Vietnam launched its nationwide activities for the 2014 Global Action Week in central Thua Thien-Hue province on May 6.
Duringthe week, themed “Equal Right, Equal Opportunity: Education andDisability”, a number of events will be held to raise public awarenessof the importance of education for people with disabilities and theirright to access it. The week, which lasts until May 13, also aims topromote the implementation of policies, programmes and measures to helpthe disabled overcome barriers to have equal rights and opportunity ineducation and life.
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister ofEducation and Training Nguyen Thi Nghia stressed society’sresponsibility to remove barriers for the full integration of disabledcitizens.
She called on authorities, domestic and foreignorganisations, family members and the community to better supportdisabled people, enabling them to comprehensively integrate into thecommunity.
Education in Vietnam has seen considerable progress,with an increasing number of integrated children and improved quality ofeducation for the disabled, she said.
Katherine Muller-Marine,Chief Representative of the UNESCO office in Vietnam, said that theorganisation of the week reflected Vietnam’s commitment to not onlyimprove access, but also ensure a quality education that suits to allpeople.
Vietnam has put in place legal frameworks in assistingeducation on integration for disabled children over the past decade, sheadded.
In Vietnam, there are about 6.7b million disabled people, including 1.3 million children.
TheGlobal Action Week is a worldwide annual campaigned organised by theGlobal Campaign for Education to raise awareness of the importance ofeducation for all and to mobilise support from the international societyto reach the goal of education for all.-VNA