Influencing The Law On Education Through The Voices Of Children And Youth

In September 2018, the UN in Viet Nam brought a team of children and young people to share their views with key National Assembly members for a pre-session policy dialogue on the reform of the Law on Education. The presession served as a space for children and young people to discuss the gaps in children’s rights to education and to reach consensus on areas for reform. The UN utilized its legal and policy analysis on children with disabilities, ethnic minority children and its out-of-school-children study to advocate for reforms to ensure that every child in Viet Nam can access education.

One of the young advocates was Toan. Born in 1994 in Ho Chi Minh City, Toan completed his bachelor’s degree in information technology. Toan, who has lived with a mobility impairment since he was 18 months old, shared his experience of first attending a specialized preschool for children with disabilities but then switching to an inclusive one. He stressed the importance of inclusive education, saying “I wish that inclusive education will be applied in all schools in Viet Nam, so that children with disabilities will have chances to receive the same level of education and same amount of knowledge as other students and thus will be able to realize their own capacity and potential.”

Another advocate was Vang Thi Thu Ha, a 14-year-old girl from the Mong community from Lao Cai province. When in primary school, Ha attended one of the few schools in her province that applied the ‘mother tongue-based bilingual education’ (MTBBE) approach. Ha excelled in her studies, passed the entrance exam to the best lower-secondary school of the district and received a full scholarship from the Government. In her speech Ha shared her concerns and hopes related to ethnic minority education, passionately advocating for the expansion of MTBBE, so that “all ethnic minority children can attend bilingual classes and thus have a better chance to succeed with their studies and adapt to the community.”

Impressed by the passion and eloquence of the delegation of, Ms. Ngo Thi Minh, Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Education, Youth, Culture and Children, Viet Nam National Assembly committed to pursue inclusive education for all, especially children with disabilities as well as ethnic minority children as a core pillar in the amended Law on Education.