Early Childhood Care and Education Policies Issues in Vietnam - Essay Example

Early Childhood Care and Education Policies Issues in Vietnam Table of Contents Page No. INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 DISCUSSION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 The Requirement for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programmes --------- 3 Recent National ECCE Policies and Reforms by the Government of Vietnam ----------- 5 Policies in Favour of Vulnerable or Disadvantaged Children ------------------ 9 Governmental Organisations in Charge of Early Childhood Care and Education ------------ 10 Other Main Types of Providers of Early Childhood Care and Education --- 11 Policy Implications ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13 CONCLUSION --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 REFERENCES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Early Childhood Care and Education Policies Issues in Vietnam Introduction The Education Law 2005 includes early childhood education as the first learning stage of the national education system of Vietnam. The main goals of early childhood education are to support the development of children from three months to six years of age physically, emotionally, intellectually and aesthetically. Although not mandatory, these programmes are invaluable, helping children develop the initial elements of personality and prepare for the first grade of primary education (Kamerman, 2002). The Vietnam government provides three basic kinds of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programmes. Firstly, ECCE raises parental awareness on early childhood education through various media to promote children’s participation in the programme. The other two ECCE programmes include daycare centres and kindergarten schools by numerous governmental bodies such as the Ministry of Health, the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Department of the MoET (Ministry of Education and Training), and units of ECE at national and regional levels (UNESCO, IBE, 2006). Thesis Statement: This paper will critically analyse and evaluate the current policy drivers that inform the Vietnam Government’s Early Years’ Care and Education Policies. Discussion Political changes towards democratisation during the 1990s in various countries including Vietnam, have both resulted from and fuelled changes in early child care programmes (Cochran, 1993). Different countries adopt different models of child care and education, based fundamentally on child care being available when parents work away from their children. In Vietnam, according to a 1999 law the Ministry of Education and Training was given the responsibility for preschool programmes. Numerous public sector efforts in Vietnam increased the number of families benefited by the programme, while concurrently reducing the disparities in access to early childhood care and education. “The greatest headway has been made in access to early childhood care and education for three- to five-year-olds in urban areas” (Heymann, 2006: p.39). Public funding is the main source of finance since the national economy is planned and run by the state (Cochran, 1993). Due to the high rate of population growth in Vietnam, there has been increasing strain on the national economy. This has resulted in reduction of the country’s economic capacity “to improve the welfare of families with young children” (Cochran, 1993: p. 597). Hence, population control through family planning projects have been undertaken, besides preventative care and literacy programmes for parents. However, today’s economic situation in Vietnam shows considerable progress, and it is encouraging to note that “Vietnam’s development performance since the early 1990s has been one of the strongest in the world” (Thoburn, 2009: p.1), with the help of its doi moi or renovation method of economic reform in 1986. Vietnam’s economic strategy includes domestic agricultural growth, development of state-owned enterprises and rapid integration into the world economy with exports and direct foreign investment. The Requirement for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programmes In Vietnam public child care and early education are part of broader post-independence community development strategies with the goal of nation building. Parental involvement is sought out, in order to successfully develop trust, meet parental expectations, respect local teaching and child rearing traditions, and find help to develop and staff child care centres (Cochran, 1993). The increasing demand for ECCE are based on the following factors: growing number of women with small children in the work force, transition from extended families to nuclear families, increasing awareness of preparing children for primary school, ratification of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child, ensuring access to primary and secondary schools specifically for the girl child, relatively high birth rates despite family planning and population control strategies, mutli-ethnic nature of the population requiring a unification of experience in preparation for primary school, the problem of street children and the need to socialise them into society, and decisions taken at the World Summits for children’s welfare (Kamerman, 