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Last Saturday I visited Gia Thuy Lower Secondary School in Long Bien, to see a big school festival on their parade ground, called “Power of the Games”.
As I was shown around a line of kiosks, individually decorated on an Olympic theme, I saw anew the creative vitality of Vietnamese children. One little boy had rigged up some netting, strewn with medals. “This shows how the games pull out all sorts of talent which lies hidden everywhere”, he explained.
“National costumes” made from recycled materials.(Photo: Antony Stokes)
In fact the talent was on open display in the dancing and singing extravaganza which followed, featuring over eight hundred children from twenty schools around Hanoi. There was a competitive element to this, and judging, but it would be fair to say, like the Dodo in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, that everybody won and all deserved prizes. (So did the one hundred teachers who made it happen, and the Ministry and Departments of Education and Training who are our partners.)
“The Big Dance” featuring the Olympic rings. (Photo: Antony Stokes)
Festivals have also been held in Danang and Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Phong and Quang Ning will follow. It is all part of the British Council “Connecting Classrooms” programme, which also enables Vietnamese students and teachers to interact online with peers around the world.
Clambering over themselves with excitement. (Photo: Antony Stokes)
I felt the same child-like gratification, free of concerns about past or future, when I was taught another lesson after opening our new teaching centre at the Brendon School in Hanoi last month. You can see how I got on in this short British Council video.
Vietnam’s future couldn’t be in better hands.
Dear Antony, yr. report is surely GREAT!You know what I mean..so to me are 3 facts very important:1st.=These “Connecting Classrooms”-Programmes only “alive” cause of the full support of the British Council. 2nd.:This new teaching centre at Brendon-School Centre, Hanoi.3rd.:The fact that the follow-up events are-very fair-balanced at HCMC,Danang -both of them in “The South”- as well as Hanoi and esp. Hai-Phong.A big and important port-city in “The North”.Some used to call Hai-Phong as Vietnams door to the 7 seas of the world at all.By the way: You are looking quite well on this British Council/BBC-Video.And the faces of all these children are “speaking” for itself.To conclude my comment I wanna add:As an Anglo-German I do know of how important a balanced fairplay with your own parents is.That ‘s why my topic#3 is. Bw, Ingo-Steven, Stuttgart/Cardiff.
Ambassador Antony
Thank you for uploading the interesting YouTube clip. Your comment and the children’s reaction made me chuckle.
Children : ” Do you like Vietnam?”
Ambassador : ” No…….
? ! ? !
” I LOVE~~ Vietnam! ”
Sure, we do!
It is great to see the London 2012 Olympics being celebrated by Vietnamese people. I so much enjoyed my visit there a few months ago and do hope we can work together and share ideas in the future to help bring about a sustainable future in buildings and environment. We really looking forward to celebrating the Olympics here in London in only 2 weeks time.
Angela
I think this is a real great article post.Thanks Again. Want more.