On the afternoon of May 30, in Hanoi, on the occasion of International Children's Day June 1 and the Month of Action for Children 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and presented gifts to teachers and students with special circumstances at Hermann Gmeiner Private High School and the Center for Supporting the Development of Inclusive Education under the Central Pedagogical College.
Accompanying the Prime Minister were Party Central Committee member, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son, leaders of ministries, branches and Hanoi city.
After visiting the facilities, visiting and encouraging staff, teachers and students at the two schools, and visiting the Faculty of Arts of the Central Pedagogical College - where graphic design is being trained for deaf students, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended a meeting, encouraged and presented gifts and scholarships to children in special circumstances at the two schools.
Hermann Gmeiner Hanoi Private High School is named after Dr. Hermann Gmeiner - founder of the international humanitarian organization SOS, with the noble purpose of caring for orphaned and homeless children, regardless of skin color, origin, belief, religion...
Hermann Gmeiner School accepts orphans from Hanoi who are currently being cared for in SOS Children's Villages; priority is given to children whose parents are still alive and whose families are poor, children at risk of losing family care, and other students who have a need to study.
In recent school years, the school has had over 1,000 students, including over 100 students with special circumstances. Students from SOS Children's Villages Hanoi receive tuition fees from SOS Children's Villages Vietnam. Students from poor, near-poor, and extremely disadvantaged families are awarded Herman Gmeiner scholarships.
The Center for Supporting the Development of Inclusive Education under the Central Pedagogical College is responsible for training and fostering teachers for specialized schools, as well as directly educating students with hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders, and training from high school to college level using sign language.
Every year, the Center receives and supports inclusive education for more than 200 students with learning disabilities at preschool and general education levels, and welcomes 12 to 15 students with hearing and speaking disabilities to continue their studies at college level. To date, the Center has graduated one college course of 8 students with disabilities.
Opening up new opportunities for children with disabilities
Sharing with the Prime Minister and delegates in sign language, Nguyen Thi Nhat Le, a student of the Center, expressed her gratitude to the Party, the State, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Central Pedagogical College for giving them the opportunity to complete all levels of general education and continue their studies at college level.
She shared that in 2016, she completed her primary education program at a local educational institution. Due to being deaf from birth, she encountered many difficulties and barriers in her studies when the teachers taught by speaking, so she could hardly hear, leading to not understanding the lessons and struggling with her studies.
When I was able to study at the Central Pedagogical College, the teachers were highly qualified and used sign language well, which helped me to improve my studies. This is the only school in Vietnam where students can study the general education program in sign language.
"We are supported by the Ministry of Education and Training, and the teachers of the school love us with open arms, even though I know the school is still facing many difficulties. Here, generations of deaf students have been trained and matured, working, having stable incomes, teaching, working in offices, working and communicating with foreigners. I am happy and proud to be one of the very few deaf people in Vietnam today who are lucky enough to study at the Center for Supporting the Development of Inclusive Education until the end of grade 12 using sign language. And I am also very proud and excited to continue studying at the college level in graphic design at the Central Pedagogical College," she shared.
According to Nhat Le, "sign language is very beautiful", but not many schools and teachers use sign language to teach. She expressed her hope that relevant agencies will continue to support the Center and spread this model more widely, giving learning opportunities to more deaf students, so that they can take care of themselves, and be useful to their families and society.
'A whole leaf covers a torn leaf, a torn leaf covers a more torn leaf'
The Prime Minister expressed his joy and emotion at visiting the two schools, listening to the teachers' speeches, the students' sharing, and enjoying the artistic performances that showed the children's efforts and creativity, on the occasion of International Children's Day June 1 - a festival for children around the world and in preparation for the Month of Action for Children in 2023.
"We care for and protect children not just for one day or one month, but long-term, from month to month, from year to year, from one stage to another, in accordance with the conditions and circumstances of the country and the needs of life, education and training," said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister cordially sends his warmest greetings, best wishes and best wishes to teachers, officials, civil servants, employees, and workers in the education sector, as well as all students nationwide in general and students with special circumstances in particular.