2002). Thus, governmental policies have led to increasing numbers of preschool children enrolling in early education. Enrolment in early childhood education programmes in Vietnam in dual-earner families is found to be 44% of 3 to 5 years-old children, and in single working parent families 51% of the age group. These statistics are higher than in other countries such as Brazil and Botswana. Moreover, in Vietnam due to the greater availability of public early childhood care, the number of children left home alone is the lowest, as compared to other countries. This is a significantly positive aspect of child care in Vietnam, since children left home alone during their early years are at high risk for preventable and serious illnesses and injuries. Despite Vietnam’s increasing provision of child care and education for preschool children, the government needs to implement new policies for the benefit of parents with infants (Heymann, 2006). More developments are required for the care of infants between 4 to 6 months of age, since after the first four months of maternity leave, no care facilities are available during the intervening time until the child is 6 months of age. On the other hand, according to Cochran (1993: p.663), the government of Vietnam provides for “six months of maternity leave for women employed in the public sector, with job protection and full pay”. This is essential to fill the gap for childcare, until the child is eligible for enrolment in the state’s early childhood care and education programme. However, this issue is clarified by Kamerman (2002: p.20) who states that “Vietnam provides a paid and job-protected maternity leave for women in the paid labour force lasting 120 days and replacing 100 percent of prior wages”. This applies for adoption as well as child birth. Legislation additionally approves unpaid leave of 180 days provided by employers. Recent National ECCE Policies and Reforms by the Government of Vietnam According to Cochran (1993), all policies and measures regarding the care and education of children are based on three key principles: the rights of children, the policy of joint responsibility of family, state and society, and the provision of developmentally appropriate programmes for children. However, Young Lives Policy Brief (2008) states that early childhood development (ECD) programmes are still scarce, due to which a large proportion of children are not adequately prepared to enter primary school. In 2004 about 65% of urban children and only 36% of rural children had access to ECD services; moreover, only 3% of ECD classrooms were adequate enough to meet Vietnam’s national standard. It was also found that “hardly any ECD schools employ quality teaching methods in a child-friendly learning environment” (YLPB, 2008: p.4). NPRS-PRF (2007) state that no major governmental projects focus on early childhood education despite its master plan the Programme of Action for Children 2001-2010. Contrastingly, Choi (2005) argues that the government’s pro-poor policy is being actively implemented through appropriate access to care and preschool education. The ECCE services are of four types: state, semi-state, people-founded and private. Semi-state services are for the poor who pay subsidized fees; while state services are for the poorest, where no fees are charged (Choi, 2005). Nearly all the programmes are public or publicly subsidized, with only 1% being private (Kamerman, 2002). Under the NPRS-PRF (2007) master plan was included TA 4205 which targeted the “health, nutrition, child care and education needs of Vietnamese children form poor and vulnerable households” (NPRS-PRF, 2007: p.1), with the long-term goal of improving their ability to fulfill their potentials. Being the first initiative on ECD in Vietnam, it was intended to lay the foundation for similar future developmental projects towards reducing vulnerabilities among preschool children and the population in general. National policy framework has focused on developing the ECE, increasing the rate of children receiving care in kindergartens or children group, and improving knowledge for persons giving childcare service at home. Affirmation of the ECE development objectives up to 2005 consisted of improving ECE level suitable to specific conditions and requirements at each individual area; ensuring admission to the upper pre-school education for almost under 5 year-old children, preparing them for primary school enrolment. Resolution No. 40/2000/QH and No. 37/2004/QH respectively adopted by the Tenth and Eleventh National Assembly on education and training affirmed the objective of programme renovation for improving the quality of education comprehensively, and reformation of ECE programme. The ECE development objectives up to 2010 of the Government’s Education Development Strategy, 2001 sougt to improve child care and education quality, child comprehensive development in various essential aspects, establish kindergarten and preschool systems in all inhabited areas particularly in the rural areas and difficult terrains, to increase the providing of knowledge and advice of care and education to the family (UNESCO, IBE, 2006). In Vietnam, as in many other countries, ECCE policies and programmes are mainly for the 3 to 5 year olds: only 8% of 0 to 3 year olds while 45% of 