Education officials move closer to establishing a key tool in Viet Nam’s education reform

Education is an essential element of Viet Nam's social and economic growth and development. The equal inclusion and integration of both boys and girls in all aspects of the education system is imperative. As a component of UNESCO's Gender Equality and Girls' Education Initiative in Viet Nam, a half-day consultation workshop built upon the first draft of the guiding document that had been developed through two workshops in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City in December 2015.

The workshop witnessed the active participation of experts and authorities who provided critical assessments for the guiding document and proposed the increased use of sex-disaggregated data as a basis for analysis. Mr. Ngo Kim Khoi, Director of the Standing Unit for Textbook and Curriculum Renovation, affirmed that the contributions made during the workshop will greatly enhance the second draft of the document, which will be shared with participants for completion.

Mr. Tran Kim Tu, Deputy Director of the Personnel Department and Vice Chairman of the Committee for the Advancement of Women in the Education Sector, recognized the event as a valuable opportunity to gain "insightful, technical advice from experts to ensure that the national curriculum and textbooks under development are free of gender-stereotypes and biases".

Emphasizing the potential impact of gender mainstreaming in curriculum and textbooks, Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Nhung, UNESCO Gender Programme Manager, stressed the importance of "raising the awareness of education managers and authorities, teachers and students on gender issues, promoting gender equality among schools, families, individuals and communities."

Using specific examples from textbooks, Associate Professor Hoang Ba Thinh from the Ha Noi National University of Education highlighted that in every society, education is based on socio-cultural and historical values, making the classroom an environment where attitudes and beliefs are introduced. Mr. Thinh also affirmed that this entails a key responsibility to "consider gender issues when depicting a character in a story or through illustrations in textbooks". He added that this process must include the careful revision or elimination of proverbs, idioms and songs that discriminate against women and girls, undervaluing the role of women and portraying them as passive beneficiaries.

Pursuant to the 13th National Assembly Resolution No. 88/2014/QH13 on the reform of school curricula and textbooks, 31 education officials (13 male and 18 female) attended the consultation workshop led by MOET's Standing Unit for Textbook and Curriculum Renovation and UNESCO. Participants included relevant departments within MOET; DOETs from Ha Noi, Vinh Phuc and Bac Ninh; the National Institute of Education Management; the Viet Nam Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES); and education managers from schools and universities.

For more information, please contact:

• Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Nhung, Gender Programme Manager, at tt.nhung(at)unesco.org.