The Prime Minister recalled the verses of President Ho Chi Minh, the national liberation hero and world cultural celebrity: "Children are like buds on a branch/Knowing how to eat, sleep, and study is good...". According to the Prime Minister, these verses always remind us of our responsibility towards children - the future generation of the country.
Over the years, the Party and State have always paid special attention to the work of protecting and caring for children, creating the best conditions for children to develop comprehensively, have a joyful, safe and healthy living environment; considering this an issue that is both urgent and strategic and long-term.
According to the Prime Minister, the work of educating, protecting and taking care of children's health is taken care of by the entire political system, all levels, sectors, localities, social organizations, unions, businesses and people, especially for poor children, children in especially difficult circumstances, disabled children, orphans... in the spirit of great national solidarity, according to the morality of "the whole leaf covers the torn leaf, the torn leaf covers the more torn leaf" which from generation to generation, we always preserve, cherish and promote.
The work of educating, protecting and taking care of children's health has achieved very basic, important, comprehensive and inclusive results, contributing to the cause of building a strong and prosperous country, with happy and well-off people, so that our country has never had the foundation, potential, position and prestige as it does today.
Under the leadership of the Party, the management of the State, and the participation and support of the people, many schools and specialized vocational training facilities have been built and put into operation to improve the learning conditions and quality of life of disabled children and children in special circumstances, in the spirit of leaving no one behind.
The Prime Minister was pleased to learn that, despite many difficulties in terms of facilities and teaching equipment over the years, teachers and students at the two schools have tried their best to overcome the difficulties and strive every day to teach well and study well. He highly appreciated and commended the efforts and achievements of teachers and students of the two schools in particular and the system of specialized schools across the country in general.
In particular, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude and admiration for the teachers, staff and employees of the two schools who over the years have always been persistent, tolerant, forgiving, sympathetic and patient, not only teaching and imparting knowledge, but also truly becoming fathers and mothers who always care for, advise, comfort, encourage and share the difficulties and disadvantages of orphans and disabled children, with boundless love for them, considering them as relatives and blood relatives.
The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude, appreciation and understanding for the efforts of the students, who with their will and determination, spirit and responsibility have overcome difficulties; many students have grown up, integrated into the community, not only taking care of their own lives and their families but also making positive contributions to society.
The Prime Minister stated that the new development stage poses many new difficulties and challenges for the work of children in general and education of children with disabilities in particular. Barriers to access to equal and quality education for children with disabilities and children in special circumstances need to be further addressed and resolved.
Building a healthy educational ecosystem suitable for children
The Prime Minister emphasized the need to build a healthy educational environment and ecosystem that is suitable for the conditions and circumstances of the children, to care for and educate them to develop comprehensively in terms of physical strength, qualifications, ethics, aesthetics, etc., especially to encourage, inspire, and motivate them to be confident, courageous, self-reliant, and have the desire to live and contribute.
"Each person has different conditions, circumstances, capacities and qualifications, but how can each person make even the smallest contribution to the community, society, homeland and country, so that we can mobilize all resources, especially human resources, for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland," said the Prime Minister.
To overcome these challenges, greater determination and efforts are needed from the entire political system, society and people, in which the education sector plays a pivotal role.
The Prime Minister noted a number of key points, first of all continuing to perfect institutions, mechanisms and policies in the spirit of education and training being the top national policy; arranging, mobilizing and effectively using all resources; effectively implementing mechanisms and policies on education, protection and care of children in general, and children with disabilities and those in special circumstances in particular.
In particular, focusing on effectively solving a number of problems, such as the lack of educational facilities, especially in big cities and industrial zones; teachers quitting their jobs, lack of preschool and primary school teachers; the phenomenon of teachers having inappropriate behavior, violence, and abuse... towards children.