3 to 5 year olds having access to ECCE. The provision of ECCE is found to be inadequate, especially for the 0 to 3 year olds. This trend of children’s enrolment increasing with age manifests as 76% of 5 year olds enrolled in kindergarten. However, both access and quality of care and education vary widely between urban and rural areas. Though fees are reduced for poor children, they are still beyond affordability for many families (Kamerman, 2002). The National EFA Plan of Action (2003 to 2015) contains the following basic directions regarding ECCE: 1) Provision of ECCE for 0 to 5 year old children, prioritising ethnic minority and disadvantaged children; 2) Ensuring all children will complete one year of quality preschool education as preparation for primary school; 3) Continuously improve activities and services aimed at fostering mental, emotional, physical an social development of young children aged 0 to 5 years; 4) Formulation and adoption of national policy for affordable and quality ECCE; and 5) Strengthen ECCE management capacity at local level (UNESCO, IBE, 2006). Government Resolution No. 05/2005/NQ-CP dated 18th April 2005 included ECE development by 2015, in accordance with market economy’s principles while ensuring equality in education. The Education Law 2005 and Law on Child Protection, Care and Education state that children have the right of access to early education through suitable education contents and methods. The State allocates appropriate proportion of the annual budget for protection, care and education of the child. Thus, government policies have built a legal foundation for guiding ECE development all over the country. Along with these reforms, the achievements in Vietnam’s socio-economic development during the past twenty years have also impacted ECE development. In the last decade there has been a steady increase in preschool children (UNESCO, IBE, 2006). Decision 161 of the Prime Minister, 2002, the first time early childhood development being promoted, was towards increasing investment in preschool education, related priority to socio-economically disadvantaged and geographically isolated areas, dissemination of child care knowledge to families, and creation of conducive conditions for children’s improved development in all areas. The policies and mechanism for the recruitment, deployment, compensation, and other benefits for ECE teachers and management staff have been increasingly improved (Choy, 2005). Emphasis is given on teacher education, training, adequate compensation, and job security to ensure uniformly high quality early childhood care and education, irrespective of the sections of society that are provided with the service (Choy, 2005). The government has taken action on the general shortage of qualified teachers. Consequently, the number of early childhood education teachers is increasing by 1,500 per annum. However, since most qualified teachers prefer to work in the urban areas because of better working conditions, Vietnam’s commitment to ECCE is increasingly being establshed to cover the rural and highland regions (NPRS-PRF, 2007). Policies in Favour of Vulnerable or Disadvantaged Children Developing ECCE infrastructure, construction of kindergarten schools and classes, and procuring equipment particularly in the difficult and ethnic minority areas of Vietnam is the focus of a first time National Project on early childhood education development (2006-2015). The aim is that each commune would have an adequately functioning early childhood education establishment (UNESCO, IBE 2006). The National Project on early childhood education (ECE) development includes special projects and programmes for the purpose of expanding or improving ECCE, whose objectives are: Expand the provision of early childhood education to cover all the regions; increase enrolment rate of children under three years of age from 15% in 2005 to 20% by the end of 2010, and 30% by 2015. Similar increases are planned for three to four year old children and for 5 year old children, to prepare them for mainstream school. Children enrolled in ECE establishments are provided good quality care, education and nutrititive food. Reducing malnutrition, with specific targets for 2010 and 2015, has been focused on, similar to the requirement for children to meet development standards within the specific target years, and the requirement for the ECE establishments to meet quality standards. ECE in ethnic minority, remote, frontier and island areas will be improved to meet the standards set by the Government for quality of care and education by 2010; and the number of classes for ethnic minority children to complete at least one year of five year preschool education programme before they enter primary schools, will be increased. The provision of information and basic skills to parents, pertaining to nurturing, caring, and educating young children under six years of age, to 70% by end of 2010 and 90% by the end of 2015 (UNESCO, IBE, 2006). The Vietnam government continues its drive to reduce poverty, targeting interventions to improve the welfare of its vulnerable groups particularly women and children from poor and ethnic minority groups, mostly living in rural and mountanous areas (NPRS-PRF, 2007). Governmental Organisations in Charge of Early Childhood Care and