Stories: Children, Community, Future

Ms. Phương, a young and dynamic teacher, joined Hợp Giang Secondary School, the largest in Cao Bằng province, with over 1,600 students, in 2020. Two years later, she found herself as the team leader for Swipe Safe, which had been introduced in secondary schools across Cao Bằng to help raise awareness about online safety and provide practical knowledge on how students, with the support of their teachers and families, can protect themselves from online risks like cyberbullying and inappropriate content.

Despite not knowing much about online safety herself, Ms Phương was excited to take up the challenge of upskilling and integrating a completely new curriculum and topic into her teaching toolkit. It was an opportunity to make a difference.

Ms. Phương’s digital journey began with Swipe Safe training workshops. Over two days, she learnt how to identify and use technology confidently, creatively and critically to meet the demands and challenges of living, learning and working in our digital world. With her professionalism, love of learning and dedication to her job, it surprised no one that Ms. Phương excelled in the training sessions.

She wasted no time integrating her new learnings into her classes, using various resources, including animated films and sample lessons provided by ChildFund, to help educate her students on the importance of online safety. Her innovative methods made her the first teacher in Cao Bằng province to implement the Swipe Safe program across all secondary schools.

Ms. Phương teaches students about online safety in primary school in Cao Bằng province.

Ms. Phương’s commitment to online safety extends beyond the classroom. She has effectively translated her sense of responsibility and openness to learning to students, parents and local authorities. This includes leading online safety teaching sessions for representatives from nine secondary schools, organised by the Cao Bằng Department of Education. Following their success, she was selected to conduct online safety training for teachers across the province.

Beyond her teaching duties, Ms. Phương acts as a counsellor for her school’s Young Bamboo group, which focuses on organising online safety activities for students. Under her guidance, students successfully integrated online safety messages into extracurricular activities, gaining valuable teamwork and public speaking skills. One notable event, held in collaboration with the People’s Police Academy, attracted over 1,000 attendees.

Students at Hop Giang Secondary School joining a communication event on cyber safety

D., a year 8 student at Hợp Giang, shared her experience as a Young Bamboo leader, highlighting Ms. Phương’s support in planning and executing online safety activities.

“At the beginning of the school year, I was very worried because my friends and I didn’t know where to start when speaking about internet safety to more than 1,600 students,” says D.

“Ms. Phương helped our group a lot, from teaching us how to plan activities to organising those activities and integrating them into extracurricular events such as flag-raising ceremonies or group work in class. She also taught us teamwork and presentation skills. As a result, we have done very well in the communication campaigns about internet safety, which our group is responsible for.”

With the support and guidance of dedicated teachers like Ms. Phương’, Hợp Giang Secondary School has integrated online safety education into 500 lessons for 1,200 students in the last year alone. The school has also held four online safety workshops for 300 parents, students, and 69 teachers in the broader community.