Preserving Muong culture in schools

Implementing the National Target Program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas, including the Project on preserving and promoting Muong ethnic cultural identity, in recent years, schools in Thanh Son district have actively implemented many activities to teach ethnic minority cultural identities to students, contributing to spreading and fostering the young generation’s love for the traditional culture.

Present at the extracurricular session of “Preserving and promoting the cultural identities of ethnic groups” at Vo Mieu Secondary School, we were surprised to see the students mastering each dance, their hands tapping gongs echoing throughout the school yard and watched them introduce in detail about each item, production tool, and traditional cuisine of their ethnic group. With 52% of students being ethnic minorities, Vo Mieu Secondary School has always paid attention to teaching and educating students about the cultural values and traditions of local ethnic groups through teaching about culture, practices, customs, and organization of teaching folk performances, Vi singing, playing gongs, and rice pounding... in schools.

To implement the content of preserving traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities, schools in the district have developed specific plans, integrating the content of preserving the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group and other ethnic minorities into teaching activities in a number of subjects such as: Literature, History, Music... and extracurricular activities such as: Learning about traditional costumes, stilt house architecture, folk games, ethnic musical instruments... thereby helping students approach traditional culture more vividly, specifically and clearly.

Currently, in the district there are 30 ethnic cultural clubs (clubs) that are maintained and operated regularly in schools, each club has about 20 members who are teachers and students participating. In addition, many schools have mobilized parents and people to support supplies, working tools... to expand learning corners associated with displaying cultural spaces of the Muong and other ethnic groups within the school campuses. At the same time, organize extracurricular classes to learn about the traditional culture of ethnic minorities, visit historical and cultural relics, and invite artisans in the commune to teach songs and dances imbued with the identity of the Muong and Dao people...

It can be seen that integrating education of local ethnic cultural traditions into classes and extracurricular activities has nurtured and fostered the love for culture and raised students' awareness of preserving and promoting national cultural identity, strengthening the movement to build friendly schools and active students, and contribute to the effective implementation of the Project to continue preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group and other ethnic minorities in Thanh Son district in the period of 2021-2025.

Vy An