Education In Vietnam, although the Ministry of Health is responsible for monitoring the quality of health care in childcare centres, there appears to be no coordination between the district level education office and related personnel in the health ministry. The public health system is utilized well at the village level, with families taking up the responsibility for bringing their children to health centres. The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Department of the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) was established in 1991 and is now responsible for daycare centres and kindergarten schools. Besides the ECE unit at national level which is the topmost body supervising overall ECCE programmes, there are ECE units at provincial and district levels under the department for education and training (UNESCO, IBE, 2006). The ECE Department at the MoET shares responsibility for national coordination of ECCE, for both state and non-state ECE programmes with the Ministry of Health, the Committee for Population, Family and Children, and the Vietnam Women’s Union. These four central level agencies divide responsibilities as follows: 1) The MoET develops programmes and standards, supervises, monitors implementation of ECCE programmes and promotes parent education on ECCE. 2) The Ministry of Health is responsible for the health and nutrition aspects including immunisation for all children under five, disease prevention, nutrition education, food supplementation and other interventions to reduce malnutrition. 3) The Committee for Population, Family and Children is in charge of overall child-focused policy including national early childhood development policy. 4) The Vietnam Women’s Union is responsible for parent education to enhance their knowledge of parenting practices. All these organisations actively promote parental awareness of the benefits of children’s participation in ECCE programmes. There is a special focus on children below three years of age, who are in programmes of poorer quality compared to 3 to 5 year olds (UNESCO, IBE, 2006). Using formal childcare such as that provided by the ECCE programme is considered to be the best alternative available to parents of preschool children. “When families used formal childcare, their children were less likely to develop behavioural or academic difficulties than when they used informal childcare” (Heymann, 2006: p.43). Since the programme encompasses all sections of society, families with poor working parents have access to the childcare programme that is publicly provided in formal settings. Other Main Types of Providers of Early Childhood Care and Education in Vietnam Besides the three basic ECCE programmes of raising parental awareness, providing daycare centres and kindergarten schools, non-state service provision for childcare has developed significantly. The first of the two main types of non-state ECCE programmes is: community-owned and operated creches and kindergartens usually in rural villages where there are no state-run programmes, established by village residents and local leaders. The creches or kindergarten schools do not receive funds from the central government. The MoET ECE Department provides guidelines while the Provincial and District education departments monitor the implementation of their programmes (UNESCO, IBE, 2006). The second type of non-state service provision consist of privately-owned creches and kindergartens, frequently in urban and developed areas. These are provided by entrepreneurs or organisations from the private sector who establish home-based centres as well as preschools in big cities or in urban areas. They are supported financially by social organisations, economic organisations or individuals with nonstate budget funding. They operate with the help of the fees paid by the affluent parents who are a small minority, hence this facility accounts for only 7.9% of service provision. Education Law states that the Chairman of the District People’s Committee has the authority to permit the establishment of community-owned and private centres. State-run kindergartens have the largest percentage of children’s ECCE participation rates, especially in the four- and five-year-old age groups, and are well established in most parts of the country. As compared to other parts, in the northern provinces there are more non-state ECCE programmes run by local communities (UNESCO, IBE, 2006). Child-centred, activity-based approaches of the new curriculum have been implemented increasingly all over Vietnam, especially since 2003. The thematic method of organising content and integrating both traditional and contemporary values helps children to learn more meaningfully and deeply from their everyday world. Childcare centres provide play and learning materials which are developmentally appropriate for the various stages between 0 to 6 years to enhance physical, psychosocial, cognitive and language development. All-round health care including immunisation and growth monitoring are coordinated by the Ministry of Health, as also a reasonable living routine, and support for social and emotional development for the child (Kamer, 2002). Policy Implications There is a requirement for greater investment in early childhood development (ECD), especially for rural, poor and ethnic