Page 17 - Mainstreamer Volume 1, Issue 4, November 2023
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MAKING IT WORK
Education Beyond Barriers: Vietnam’s Inclusive Approach
Deviani Christihapsari
Susilo
he vibrant tapestry of Vietnam’s education learning difficulties range from neurological
system has a crucial thread of importance abnormalities and injuries to impairments arising
Tthat remains frayed and incomplete. from specific diseases.
While countless children thrive in classrooms, Inadequate access to specialised teachers,
the education system has not always reflected a lack of appropriate curriculum materials and
this inclusivity for children with special needs. limited support services often leave children
Historically, separate schools and limited access with SEND feeling isolated and overwhelmed.
to education presented consequential barriers to These challenges are further exacerbated by
their learning and growth. societal stigmas and misconceptions about
Over the past 25 years, Vietnam has undergone disability, creating an environment that can feel
a remarkable transformation in inclusive unwelcoming and unsupportive. The latest data
education, emerging as a regional leader. In 1991, from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
a spark ignited a revolution, leading to Vietnam’s in 2018 suggested that 2.79% of Vietnamese
ratification of the United Nations (UN) Convention children aged 2–17 have disabilities, with varying
on the Rights of the Child. This transformation rates across demographics:
marked a turning point, giving every child the • Age range: 2.74% (aged 2–4), 2.81% (aged
fundamental right to education, regardless of 5–17)
their abilities. Embarking on a journey through • Location: 2.94% (rural), 2.42% (urban)
Vietnam’s inclusive education landscape, this study • Sub-ethnicity: 2.62% (Kinh), 3.48% (others)
explored its successes, challenges and prospects. • Gender: 3.0% (boys), 2.57% (girls)
From government actions to the amazing work of • Disabilities: Primarily hearing, vision, upper
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the and lower body mobility, communication and
heartwarming stories of resilient folks, this goes cognition
beyond policies. It is the key to creating a place
where all children can thrive. Despite these statistics, only 55.5% of children
with disabilities between the age range of 5–24 are
Persisting Challenges: A Closer Look at Access and exempted from tuition fees. Those living in low-
Infrastructure income households, defined by factors like limited
Children with special educational needs and education, debilitated health and poor living
disabilities (SEND) face unique challenges, often conditions, have a 21% lower school attendance
stemming from various disorders and disabilities. rate than their non-disabled peers. This gap further
Prominent among these learning disorders are widens across school levels, with attendance rates
dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia, impacting at 81.7% for primary, 67.4% for secondary and
abilities in reading, mathematics and motor skills. 33.6% for high school children.
Medical conditions, such as attention deficit While 0.5% of children with disabilities learn
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, can in special classrooms and another 1.0% in
pose additional interference to both learning dedicated special schools, only 2.9% of educational
and social interactions. The root causes of these institutions have infrastructure catered explicitly
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