UPPSALA UNIVERSITET & UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS & BUSINESS,VNUH UPPSALA ¬ UNIVERSITET MASTER THESIS OF MPPM SITUATION OF SCHOOL NON-ATTENDANCE AND DROP-OUT OF CHILDREN IN PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINOUS AREA- REALITIES AND SOLUTIONS” Authors Ms. Hoang Thj Thu Huyén Mr. Nguyén Van Duan Mr. Pham An Toan Supervisor: Dr.
Lennart Wikander, Uppsala University, Sweden University of Economics, Hanoi National University MPPM INTAKE 4B - Group 5 Hanoi, April ACKNOWLEDGMENT By the academic year 2010-2011, about 212,800 children did not attend school of which 21,127 children were in primary school age. Provinces that have high ratio of dropouts in primary schooling are in the mountainous areas in the North, Central Highland and South West Regions of Vietnam. These provinces have unique geographical characteristics, climate and a variety of ethnic minorities facing difficult socio-economic conditions’. According to assessments of some researches, apart from common issues such as poor school facilities, combined classes, shortage of teaching staff, children face obstacles as long distance from home to school, severe weather conditions, gender inequality, backward traditions or lacking household assets.
All those aspects contribute to dropout rate in the Northern mountainous areas. The research group studied available studies along with conducting a fieldtrip to Yen Bai province - a mountainous province in the area to provide more evidence with the research topic “ Situation of school non attendance and drop out of children in primary school in the Northern Mountainous area- Realities and Solutions” with the aim of minimizing the situation of children dropping out of school in this area. A short video showing interview in the case study in Yen Bai province is enclosed for your reference. We would like to sincerely thank to Dr Lennart Wikander and Dr Pham Vi Thang who supervised our group and gave us their constructive feedback in the process of writing this thesis.
Our team also would like to thank colleagues from the Primary School Department of MOET, Children Bureau of MOLISA and Policy Department of CEMA who assisted us actively to research this interesting subject area and provided with valuable information on the situation of dropout in primary school in the Northern mountainous area. We would like to express our gratefulness to ' MOET sstatistic report of academic school year 2010-2011 colleagues from Hong Ca Commune, Tran Yen District, Yen Bai province for their kind support and assistance when we conducted the case study. We would like to extend our gratitude to all the lectures in the Master Programme on Public Management. These teachers provided us with deeper professional knowledge as well as created good educational environment with the aim of finalizing this thesis as well as enable us apply to our daily work.
Nu ABSTRACT Title: “SITUATION OF SCHOOL NON-ATTENDANCE AND DROP-OUT OF CHILDREN IN PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINOUS AREA: REALITIES AND SOLUTIONS” Level: Thesis of the Master of Public Management Authors: (Group 5) Ms.Hoang Thị Thu Huyền Mr.Nguyén Van Duan Mr.Pham An Toan (MPPM Intake 4B) Supervisors: PhD. Lennart Wikander, Uppsala University, Sweden. Pham Vũ Thắng, University of Economics, Hanoi National University Date of completion: 2 April 2012 Aim: Drop-out children in primary school and low quality of primary education will affect directly to other educational levels. The solution for prevention of drop-out is required in order to improve the education quality as well as assure full enjoyment and realization of human rights to education.
Therefore, we choose the topic of "SITUATION OF NON ATTENDANCE AND DROPOUT OF CHILDREN IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINOUS REGION - REALTIES AND SOLUTIONS" because ofthe following reasons: - Firstly: At present, the highest ratio of dropouts belongs to most of provinces in the Northern mountainous region. These provinces have difficult socio-economic conditions and geographic and climate characteristics with many ethnic minorities. - Secondly: The previous studies only set forth the general causes of the situation of children’s dropouts without in-depth analysis and fully reflected the real situation of the dropouts in primary schools in the northern mountainous region. - Thirdly: Primary school is the basic educational level.
The problem of primary school dropout is always a hot issue because of its influence on the formation of basic knowledge and the forming of children’s personality. - Fourthly: this topic is selected as all 3 members of the group have been working in this field or closely related to it. They have good experiences relating to children’s issues through their daily work in three Ministries including: Committee on Minorities (policies on ethnic minorities) and the Ministry of Education and Training (related to research on educational and training policies) and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (studying related to social issues of poverty reduction and gender equality). Methods: The research group use methods of collecting and analyzing secondary data (from reliable document resources of relevant ministries, agencies in Vietnam as well as previous researches of development projects or from international organizations).
In additional, the group conducted case study in grass-root level by interviewing in Hong Ca commune, Tran Yen District, Yen Bai Province in order to collect primary data with the aim of providing actual evidences in the process of writing the thesis. The group also developed research methods by analyzing in this thesis. Results and conclusions: Information and data in the thesis proved assumptions and assessments mentioned in thesis. Results and analysis indicate that the research on drop-out problem in primary school is very important, practical and seem to be a hot issue that needs to be solved urgently in the Northern mountainous area.
The group does hope that this topic would serve as useful material for developing policies and programmes on reducing drop-outs in this area. Suggestions for future research: The research group found that there were many causes and factors impacting on children dropping out schools. In order to solve these issues, appropriate solutions should be considered such as developing a cadre of qualified teachers, pupils center of education, transforming the education at primary schools into all-day caring and teaching (providing lunch-break and lunch incentive at school). In particular, during the researching process (including study documents and field visits), we have found out that teacher is one of the most important factor affecting the attendance of children in the northern mountainous region.
