From competition to education
First organized in 2013 under the direction of the Ministry of National Defense, the contest has attracted millions of students. It gives participants opportunities to learn about the position and role of the sea and islands in national construction and defense, the nation’s traditions of building and defending the country, and laws concerning the sea and islands. Students also interact with and learn about Viet Nam Coast Guard officers and personnel.
Students’ writings, drawings, creative works, and messages to the sea and islands have further extended the contest’s impact, becoming meaningful encouragement for officers and personnel serving at sea and motivating them to overcome difficulties and fulfill their missions.
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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang and Vice President of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh, present first prize to the Bach Long Vi team from Hai Phong. |
A major milestone came in 2024, when the Minister of National Defense approved a project to organize the contest nationwide from 2024 to 2030 and beyond. The project established a framework for unified implementation while expanding the contest’s participants and geographical coverage.
The 2025-2026 school year marked the first year the contest was implemented nationwide under the project, with more than 470,000 participants. It was held at secondary schools in coastal provinces and cities and several key areas nationwide, alongside social welfare and activities supporting the sea and islands.
Pham Ha Ly, a student at Dong Hai 2 Primary and Secondary School in Hai Phong and a member of the Bach Long Vi team, which won first prize in the 2025-2026 contest, said the competition gave her a deeper understanding of Viet Nam’s sea and islands, particularly their role in national construction and defense. She also gained a greater appreciation of the hardships and responsibilities of soldiers serving at sea and expressed hope that the contest would continue so more students could learn about and develop a greater love for their national sea and islands.
Renewing contest to expand its impact
As the contest grows, its goal is not only to attract more students but also to ensure that its educational value continues beyond the competition itself.
Speaking at the 2025-2026 contest’s closing and awards gala, Deputy Chairman of the General Department of Political Affairs Senior Lieutenant General Do Xuan Tung called on the Viet Nam Coast Guard to work closely with relevant agencies, local authorities, the education sector, and press and media agencies to effectively implement the project.
He called for standardized content, learning materials, and question banks, along with more lively and engaging formats suited to different age groups and localities. The key objective is to create substantive changes in students’ awareness, feelings, responsibility, and actions after each contest, contributing to the building of “the people’s heart posture” in safeguarding the nation’s sea and islands.
Teachers and contestants suggested making the contest more interactive by emphasizing “learning through play and playing through learning,” while reducing academic content and increasing visual and hands-on activities. Real-life situations, images, videos, digital maps, and simulations of maritime and island environments could make specialized subjects more accessible to students.
The contest could also include more activities requiring students to give presentations, solve practical situations, create media products, tell stories, produce creative works, or undertake small projects related to the sea and islands. Such activities would allow students to strengthen not only their knowledge but also their creativity, communication skills, and sense of responsibility.
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GDP’s Chairman General Nguyen Trong Nghia views drawings about the sea and islands by contestants. |
With young people increasingly connected to the digital environment, the contest should also provide appropriate ways for students to learn about and share accurate, positive information about the sea and islands on digital platforms. Digital learning resources, supplementary online competitions, graphic products, short videos, and interactive maps could bring these messages closer to students’ daily lives.
Families, local authorities, and the press and media also have important roles to play. The contest can have a greater impact when parents learn alongside their children, teachers provide guidance, local authorities organize activities, and the media participate. In this way, “I Love National Sea and Islands” can become more than a competition, it can serve as a continuing educational theme in schools and communities.
Translated by Tran Hoai