Introduction

Introduction

 

Introduction

© UNICEF Viet Nam\2006\Doan Bao Chau

ISSUE

Education is a top priority in Viet Nam. Around 97 per cent of children are currently enrolled in primary school. However, the country still faces challenges in education. Young children are not being exposed to learning at an appropriate age. The majority of primary schools do not provide quality education. Meanwhile, many adolescents are missing out on secondary school. And these challenges are more often faced by children living in remote or disadvantaged areas; ethnic minority children, especially girls; children affected by HIV and AIDS; and children with disabilities.

The need to improve access to quality education is now more strongly felt than ever. Adolescents and young people make up almost 25 per cent of the population, increasing the demand for higher education and jobs, but also the need for protection from drug abuse and crime.

Fortunately, the Government of Viet Nam is committed to ensuring that all children and adolescents have the opportunity to learn and develop their full potential. In the Education Development Strategic Plan 2001-2010, the government strives to shape policies and interventions to maintain Universal Primary Education, meet the goal of Universal Lower Secondary Education by 2010 and achieve a pre-school enrolment rate of 95 per cent.

UNICEF’S RESPONSE

UNICEF actively supports the Government in its efforts to improve access to education, with a particular focus on the most disadvantaged children. Our key activities are:

• Promoting school and developmental readiness through high-quality early childhood interventions, including the development of standards in early learning.
• Supporting a child-friendly learning environment in homes, schools and  communities. UNICEF promotes child- friendly learning by providing support to village kindergartens, and primary and lower secondary schools. Support includes: strengthening methodologies and processes for active participation of children and adolescent in the learning process through training in areas such as multi-grade teaching, life skills and bilingual education, provision of safe water and sanitation as well as teaching and learning supplies; and parental education and outreach. More than 1,000 kindergartens, 1,400 primary schools, and 120 lower secondary schools have been reached since 2001.
• Creating a protective environment for adolescents through partnerships between schools, communities and families. UNICEF encourages open dialogue between children, parents, teachers and other adults on issues such as drug, alcohol and tobacco use, reproductive health and HIV. Such dialogue enhances the voices and involvement of young people in claiming for their rights to know and protect themselves.  Following the success of the “Healthy Living and Life Skills” project, UNICEF is helping to introduce life skills-based education into the curriculum in the new programme cycle (2006-2010).
• Supporting the development of laws and policies on education. UNICEF gives technical support to the Government as it develops new laws and policies on education. It also provides inputs to the drafts of key legal documents and facilitates consultations on new laws and policies.
• Supporting mother tongue and bilingual education. Vietnamese is the national language of instruction and almost no ethnic minority students learn in their own language. However, at the Government’s request, UNICEF is designing and piloting models for mother tongue and bilingual education for pre-school and primary students. This programme started in 2006 and ethnic minority students’ learning will be measured to assess its impact. Given the sensitivity surrounding the issue of language, this programme marks an important first step.
• Putting into action the UN Girls’ Education Initiative through pioneering research. By talking directly with ethnic minority girls, their families, teachers and communities, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Ministry of Education are getting to the heart of why ethnic minority girls drop out of school. After the research is completed (later-2007), UNICEF will work with its partners to implement measures that address the issues ethnic minority girls face in school.

PARTNERSHIPS

UNICEF has been supporting effort to coordinate donors in Viet Nam and to cultivate more effective partnerships. UNICEF also plays an active role in UN partnerships through UN Theme Groups on Youth, Gender and HIV/AIDS. As the lead agency for the UN Girls’ Education Initiative, UNICEF is working with UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and other partners to meet national and international commitments on gender equality. UNICEF has also established strong partnerships with the Ministry of Education and Training, the Viet Nam Youth Association and the Viet Nam Women’s Union.