Access to general education of students from ethnic minority groups with a very small population in lai chau and policy implications

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY HOANG THANH LICH ACCESS TO GENERAL EDUCATION OF STUDENTS FROM ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS WITH A VERY SMALL POPULATION IN LAI CHAU AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS MASTER'S THESIS VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY HOANG THANH LICH ACCESS TO GENERAL EDUCATION OF STUDENTS FROM ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS WITH A VERY SMALL POPULATION IN LAI CHAU AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS MAJOR: Public Policy CODE: 8340402.01 RESEARCH SUPERVISOR: Associate Prof Dr NGUYEN VAN CHIEU Hanoi, 2021 ACKNOWLEDGMENT Foremost, I would like to express my appreciation and sincere thanks to my supervisor, Associate Prof Dr Nguyen Van Chieu His patient and constructive advice had helped me a lot in the completion of this thesis Special thanks to all professors from Master’s program in Public Policy, and Ms Pham Thi Lan Huong for their patience and continuous support My appreciation goes to the teachers, education administrators, the local official, social workers, and the Mang people living in Huoi Cuong village (Lai Chau province) who participated in the in-depth interviews Their honest and cooperative answers have provided useful information for my analysis Last but not least, I would like to express my love and great gratitude towards my beloved family members and my friends for their encouragement and support Hanoi 19 June 2021, Sincerely, Hoang Thanh Lich TABLE OF CONTENT LIST OF TABLES i LIST OF FIGURES ii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iii INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Literature review Research purpose .8 Research questions Research scope and time Methodology Research significance 10 Structure of the research 10 CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 12 1.1 Ethnic minorities and VSEMs 12 1.1.1 Ethnic minorities 12 1.1.2 Very small ethnic minorities 14 1.2 General education and access to general education 14 CHAPTER 2: THE CURRENT STATUS OF ACCESSING GENERAL EDUCATION OF STUDENTS OF VSEMS IN LAI CHAU PROVINCE 19 2.1 An overview of natural, socio-economic conditions and VSEMs in Lai Chau province 19 2.1.1 An overview of natural, socio-economic conditions in Lai Chau province 19 2.1.2 An overview of VSEMs in Lai Chau province 21 2.2 General education for students of VSEMs in Lai Chau province 23 2.2.1 Schools and village-based school points 23 3.3.2 Teachers 25 2.2.3 Distance between home and general education institutions 27 2.2.4 Policies on general education 28 2.3 Access to general education of students of VSEMs in Lai Chau province 29 CHAPTER 3: DIFFICULTIES IN ACCESSING GENERAL EDUCATION OF STUDENTS OF VSEMS IN LAI CHAU PROVINCE 32 3.1 Natural conditions, and socio-economic development level of VSEMs in Lai Chau province 32 3.1.1 Natural conditions 32 3.1.2 Socio-economic conditions 33 3.2 Accessibility and acceptability 35 3.2.1 Limitations in general education policy for students of VSEMs 35 3.2.2 Distance to schools 37 3.3 Availability 38 3.3.1 School facilities 38 3.3.2 Human resources 39 3.4 Adaptability 40 3.4.1 The perception of VSEMs about the value of general education 40 3.4.2 Language 41 3.4.3 Outdated practices, the problem of child marriage .42 CHAPTER 4: POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR BETTERING ACCESS TO GENERAL EDUCATION OF STUDENTS OF VSEMS IN LAI CHAU 44 4.1 Strengthening awareness of the importance of education for VSEMs in Lai Chau 44 4.2 Completing the policy on supporting general education for students of VSEMs 45 4.3 Developing policies on human resources in general education for very small ethnic minorities in Lai Chau province 46 CONCLUSION 48 REFERENCES 50 APPENDIX 56 LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 The number of households of VSEMs in Lai Chau 21 Table 2.2 Number of schools in Lai Chau province in 2019 .23 Table 2.3 Number of schools in VSEMAs in Lai Chau province in 2019 24 Table 2.4 Number of village-based school points in Lai Chau province in 2019 .24 Table 2.5 Number of village-based school points in VSEMAs in Lai Chau province in 2019 25 Table 2.6 Number of teachers in Lai Chau province in 2019 25 Table 2.7 Number of teachers in VSEMAs in Lai Chau province in 2019 26 Table 2.8 Number of ethnic minority teachers in VSEMAs in Lai Chau province in 2019 26 Table 2.9 Distance between home and general education institutions in 2015 27 Table 2.10 Distance between home and general education institutions in 2019 28 Table 2.11 Percentage of students of VSEMs of school age at general education institutions in Lai Chau province in 2015 .29 Table 2.12 Percentage of students of VSEMs of school age at general education institutions in Lai Chau province in 2019 .30 Table 3.1 The percentage of poor households of VSEMs in Lai Chau in 2018 34 Table 3.2 The percentage of child married ethnic people in VSEMAs in Lai Chau in 2018 42 i LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1 The average distance from home to the nearest upper secondary school among VSEMs in Lai Chau province 37 ii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VSEMs: Very small ethnic minorities VSEMAs: Very small ethnic minority areas iii INTRODUCTION Rationale In recent years, sustainable development has been a research