MEXT/UNESCO Country Study Project: Sustainable ECCE Financing Mechanisms for All in Viet Nam

Ms. Maki Hayashikawa, the Director a.i. of UNESCO Bangkok, emphasized in her opening remarks, the importance of ECCE policy, planning and financing mechanisms for all. In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4-Education 2030 was adopted with an ambitious Target 4.2 on ECCE, which states, "By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education." Therefore, this workshop was in line with the continuous efforts in supporting the ECCE policy planning in Asia-Pacific member states to achieve SDG4 Target 4.2.

Building on the research collaboration since 2013, in the areas of education administration and finance, and teacher placement in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, the MEXT/UNESCO project launched pilot country case studies in these three countries to compliment the regional research on innovative financing mechanisms and partnerships, launched by UNESCO Bangkok with a financial support from the Korean Funds-in-Trust.

Following the previous years, a research team, led by Prof. Keiichi Ogawa, formed by Kobe University and UNESCO Bangkok, undertook desk reviews of relevant literature and field research for the collection of data on ECCE finance through interviews with key stakeholders at central, provincial, district and institutional levels.

The research team presented key findings and policy recommendations from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam's country studies. A reporting and plenary discussion followed this session where participants actively exchanged knowledge and experience based on the preliminary findings from desk reviews and field studies. This supports the finalization of the Viet Nam country case study report. Research findings and recommendations will contribute to a regional catalogue and the discussion in the third Asia-Pacific Regional Policy Forum, which is scheduled to be held this coming June in Kathmandu, Nepal. Furthermore, it enriches the discussion of policy options and capacity development needs in strengthening sustainable ECCE financing mechanism to achieve free, inclusive and equitable quality pre-primary education for all by 2030.

For more information, please contact Mr. Toshiyuki Matsumoto, Education Programme Specialist at t.matsumoto(at)unesco.org, and visit our Facebook page @UNESCOOfficeinVietnam