administration.

"For instance, we can teach kids to treasure themselves in sex education sessions."

Linh, author of the approach, said that he would proceed step-by-step to complete the theory and apply it to reality to prove its effect and improve its shortcomings, if any.

"I will first pilot it in vocational schools, shelters for disadvantaged children, youth clubs and via small projects," he said. "I will also publish a collection of fables in the framework of each virtue to demonstrate it."

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News