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Ambassador Iain Frew interacts with students at the Ethnic Minority Boarding High School No. 2 in Nghe An province. (Source: British Embassy in Vietnam) |
During his working visit to Nghe An province, British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew and officials from the British Home Office and the British Embassy in Hanoi visited the Ethnic Minority Boarding High School No. 2 and attended a presentation of a youth initiative to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive learning environment, as well as promote psychological safety in schools for ethnic minority students.
The core group of 25 students, representing more than 750 students from more than 10 different ethnic minorities, presented a communication plan to raise awareness about school psychological safety, and measures to promote gender equality, LGBT rights, prevent risks of school violence, and enhance integration for ethnic minority students.
The initiative is being piloted with the support of Chevening Scholars and funding from the UK government's Chevening Scholars Project fund, starting in November 2024.
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Students present their communication initiatives on diversity – equity – inclusion at school. (Source: British Embassy in Vietnam) |
Speaking at the meeting with the British Ambassador, teacher Ho Quoc Viet - Principal of the Ethnic Boarding High School No. 2 in Nghe An province said: “Deeply aware of the role of promoting “diversity, equity and inclusion” in the school environment, in recent times, the school's teachers have made efforts to integrate programs and extracurricular activities to disseminate information and cultivate necessary skills for students. However, due to many subjective and objective reasons, these programs are still limited in quantity and quality. I believe that this project, sponsored by the British Embassy and coordinated by Chevening Scholars with clear goals and a specific roadmap, will be an important and methodical step towards building an inclusive and friendly learning environment for the school's students.”
During the meeting, 25 core students from different grades presented to Ambassador Iain Frew, representatives of the Department of Education and Training, and the Department of Foreign Affairs of Nghe An province, a plan to improve the knowledge and awareness of 750 students in the whole school about the values of equity, diversity and inclusion, including steps from surveying the current situation, capacity building training, communication activities through cultural activities, radio programs and group discussions in each grade.
From there, the core group will motivate students to work together to implement small solutions to build an educational environment that not only ensures the quality of teaching and learning, but is also safe, friendly and fair for all students, regardless of gender, religion, nationality, health conditions or social circumstances.
Impressed by the students’ ability and enthusiasm, Ambassador Iain Frew shared: “I feel very optimistic about the development of the young generation of Vietnam when 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. You represent a young generation with enough passion, ideals and ambitions to contribute to the goals of Vietnam and the UK to develop an inclusive society that leaves no one behind.”
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The Ambassador interacted with teachers about the role of teachers in promoting healthy, cohesive and inclusive learning environments. (Source: British Embassy in Vietnam) |
More than 90% of students studying at the Ethnic Boarding High School No. 2 in Nghe An province are children of ethnic minorities 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 according to Decree 80/2017/ND-CP, Sustainable Development Goals No. 4 and No. 10 of the United Nations on improving the quality of education and reducing inequality.
Representing the Chevening Scholars group in sharing her experience coordinating the project, scholar Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh expressed “great surprise” when the students expressed very profound thoughts about personal values, gender identity and their rights.
“You ask how to achieve true equality, how not to feel ashamed of being “different” from others, how not to discriminate against your own culture, or how to overcome the one-dimensional stereotype of what it means to be a good student. That shows that you care a lot about being treated fairly and having your individuality respected. I believe that every big change starts with small actions, and with the support of the school’s Board of Directors, you will soon find your own solutions.”
After today's sharing session, the 25 core students will continue to work with the Chevening Scholars team to promote awareness-changing communication activities and conduct mid-term and end-of-term surveys to assess the impact of the initiative.
| Nghe An Ethnic Boarding High School No. 2 is a school that trains human resources for mountainous districts and highland areas. For many consecutive years, this is 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 is also always in the top 3 of the province in terms of high school graduation exam results. More than 90% of the students are children of ethnic minorities in 12 remote mountainous districts with difficult socio-economic conditions in the province. More specifically, from the 2023-2024 school year, the school has been assigned by the People's Committee of Nghe An province and the Department of Education and Training to train Lao students. |
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