Towards Equity and Inclusivity in Vietnam's Education System

In 2006, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) launched the Primary Education for Disadvantaged Children Project, in collaboration with the World Bank. The project aimed to enhance access to education, boost school attendance and improve the quality of education for vulnerable students at the primary level. By focusing on essential aspects like physical facilities, school organization, teaching materials, teacher support, and school-parent links, Vietnam is creating a solid foundation for quality education. 

This important action on inclusion resulted in a total of 278 schools being established, primarily serving ethnic minority students, with an impressive enrollment of 86,000 pupils.

And these schools have been recognized as equivalent to mainstream schools, ensuring that every child receives an equal opportunity to succeed. The government has extended inclusion initiatives to even cover expenses for lunch, tuition, uniforms, and textbooks, ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder a child's education. 

While these actions have extended educational opportunity and demonstrated a commitment to diversity, there remains a gap in net enrollment rates and educational attainment between Kinh children and those belonging to ethnic minority groups. Addressing this disparity is crucial to achieving equitable outcomes for all children in Vietnam. 

Advocacy for equitable and inclusive education, gender equality in schools, professional development for educators, and the incorporation of English education in Vietnam and technology will support every child's right to learn and thrive. 

Access to quality education begins from elementary education and must continue through to higher education and vocational studies. 

Empowering students with soft skills also ensure that students will be able to succeed in higher education institutions and the workplace beyond. 

These are all reasons to make inclusive access to education a major priority for all aspects of society. 

And as Vietnam has shown the world, investment in education - even when resources are scarce - results in significant economic opportunities.