topic that has received the attention of many researchers and policymakers in many parts of the world One of the sustainable development goals is quality education Education is not only a fundamental human right but also a sector of development playing a crucial role in socio-economic growth, poverty alleviation, democratization, cultural tradition, inheritance, and intercultural understanding (Kazuo, 2012) Vietnam is a multi-ethnic nation that consists of 54 ethnic groups The Kinh is the majority ethnic group The remaining 53 ethnic groups, accounting for 14.7% of the population, are residing in 51 provinces and cities (General Statistics Office, 2020) Notably, there are 16 VSEMs, mainly settling in 12 provinces across the country These VSEMs live in remote and mountainous regions where geographical conditions are exceedingly harsh Due to historical causes, and difficult natural conditions, VSEMs are in the state of poverty They are facing hardships in various aspects of their lives and cannot develop by themselves The school dropout rates of students of VSEMs are high In addition, there are many problems in ensuring quality education for students of VSEMs Many lower-secondary students could not speak properly Kinh (Vietnamese) which is the official language used in schools and other educational institutions Therefore, the government needs to create better access to education for students of VSEMs It is explicitly clear that they need more time, and support from the government to get quality education In spite of the fact that many researchers have carried out studies on quality education, the research topic of access to general education of students of VSEMs in Vietnam has not received attention Therefore, this study will focus on clarifying the current status of access to general education, identifying difficulties encountered by students of VSEMs in accessing general education and proposing some policy implications for bettering access to general education of students of VSEMs in Lai Chau, Vietnam Literature review Firstly, studies on ethnic minorities in Vietnam Studies on ethnic minorities have been conducted by a plethora of researchers from various aspects and angles Many studies have described the economic life, socio-cultural characteristics of ethnic minorities in Vietnam In addition, there are studies on the challenges that ethnic minorities are facing In the 1990s of the 20th century, there were many studies on ethnic minorities on aspects associated with changes of the country's socio-economic context such as ethnic minority cooperation, ethnic minority equality, and socio-economic characteristics of ethnic minority groups (Dang, 1996; Bao, 2009; Dien, 1996) In recent years, many researchers have focused on the implementation and effectiveness of the government's policies applied to mountainous areas and the ethnic minorities living there (Cuc, et al., 2012; Dinh, et al., 2013) Tuan (1996) has focused on researching theoretical and practical issues of ethnic equality in Vietnam The researcher has discussed a number of ethnic issues, and problems raising in the process of implementing equality among ethnic groups in Vietnam Hung (2008) has clarified the overview of the natural environment situation in ethnic minority areas, the factors affecting the natural environment in these areas and proposed solutions to protect the environment Regarding the northern mountainous region, there are studies focusing on issues of poverty reduction, development policy, ethnic relations across the Vietnam-China border, and human resource development (Duong, 2003; Pao, 2008) Binh (2004) has comprehensively assessed and analyzed the current situation of the cultural life of some ethnic minorities in the Northwest in the renovation process At the same time, the research has forecasted trends and proposed immediate and long- 4.4 Limitations Due to the time limitation and difficulties in contacting the interviewees, the author was just able to conduct in-depth interviews with people living and working in Vang San commune (with major information about the Mang, and the La Hu) It would be a suggestion for further studies to conduct interviews in communes including Nam Khao commmune, Kan Ho commmune, Nam Tam commmune for more information about the Cong, the Si La, 47 and the Lu CONCLUSION The research of "Access to general education of students from ethnic minority groups with a very small population in Lai Chau and some policy implications" has contributed to clarifying major issues as follows: Firstly, the study has clarified the theoretical framework on access to general education of students from ethnic minority groups with a very small population in Lai Chau The study also clarified related concepts such as education, general education, access to education, ethnic minorities, and VSEMs Secondly, the study clarified the current status of accessing general education of students of VSEMs in Lai Chau province The Vietnamese government have implemented policies on general education for students of VSEMs such as the decision No.2123/QD-TTg and the decree No 57/2017/ND-CP The proportion of wellconstructed school points and classrooms in the VSEMAs in Lai Chau province was low Many students of VSEMs must travel a very long distance from their home to schools in Lai Chau province Students from VSEMs appear to drop out of school after completing lower secondary education Thirdly, the thesis clearly identified major difficulties