It is necessary to study in details the concerns of teachers in Northern mountainous region in order to develop specific mechanisms and policies on preferential treatment for teachers ofthis region. Contribution of the thesis: The thesis identified factors impacting the drop-out children in primary school as well as proposed some solutions to lessen the situation of children dropping out of school in the Northern mountainous provinces. The thesis is expected to be a scientific foundation for development and implementation of policies related to education issues with the aim to contributing to the achievement of expected results from the implementation on projects and proposals under the "Education Development Strategies 2009-2020" in order to set up policies to encourage poor pupils to go to school and reduce the rates of dropouts of children in primary schools. Key words: Reducing children’s drop-out in primary school ACKNOWLEDGME ABSTRACT.
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS. LIST OF GRAPHS, CHARTS AND TABLES. CHAPTER I: METHODOLOGY OF THE THESI 1.1 The urgency ofthe thesis topic. The research question.
Target groups and scope of the research.2 Scope ofthe research: 1.4 Methodology CHAPTER II: SITUATION OF DROPPING OUT IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS 2. Situation of primary education in Vietnam. Children dropping out in the Northern mountainous are: 2.2 Factors affecting children dropping out in primary school 2.1 Geographic and climate features.1 Learning and teaching conditions.3 Parent and children’s thinking of education .4 Influence ofculture and custom and limitations of gender equality. The teachers issue 2.6 Economic development conditions 2.3 Findings of case study in Hong Ca commune of Tran Yen district of Yen Bai province 2.1 Overview of the Case Study .2 Major Fact Findings CHAPTER III: SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE DROPPING OUT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS.1 Implementing incentive teacher policies in the mountainous areas.
Improving local infrastructure and school facilities 3.3 Working with parents and children towards greater school attendance.4 Communication and awareness raising on the importance of education in communities 3.5 Knowledge sharing and enhancing awareness on basic human rights CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.3 Suggestions for future research. REFERENCE ANNEX 1: INTERVIEWING SURVEYS ANNEX 2: LIST OF INTERVIEWEES ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS MOET Ministry of Education and Training MOLISA Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social affairs CEMA The State Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs GSO General Statistic Office MPI Ministry of Investment and Planning INGO International non-governmental organization NGO Non-governmental organization UNCRC United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child UN United Nations UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund ADB Asian Development Bank WB World Bank LIST OF GRAPHS, CHARTS AND TABLES Chart 1: Raté of children lacking fO6dsssssessnsisiissttiikditidEGELS50a80588300 11 Chart 2: Times ofusing health services yearly .------«-- 12 Diagram |: Factors impacting on children dropping out of school. 16 Chart 3: Raté Of Labouf Childfefi((P9)L:sesssssnseeiisesiislBidit010001083888466 24 CHAPTER I METHODOLOGY OF THE THESIS 1.1 The urgency of the thesis topic Investment in education is a non-profit type of investment which has no greeting applause, banners, illusory scenery or parties full of flowers, champagne and candles but silent sacrifice. However, it has certain attractiveness and brings aout sustainable achievements for the nation.
Researches and actual evidence demonstrate that investment in primary elucation strategically brings about benefits for the country in the long term because -of its great social profits. In fact, school dropping out and primary elucation of low quality make a direct impact on higher education’. Therefore, naintaining the total number of pupils of classes stably and addressing school đopping out is a regular work of schools, families and communities. Overall, social progress, Government’s investment in education, positive attitude of families and of the society towards education development, and enthusiasm of teachers helped reducing the pressure of dropping out of school.
Ir fact, the poverty rate among the ethnic minorities remains still considerably hgh. As of 2008, 29% of the ethnic minorities were still poor, and up to 47% siffered from food security in 2006°. These figures reflect the poor living conditions of ethnic minorities in mountainous areas while appealing for atention in upcoming time. Notably, children in the Northern mountainous areas are the most vulnerable group concerning their physical development.
They usually do not receive good health care during the pre-natal period. Logically after their birth, they are undersized with weak constitution and vilnerable to infectious diseases. The living environment is quite severe. Since tte people live far from medical centres, it is not easy to access health care services.
Women rarely go to health care centres for ante-natal care, and give Development Skills” of World Bank in Vietnam, 2010 3 of the way achieving Millennium Development Goals and towards 2015, MPI, 2010, page 24 10 birth in their homes. When they suffer from a disease, they usually ask a traditional healer to make ceremonial offerings for treatment or use traditional herbal medicine. They only go to medical centres or hospital when they are seriously ill because they cannot afford hospital fee. Living environment is of poor hygiene standard.
There is a lack of safe water and toilets, so communicable diseases spread regularly. Although the authorities have promoted communication messages on hygiene and provided technical support to deal with the issues, the majority of the population have not yet acquired sufficient knowledge on disease prevention. Consequently, almost all the children under 5 are malnourished; 29.2% of Vietnamese children suffer from anaemia of which the ratio in the Northern mountainous areas accounts for 34. In addition, ethnic minority children have serious lack of food and lack of health services more than Kinh children (Chart 1 and Chart 2)*.
All of these aspects affect negatively the health of the children at the school age.