Promoting diversity and equity

Ambassador Iain Frew interacts with students at the No. 2 Ethnic Boarding High School in Nghe An province. (Source: British Embassy in Vietnam)

During his working visit to Nghe An province, British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew, along with officials from the UK Home Office and the British Embassy in Hanoi, visited the Ethnic Minority Boarding High School No. 2 and attended a presentation on youth initiatives to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment, as well as promote psychological safety in schools for ethnic minority students.

A core group of 25 students, representing over 750 students from more than 10 different ethnic minority groups, presented a communication plan to raise awareness about school safety and mental health, and measures to promote gender equality, LGBT rights, prevent school violence risks, and enhance the inclusion of ethnic minority students.

The initiative is being piloted with the support of Chevening Scholars and funding from the UK government 's Chevening Scholars Project, starting in November 2024.

Students present their communication initiatives on diversity, equity, and inclusion at school. (Source: British Embassy in Vietnam)

Speaking at the meeting with the British Ambassador, Mr. Ho Quoc Viet, Principal of the No. 2 Ethnic Boarding High School in Nghe An province, said: “Deeply aware of the role of promoting ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ in the school environment, the school’s teachers have made efforts to integrate extracurricular programs and activities to disseminate information and cultivate necessary skills for students. However, due to many subjective and objective reasons, these programs are still limited in terms of quantity and quality. I believe that this project, funded by the British Embassy and implemented in collaboration with Chevening Scholars, with its clear objectives and specific roadmap, will be an important and systematic step towards building an inclusive and friendly learning environment for our students.”

During the meeting, 25 core students from various grade levels presented to Ambassador Iain Frew, representatives from the Department of Education and Training, and the Department of Foreign Affairs of Nghe An province a plan to enhance the knowledge and awareness of 750 students throughout the school regarding the value of equity, diversity, and inclusion. This plan includes steps ranging from surveying the current situation and capacity-building training to communication activities through cultural activities, radio programs, and group discussions in each class unit.

From there, the core group will encourage fellow students to work together to implement small solutions to build an educational environment that not only ensures quality teaching and learning, but is also safe, friendly, and equitable for all students, regardless of gender, religion, nationality, health condition, or social background.

Impressed by the students' abilities and enthusiasm, Ambassador Iain Frew shared: “I feel very optimistic about the development of the young generation of Vietnam after listening to the students present their views and initiatives to create a learning environment where they can confidently express their aspirations and contribute to the quality of education. They represent a young generation with enough dedication, ideals, and ambitions to contribute to the goals of Vietnam and the United Kingdom in developing an inclusive society where no one is left behind.”

The Ambassador engaged with teachers on the role of teachers in fostering a healthy, engaging, and inclusive learning environment. (Source: British Embassy in Vietnam)

Over 90% of the students at the No. 2 Ethnic Boarding High School in Nghe An province are children from ethnic minority groups in 12 remote, mountainous districts with difficult socio-economic conditions. The initiative implemented at the school contributes to the Vietnamese Government's goal of building a safe, healthy, and friendly educational environment in accordance with Decree 80/2017/ND-CP, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 10 on improving the quality of education and reducing inequality.

Speaking on behalf of the Chevening Scholars group, scholar Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh shared her experience coordinating the project, expressing her "great surprise" at the students' profound thoughts on personal values, gender identity, and their rights.

“The students asked how to achieve true equality, how to avoid feeling ashamed for being ‘different’ from others, how to prevent discrimination against their national culture, or how to break free from the one-sided definition of a good student. This shows that they are very concerned about being treated fairly and having their individuality respected. I believe that all great changes begin with small actions, and with the support of the school administration, they will soon find solutions for themselves.”

Following today's sharing session, the 25 core group of students will continue working with the Chevening Scholars team to further promote awareness-changing communication activities and conduct mid-term and end-of-term surveys to assess the impact of the initiative.

Nghe An No. 2 Ethnic Boarding High School is a school that trains human resources for mountainous and highland districts. For many years, it has been one of the few schools with many students honored at the commendation ceremony organized by the People's Committee of Nghe An province. The school also consistently ranks in the top 3 of the province in high school graduation exam results. More than 90% of the students are children of ethnic minorities from 12 remote mountainous districts with difficult socio-economic conditions in the province. Even more significantly, from the 2023-2024 academic year, the school has been assigned the task of training Lao students by the People's Committee of Nghe An province and the Department of Education and Training.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thuc-day-da-dang-cong-bang-hoa-nhap-trong-moi-truong-truong-hoc-295349.html