in accessing general education of students of VSEMs in Lai Chau which include natural conditions, socioeconomic conditions, limitations in general education policies for students of VSEMs, distance to schools, school facilities, human resources, the perception of VSEMs about the value of general education, language, outdated practices, and the problem of child marriage It is noticeable that students of VSEMs such as the Cong, the Mang, and the La Hu have more difficulties in accessing general education than students of the Si La, and the Lu Fourthly, the thesis proposed the following policy implications for bettering access to general education of students of VSEMs in Lai Chau province, Vietnam First and foremost, Lai Chau should strengthen awareness of the importance of education for VSEMs Secondly, the government also need to complete the policy on 48 supporting general education for students of VSEMs Finally, it is essential for Lai Chau province to develop policies on human resources in general education for VSEMs 49 REFERENCES Bao, H C (2009) Bảo đảm bình đẳng tăng cường hợp tác dân tộc phát triển kinh tế - xã hội nước ta [Ensuring equality and enhancing cooperation among ethnic groups in socio-economic development in Vietnam today] Hanoi: National Political Publishing House Baulch, B (2010) Ethnic minority poverty in Vietnam Chronic Poverty Research Centre Working 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Factor Impact No Moderate significant Extreme Traffic is difficult, especially in the rainy season The distance between home and school is so far The school and classroom facilities are unsafe Difficult learning conditions due to lack of electricity Inadequate school facilities and equipment 56 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Lack of teachers at schools and school points The current general education program is challenging Vietnamese is the official language to be used in educational institutions English is a subject in the curriculum Teachers cannot speak the language of VSEMs Parents and guardians of students of VSEMs cannot communicate in Vietnamese The government's learning support for students of VSEMs is small The family has a low income, so the children must work to make ends meet Parents work in fields far from home Families with multiple children Child marriage Inadequate awareness of the benefits of general education Others: What kinds of support would your children of school age need to go to school? Mark X if you choose the option Support Means of transportation Schools are close to place of residence School supplies such as notebooks, pens, etc Teachers’ support My children are able to study all courses in school using their ethnic minority language State assistance for food, food, clothing, and so on Support for accommodation expenses 57 Local government attention and support Others: Some personal information Gender: □ Male □ Female Age: Ethnic group: ………4 Occupation: Education: □ Primary □ Lower secondary □ upper secondary □ Higher education 58 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR LOCAL OFFICIALS, TEACHERS, EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS, AND SOCIAL WORKERS IN MUONG TE DISTRICT, LAI CHAU PROVINCE What are the difficulties that students of very few ethnic minorities in Lai Chau have to face when accessing general education? How would the lack of access to general education for students of VSEMs affect the development of the socio-economic development in Lai Chau province? What policy recommendations you suggest for bettering access to general education for students of VSEMs? 59 LIST OF INTERVIEWEES PARTICIPATED IN THE IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW Name of interviewee Ethnic group Mr Vang Van Chinh Thai Mrs Lu Thi Viet Thai Kieu Mr Nguyen Viet Kinh Hung Mr Dang Quoc An Mrs Dao Thi Lien Mrs Lu Thi Hinh Kinh Thai Thai Mr.Vu Duy Kien Mr Lo A Sinh Mrs Pan Thi Dao Kinh Mang Mang Group of interviewee Local officials Teacher Education University University Education administrator University Education administrator University Teacher University Teacher Intermediatelevel Social worker University Parent Primary Parent Primary 60 LIST OF RESPONDENTS Name of respondent Mr Lo A Manh Ethnic group Mang Age Gender Occupation 51 Male Farmer Primary Mrs Pan Thi Dao Mang 62 Female Farmer Primary Mr.Lo A Sinh Mang 62 Male Farmer Primary Mr Pan A Nhon Mang 35 Male Farmer Primary Mr Giang A Do Mang 27 Male Farmer Secondary Mrs Giang Thi Nhung Mang 20 Female Farmer Secondary Mr Pan A Co Mang 24 Female Farmer Primary Mr Lo A Yen Mang 34 Male Farmer Primary Mr Lo Van Chiem Mang 54 Male Farmer Primary 10 Mr Pan A Do Mang 55 Male Farmer Primary 11 Mrs Chin Thi Im Mang 39 Female Farmer Secondary 12 Mr Chin A Von Mang 57 Male Farmer Primary 13 Mrs Pan Thi Nghiep Mang 35 Female Farmer Secondary 61 Education ...VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY HOANG THANH LICH ACCESS TO GENERAL EDUCATION OF STUDENTS FROM ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS WITH A VERY SMALL POPULATION IN LAI CHAU AND POLICY. .. in Lai Chau province facing in accessing general education?  What are policy implications for bettering access to general education of students of VSEMs in Lai Chau province, Vietnam? Research... scarcity of high-quality teachers and education administrators in VSEMAs Working in central areas always attracts more teachers than working in remote areas Mr A (Educational administrator, Vang