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Tiếng Việt
In 2023, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) identified promoting social work and school psychological counseling for students as one of the sector’s key tasks. However, many education experts believe that to be truly effective, school psychological counseling needs to be taken more seriously and conducted more professionally.
After the Tet holiday, schools across the country have resumed normal classes. Many students, not yet mentally prepared to overcome the post-Tet blues, have to face academic pressures. This is the time when students must gear up to prepare for important exams, language certification tests, and strive for high scores at the end of the school year. Even first and second graders feel “exhausted” by the overwhelming amount of knowledge and homework.
Additionally, some students are subjected to bullying and school violence. Feeling pressure and anxiety is common among students in such situations. However, most of them lack the skills to cope with stress and cannot find support at school or from their parents, often leading to uncontrollable actions.
The burden of excelling academically to make parents proud is what Hà L., a student at Giảng Võ Secondary School, Hanoi, is facing. For L., an 8 is considered a low grade. This immense pressure makes her feel extremely stressed and fearful of attending school. This pressure also caused Bích N., a student at Điện Biên Phủ High School in Điện Biên province, to have negative thoughts. N. shared, “There were times when I thought about committing suicide because I felt useless for not being able to achieve high scores. I wished to share my feelings with someone who understood me.”
For Hồng Đ., a student at Dịch Vọng Secondary School, Hanoi, having been bullied and experiencing “mental violence” left her with unresolved sadness that she couldn’t share with anyone. “Going to the psychology room has helped me improve my issues. I almost go there every day because here, I can draw, do things I like, and play with friends who face similar difficulties,” Đ. confided.
It is evident that students are facing many pressures in life, leading to psychological obstacles, yet they cannot share due to parents’ lack of listening or knowledge about age-appropriate psychology. This reality makes many students wish for support from professionals in psychological counseling. However, in most schools, psychological counseling services for students are not yet effective.
Associate Professor Dr. Trần Thành Nam, an educational psychology expert, noted: “The rate of students experiencing anxiety and depression has increased three to five times, and the number of students from secondary to high school having suicidal thoughts has risen significantly. However, we are still focusing heavily on knowledge revision, without comprehensive plans to activate a mental health care system like school psychology rooms.”
Legitimizing counseling staff
Due to the lack of staffing, most schools do not have specialized teachers for psychological counseling but instead assign this role to homeroom teachers, medical staff, or youth union officials, resulting in low effectiveness. These individuals only receive knowledge and guidance from short-term training sessions, lacking in-depth knowledge.
Balancing their professional duties and psychological counseling work makes it challenging for Nguyễn Thị Quý, a teacher in the History-Geography-Civics group at the Điện Biên boarding high school for ethnic minorities, to closely support her students, despite their need for psychological assistance due to living away from home. Ms. Quý shared: “We do concurrent work and are not formally trained. We often have to learn through various sources, facing certain difficulties in counseling students.”
This issue is also highlighted by Associate Professor Dr. Trần Thành Nam, who pointed out that the principle of psychological counseling does not allow dual relationships in the counselor’s role. “If a teacher can punish students in class, but the same teacher is expected to get students to share their problems in the psychology room, it will be difficult for students to open up,” he explained. Moreover, the lack of adequate facilities for this work is another issue. Students are less likely to share genuinely in an environment that does not ensure privacy.
Before awaiting comprehensive solutions, schools have implemented flexible measures to build effective psychological support services for students. Although there is no dedicated staffing for this role, Dịch Vọng Secondary School in Hanoi has managed to establish and operate a psychological counseling room for the past five years.
The leadership of Dịch Vọng Secondary School noted that having only one counselor for nearly 2,000 students would be overwhelming, so the school established a group of students interested in psychology. Each class has about 2 to 3 students taking on this role. This group not only helps identify cases needing psychological support most closely but can also directly share with peers in simple situations.
According to Deputy Minister of Education and Training Ngô Thị Minh, from 2015 to 2022, the Ministry issued several documents related to psychological counseling and social work in schools, pointing out that psychological counseling at many educational institutions is still awkward, not following proper procedures, and not meeting requirements. Currently, most public educational institutions do not have dedicated staff for social work and school psychological counseling.
In practice, despite being a focus, most schools face challenges when implementing school psychological counseling rooms due to a lack of personnel and operating funds, especially for large group activities. Training materials are not standardized. Therefore, schools hope that the Ministry of Education and Training and relevant agencies will provide more specific guidelines on the psychological counseling process for students and coordinate resources for these activities in schools, meeting the current educational innovation requirements. The training for staff involved in school psychological counseling also needs more substantial investment.
VSchool emphasizes school psychology as part of its educational approach
From its inception, VSchool Inter-Level System has considered school psychology an essential element throughout its educational journey and mission. This not only helps students build knowledge but also creates a positive, friendly environment that encourages holistic development.
At VSchool, school psychology is not just about achieving high grades or excelling in a particular subject. It is about personal development from all aspects, including communication skills, creative thinking, and teamwork abilities. Teachers at VSchool are not only knowledge transmitters but also mentors, mental supporters, and builders of students’ self-confidence.
The learning environment at VSchool is designed to facilitate positive psychological development, from smart classrooms and diverse-resource libraries to extracurricular activities. Everything is designed to stimulate curiosity and creativity in students. At the same time, the diverse and flexible educational program helps students develop according to their pace and personal interests.
In VSchool’s educational philosophy, assessment is not only based on final exam results but also emphasizes the learning process. Students are encouraged to actively participate in activities, discussions, and group projects to develop soft skills and create a positive learning environment.
VSchool is not just a place for academic learning but also a nurturing environment for psychology, encouraging creativity and holistic development for students. This helps them not only become knowledgeable learners but also confident individuals capable of adapting and facing life’s challenges.
For more information about Vschool’s curriculum and teaching methods, parents can visit the school at:
- Address: No. 1, Street No. 1, An Lac A Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City
- Phone number: 0976 898 726
- Website: https://vschoolsg.vn/
