A growing pastime

Primary school students at a city school in Vietnam have turned gardening into an extracurricular activity.

FIFTH-grader Huynh Ngoc Thao has learnt how to grow plants in an unconventional way by watering, tending and harvesting organic vegetables in a greenhouse on her school’s rooftop in Ho Chi Minh City.

“At home, my mother grows plants in pots with soil. But I prefer aquaponic gardening as I can raise fish and grow plants at the same time without using toxic chemicals. It’s really enjoyable,” Thao said.

The hobby also teaches me farming and teamwork skills, she added.

Hydroponics uses mineral nutrient solutions in water and involves no soil, according to Do Thanh Nhan, a fifth-grade teacher at Nguyen Van Troi Primary School in HCM City District 4.

Fish are also raised together in a sustainable closed model.

“We can raise fish and grow plants together in one integrated system. The fish waste provides an organic food source for plants which in turn provide a natural filter for the water where the fish live,” Nhan told a group of students involved in the gardening, which has become an extracurricular activity in school.

Watering and fertilising are integral to an aquaponics system, he added.

On a 50 sq m rooftop area, groups of students learn traditional soil-based gardening and aquaponic gardening.

The school garden model, the first of its kind in the city, kicked off in October, the school’s rector Pham Thuy Ha said.

He added that in just two months, the school garden has yielded positive results, with dozens of organic vegetables harvested, he added.

Students work in the garden during their breaks, and in return, receive a nutritious lunch, she said.

Ha said that the rest of the fruit and vegetables are sold to teachers and parents.

The money from the sales is used to buy more plant seeds and soil.

It is important for students to know that gardening is a great pastime and school activity, she said.

It also heightens their awareness and love of the environment, Ha said, adding that it benefits their health and broadens their outlook on going green.

“Students also become more knowledgeable about natural processes and learn teamwork, besides new skills in growing food,” she added.

Lettuce, basil, tomatoes, chili, eggplants and cabbages are grown in the greenhouse, Hoang Ngoc Minh Anh, a fourth-grade student explained as she showed off the plants.

“Everyday, my friends and I come to the rooftop to water the garden and feed fish. It makes me feel happy to see them growing,” the girl said.

Gardening provides food sources and inevitably creates a fresh and clean environment.

Students take turns to take part in the activity with groups of 20 students chosen each time.

Nhan, who was trained in greenhouse gardening along with four other teachers, said the garden is a good way to connect students with the natural world and teach them agricultural concepts and skills.

The rector said the school would maintain the garden as a learning space for students.

Nguyen Van Hieu, deputy director of the city’s Department of Education and Training, said the aquaponic model would be introduced to other primary schools in the city. — VietNam News/ANN