Page 16 - Mainstreamer Volume 1, Issue 4, November 2023

MAKING IT WORK
The ideological renewal has brought such positive
value to society. The evidence here is the high
percentage of women and PWD with opportunities especially at the secondary and tertiary education
to access education. This was impossible to
achieve when the old ideology was in place.
Due to influences of traditional thinking,
the role of women as well as the values they
contributed to society are not acknowledged.
Similarly, PWD were automatically thought to be
a burden on the family and community instead
of possibly creating values for society. In some
situations, women and PWD do not even have
full and equal rights to raise their voices, leading
to the general understanding that education is
insignificant to the groups of women and PWD.
When designing an education curriculum, some
minor mistakes caused by the traditional ideology
also lead to devaluing as well as increasing the
gender gap.
For example, when illustrating something, the
particular job and social status are heavily tied
to and based on gender characterisation. Much
evidence can be found to prove this view through
the textbooks issued prior to 2020. A typical
example is the image of women mainly tied to
the kitchen and looking after children. It is rare
to see a picture of a man doing kitchen or house
works. Conversely, the current situation is different
due to the education environment that keeps
promoting and empowering women and students
with disabilities, whereby the traditional views
towards these groups have gradually changed. It is
not strange to talk about the inclusive class model,
as there are some students with different types of
disabilities studying together with non-disabled
students. Women have been playing a greater
role in social development. Many of them have
held important positions in state agencies. This
fruitfulness results from refreshing the ideology of
policymakers and educators and the awareness of
society. It helps bring fresh air to the Vietnamese
education environment and opens many schooling
opportunities for vulnerable groups, including
women and students with disabilities. They are
benefitting from the advanced educational policy
framework. Undoubtedly, this is a far cry from the
reality of the past, when the majority of students
with disabilities were immediately turned away
from non-specialisation schools.
15 November 2023 | Vol. 01, Issue 4
Nearly two decades ago, students with
disabilities had to struggle for their right to study,
levels. Meanwhile, this right is currently being
protected and governed by a strict policy climate.
Any rejection of a student with a disability enrolling
at a public school is automatically considered
a law violation. Most students with disabilities
are encouraged to pursue the mode of inclusive
education and facilitate the best conditions for
them to go as far as possible in their educational
journey. This shift has remarkably contributed to
creating a barrier-free method for students with
disabilities to exercise their right to study and
ensuring a comprehensive inclusion of Vietnam’s
modern education.
In conclusion, ideology and values are two
factors that interact and intertwine in the
education setting at the national and global levels.
Ideology decides the future values, orientation,
behaviours and attitude. Conversely, values
contribute a positive impact on changing and
reshaping the mindset and discovering solutions
to escape from unsuitable traditional ideologies
with the final aim of making the education sector
more developed, promoting full and equal rights
of teachers and learners, moving towards a study
society. In reaching the target of “education
for all”, Vietnamese educators will continue to
facilitate a favourable policy framework to make
Vietnamese education more accessible, integrated
and developed equally and comprehensively.
The author is now working on a family-oriented project,
collaborating with parents caring for disabled children.
He facilitates these families by forming an inclusive
life for their children. He enjoys reading domestic and
international materials, be it books or journal articles.