Along with that, it is necessary to overcome the situation of parents having to queue up to buy admission documents for their children to public schools, key schools in the first grades...; the situation of "both surplus and shortage" of textbooks, temporary schools, remote school locations, difficult living, teaching and learning conditions for teachers and students in remote, border and island areas; ensuring toilets, clean water, nutrition and food safety in school kitchens.
The Prime Minister noted that it is necessary to prevent, promptly detect and strictly handle child abuse, school violence and discrimination; strengthen education for children in life skills, equip them with the ability to protect themselves from dangers such as school drugs, drowning, violent games, fire prevention skills, and injury accidents.
The Prime Minister also said that it is necessary to overcome the lack of safe and useful entertainment venues, especially during the summer, to keep children away from electronic devices, thereby preventing harmful and unhealthy information on the internet and foreign cultures that have a great impact on the psychology of children.
Second, promote the effective implementation of policies and guidelines on people with disabilities, including children with disabilities and students with disabilities. Promptly submit and promulgate a plan for a system of specialized educational facilities for people with disabilities and a system of centers to support the development of inclusive education. Have solutions to improve facilities, specific and appropriate regimes and policies for teachers of specialized schools.
Third, local authorities at all levels need to promote public-private partnerships, attract social resources to invest in facilities and specialized teaching and learning equipment such as Braille, devices to support hearing impairments, visual impairments, autism, intellectual disabilities, etc. for students. Continue to pay attention to fully implementing policies for students in special circumstances.
Fourth, promote propaganda, education, and appeal for the sense of responsibility and concern of each person, each family, each community, philanthropists, and kind-hearted people... in protecting and caring for children, especially children in special circumstances and at high risk of being harmed, so that there will be fewer and no more unfortunate and heartbreaking cases.
The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Education and Training and other ministries and sectors to summarize the model, research and develop the Center for Supporting the Development of Inclusive Education under the Central Pedagogical College to become strong, with the role of leading the system of other centers supporting the development of inclusive education in localities.
Ministries, sectors and localities must consider the care and protection of people with disabilities and the disadvantaged, including children in special circumstances and children with disabilities, as an important task, in the spirit of "no one is left behind".
The Prime Minister hopes that teachers of the system of specialized schools in general and of the Center for Supporting the Development of Inclusive Education in particular will constantly strive to overcome difficulties and challenges, continue to share, sympathize, love, teach and guide students and take care of themselves, becoming good citizens, useful to society and their families.
"For children with disabilities, please follow shining examples such as teacher Nguyen Ngoc Ky, 'computer knight' Nguyen Cong Hung, weightlifter Le Van Cong, or the world's leading astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, famous disabled speaker Nick Vujicic and many shining examples in life, ordinary 'heroes' in everyday life... These people with determination, willpower, dreams, and burning desires have overcome adversity, made great contributions, and are recognized, respected, and learned from by society.
"You must not feel inferior because of your shortcomings, but must always be optimistic, confident, nurture your passion, dreams, and ambitions; be determined to rise up, overcome all adversities, strive even harder in studying, and train yourself intellectually, mentally, and institutionally; at the same time, create motivation and inspiration for friends in similar circumstances," the Prime Minister was moved.
The Prime Minister hopes that students will try to study well, be obedient, do good things, love their family, teachers, friends, country, compatriots, and practice Uncle Ho's 5 teachings well.
The Prime Minister believes that many of you will become good doctors, engineers, businessmen, artists, athletes... or disabled teachers who are devoted to their beloved students... Your family, teachers, friends and society will always accompany, share, expect and trust you.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister highly appreciated, sincerely thanked and hoped that organizations, individuals and philanthropists at home and abroad would continue to accompany, share and provide practical and effective support for the care, protection and education of children with disabilities, joining hands to bring them love and happiness in life.
Regarding proposals and recommendations, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Education and Training to receive, synthesize, process according to its authority and propose to competent authorities for consideration and decision.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presented 102 scholarships to children in special circumstances under 16 years old; and presented some learning equipment to Hermann Gmeiner School and the Center for Supporting the Development of Inclusive Education under the Central Pedagogical College.
According to VGP
Source
Comment (0)