Of the total Vietnamese population of 88 million people, 13 million people still live in poverty and many others remain on, or near, the threshold.
In Vietnam, inequality is increasing and poverty reduction is slowing down. This is especially true for ethnic minorities, who make up for 14 percent of the population, and account for half of the country’s poor people. One of the countries challenges lies in enhancing the quality of education.
We are introducing inclusive approaches while addressing inequalities across regions and between the 53 ethnic minority groups in society.
Plan International has been working in Vietnam since 1993, where projects benefit children and their families in 145 communities.
Children from ethnic minorities, for whom Vietnamese is a second language, are at a disadvantage from the very start of their school career.
The age of 3-4 years is a critical stage in a child’s educational development, especially in early language acquisition. Our Early Education Programme aims to enhance child readiness and smooth the transition to primary education. We do this by establishing community support mechanisms, including under-3 parenting groups and parent-teacher associations, and by providing inclusive learning materials to the libraries of 24 schools. The transition to primary school is an experience that starts well before and extends far beyond the first day of formal schooling.
