Gender education promotes holistic growth in students

Hoa Binh Primary School in Dong Ha, Quang Tri has organized many extra activities to educate students on social skills, such as gender education, self-protection skills, adolescent reproductive health care, and building platonic relationships.

Representatives of an NGO talks about gender issues for students at Hoa Binh Primary School. Photo: K.S

Recently, Hoa Binh Primary School has collaborated with experts from some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and lecturers of Quang Tri Medical College to organize extracurricular activities with the theme “Building platonic relationships, talking about gender - understand to grow up” for over 150 students in grades 4 and 5.

In this program, students were taught about puberty (many various periods in puberty); parts and functions of their body; physical hygiene skills, and school friendships.

Moreover, the children were able to exchange, chat and ask questions with experts and psychologists about society to avoid abuse.

Thereby, it helps them understand their own changes during puberty so that they can protect themselves better; raise their knowledge of healthy emotions, affection, and especially sensitive things like body hygiene. In addition, the children also joined some useful games and expressed their understanding of gender and how to protect adolescent reproductive health.

To help students feel more confident in learning and sharing about gender problems, the organizers divided them into two groups based on gender to provide knowledge of puberty characteristics appropriate to each gender; how to prevent early and unwanted pregnancy, and practice some body hygiene skills for female and male students...

With useful content and attractive ways of organizing, this extracurricular has received a lot of positive feedback from students.

Hoang Phuong Nhi, grade 5B, Hoa Binh Primary School happily said: “The extracurricular help me better understand my body; know how to take care of my health, protect myself during puberty, and avoid troublesome situations.”

She is willing to share her insights with her friend in her study and life, especially not to be surprised and panicked in unexpected situations; build good friendships.

Nguyen Tuan Kiet, a student of grade 4B, Hoa Binh Primary School, shared: “After participating in the extracurricular session and listening to instructions on how to prevent abuse and issues related to gender, I think this activity is useful to me and needs to be carefully researched. I also realize that friends must help, share, and encourage each other in study and life to make progress together."

Nowadays, some main reasons that can affect students’ psychological development include early puberty, the prevalence of the internet, smart devices, and social networks. School children now face numerous challenges namely lack of gender knowledge, sexual abuse, unwanted pregnancy, and abortion.

Adolescents often have physical and mental changes such as anxiety, confusion about psychological transformation; anxiety, and worry in many various relationships, especially with parents. Faced with that situation, Hoa Binh Primary School has inserted gender knowledge into subjects such as science, nature, and society.

Additionally, the school organized games and activities to help students create comfort and gain confidence. Since then, they have been actively studying, and enthusiastically participating in many outdoor activities of the school; aware of their own daily development to have a way of self-care and protection and then help each other develop.

Moreover, to help students share their feelings about difficult things in life, Hoa Binh Primary School has attached mailboxes to share “What I want to say”, so that they can write letters, and send messages to each other. It helped teachers understand their students better and guide them toward comprehensive development.

“Talking about gender and building platonic relationships are very crucial to the school in particular and the whole primary school in general”, said Le Thi Thuy Duong, a teacher in charge of life skills at Hoa Binh Primary School.

Equipping children with knowledge and gender skills will benefit children, helping them recognize and protect themselves; avoid adverse consequences later on; learn how to avoid social evils when growing up, and pursue a healthy lifestyle.

In the coming years, the school will continue to promote this topic in many different forms, creating excitement for students.

Tung Lam – Ko Kan Suong