Readiness for education of children with disabilities in eight provinces of Viet Nam 2015

In 2014, UNICEF has supported MOET in implementing a study on the readiness for education of children with disabilities in eight UNICEF supported provinces in Viet Nam with field visits to three provinces including Dien Bien, Ninh Thuan and Kon Tum. The study aims to examine the readiness of schools and community to provide inclusive education for children with disabilities and readiness of these children to go to school. In order to carry out the study, a consultancy team from International Center for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR) of Toronto University, Canada has been contracted by UNICEF for the period from 1st November 2013 to 30th August 2014.

Findings from the study highlight a number of notable policies and practices that point to a favorable foundation on which to build and strengthen an education sector to support inclusive education and access for boys and girls with disabilities. The study indicates that the Government of Viet Nam has made significant progress in support for education over the past 25 years and it is anticipated that Viet Nam will achieve its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with regard to Education by 2015. However, more effort is needed to bring the benefits associated with the attainment of the MDGs to children who remain excluded from education and whose right to education has not yet been realized, such as children with disabilities and those from ethnic minority groups. The main barriers to these children's access to education lies both in lack of accessibility of education and limited quality education for these children.

Key recommendations have been made to improve policies related to improvement of equity in access to education and quality of education for children with disabilities as well as to raise awareness of right holders and duty bearers on existing policies. Of particular, recommendations are made for MOET and provinces to expedite the provision of quality education to children with disabilities through the improvement of the data and information system to enable provinces to collect, update and use the data on children with disabilities for better education sector planning, M&E and more effective teacher recruitment, deployment and teacher training.