minority children. Further, research to assess the impact of ECD and the extent to which gender, ethnic and income-based disparities have been overcome, need to be carried out. It is essential to improve education quality for poor rural and highland communities and develop appropriate solutions to reduce achievement gaps. In Vietnam the concept of “socialisation” of basic services is a term that refers to user fees based on the ability to pay. This helps to mobilise local funds but carries the risk of achievement gaps widening if the poor cannot afford services. Hence, the very poor should be fully exempted from paying fees (YLPB, 2008). Further policy reforms are required to increase parental awareness of child development and good parenting, to link health care services with low cost community-based programmes for child care and education, to establish safe ECCE programmes, and to increase the supply of programmes for the 0 to 3 year olds. Street children, migrants and orphans also require special attention. The development of private ECCE programmes are encouraged, with the government funding programmes in the disadvantaged communities (Kamer, 2002). Teachers should be provided with incentives to work in highland areas, and in-service training and supervision need to be improved. Moreover acknowledging the value of family and community participation in school management, curriculum design and budgeting is required. Curriculum based measurement should be promoted as a tool to monitor the proportion of education funds used for teacher training (YLPB, 2008). Conclusion This paper had critically analysed and evaluated the current policy drivers that inform the Vietnam Government’s Early Years’ Care and Education Policies. The evidence indicates that there is increasing availability of developmentally appropriate early childhood care and education in Vietnam, in formal settings both in the public and private sectors. This leads to fewer children being left home alone. Although developments in Vietnam in the area of early childhood care and education appear encouraging, with the government implementing various policies effectively, there is room for further progress, policy reforms and improvement. It is important to monitor the availability, affordability, and quality of early childhood care and education in the country. This will reveal not only how many children have not been vaccinated, but how many preschoolers are being left home alone, left in the care of other young children, or left in hazardous workplaces. Any gaps that are required to be filled in early childhood care and education (ECCE), should be carried out to ensure that all children can avail of life prospects as a basic human right. One of the vital gaps that requires the formulation and implementation of new policy, is for maternity leave to be extended from four to six months, when the parents can start availing of the early childcare and education programme for their infant. Global institutions also need to help facilitate ECCE as they have done for the provision of primary school education. References Choi, S-H. (2005). Supporting the poorest: Vietnam’s early childhood policy. No.29, November - December 2005. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Policy Brief on Early Childhood. Retrieved on 18th August, 2009 from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001425/142585e.pdf Cochran, M. (1993). International handbook of child care policies and programmes. The United Kingdom: Greenwood Publishing Group. Heymann, J. (2006). Forgotten families: ending the growing crisis confronting children and working parents in the global economy, Volume 10. London: Oxford University Press. Kamerman, S.B. (2002). Early Childhood Care and Education and other family policies and programmes in South-East Asia. Early Childhood and Family Policy Series No.4., United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Retrieved on 18th August, 2009 from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001279/127984e.pdf NPRS-PRF (National Poverty Reduction Strategy – Poverty Reduction Cooperation Fund). (2007). Promoting early childhood development in Vietnam. NPRS-PRF. Helping Accelerate Poverty Reduction in Asia and the Pacific. Retrieved on 18th August, 2009 from: http://www.adb.org/PRF/knowledge-products/VIE-4205-Early-Childhood-Dev.pdf Thoburn, J. (2009). Vietnam as a role model for development. Research Paper No. 2009/ 30. World Institute for Development Economics Research. United Nations University. Retrieved on 18th August, 2009 from: http://www.wider.unu.edu/stc/repec/pdfs/rp2009/RP2009-30.pdf UNESCO, IBE (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Bureau of Education). (2006). Viet Nam: Early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes. Compiled by the UNESCO International Bureau of Education, Geneva, Switzerland. Retrieved on 16th August, 2009 from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001472/147254e.pdf YLPB (Young Lives Policy Brief). (2008). Education for all in Vietnam: High enrolment, but problems of quality remain. Young Lives Policy Brief 4. Young Lives: An International Study of Childhood Poverty. Retrieved on 17th August, 2009 from: http://www.younglives.org.uk/pdf/publication-section-pdfs/policy-briefs/Policy-brief4.pdf Read More