新闻

The right to education is a fundamental human right; everyone is entitled to have access to education. However, we know that there can exist numerous obstacles for the full realization of this right, especially for those who are in a disadvantaged and vulnerable situation. This is the case for ethnic minority children in Viet Nam, for while significant progress has been made in providing access to education among ethnic minority children over the last decade, more than 13% of the lower secondary school-aged ethnic minority children (14.3% for male and 12.3% for female) and almost 46% of the upper secondary school-aged ethnic minority children (48.4% for male and 43.1% for female) remained out of school in 2019, according to a survey report on the socio-economic status of 53 ethnic minority groups published by the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs and General Statistics Office in 2020.

It is within this population that poverty is concentrated in the country, a combination of a number of socio-economic factors compounded by the challenging geography of the remote areas where the some of the poorest communities are found. In such place, many children need to wake up very early in the morning and walk a long distance to reach school on time, raising concerns about their safety of children on the way between home and school. In some cases, they must cope with limited access to electricity and poor lighting at home and in boarding facilities that affects their learning performance.  

To respond specifically to the latter, and compliment the Organization’s ongoing We are ABLE (Achieving Better Living and Education) Programme which is funded through the UNESCO Malala Fund for Girls’ Right to Education by CJ Group of the Republic of Korea to support quality education in ethnic minority areas, the Organization is partnering with the Signify Foundation and Signify Viet Nam in the project “Lighting up the future of the ethnic minority communities in Viet Nam”.  With 1,900 portable solar lanterns and 150 solar street lighting systems provided for some 5,000 students from 16 lower secondary schools in Ha Giang, Ninh Thuan and Soc Trang provinces, the project aims to improve the quality of education and improve student safety. Through the provision of sustainable lighting solutions, the project will promote better access to education and reduce the drop-out of children.

In addition, Lighting up the Future will also provide relevant educational materials to the school libraries, and engage students in discussions and activities related to sustainable and green living practices, including the use of renewable and clean energies such as solar energy,  empowering them to become environmental advocates within their own families and communities and providing them with a practical STEM experience.

For more information about the project, contact:

UNESCO Ha Noi office

Email: hanoi@unesco.org(link sends e-mail)

Tel: 024.3850.0100

URL:

https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-partners-signify-foundation-light-future-ethnic-minority-communities-viet-nam