Chief Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Vietnam Rana Flowers made the statement during her online working session with Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha on April 17.
Minister Nha said that due to the Covid-19 outbreak, all schools in Vietnam have been temporarily closed and other forms of teaching via the internet and television have been created to ensure the safety of students.
The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) is completing instructions on online teaching for teachers and parents via video clips. The Minister hopes that UNICEF will support the Ministry to develop this manual.
He also asked UNICEF to help the MoET perfect and update common lectures and learning materials for teaching and learning on television.
It is crucial to develop systems related to the results of teaching via the internet and television for preschool and high school grades; therefore support from UNICEF will be necessary, noted Minister Nha.
He said that the Ministry is building a set of criteria on safe schools to ensure maximum safety for students, while expressing his hope that UNICEF will fund the process of finalising the criteria.
For her part, the UNICEF’s Chief Representative Rana Flowers expressed her appreciation and gave thanks to Vietnamese government and MoET for their efforts in response to the Covid-19 epidemic.
In addition to the US$800,000, UNICEF is always willing to connect with other non-refundable aid sources in support for Vietnamese education, she added.
Ms Flowers also emphasised that UNICEF has proactively worked with partners in cooperation with technological corporations and companies to provide free learning solutions for Vietnamese students, promoting a digital platform for distance learning.
The Fund has discussed with several agencies the holding of courses on digital knowledge and skills for students, especially those who are living in difficult regions, she said.
UNICEF’s Chief Representative agreed to support the MoET in developing a set of criteria on safe schools, while pledging to provide equipment to install clean water systems at schools.
