Efforts to bring universal preschool education to the finish line on time

(Baonghean) - With the condition of a large province, including 11 mountainous and highland districts, school and classroom facilities are still difficult, but thanks to the direction and drastic participation of Party committees and authorities at all levels, up to now, the whole province has had 16/21 districts, cities and towns with 431/480 communes, wards and towns recognized as meeting universal standards. The remaining units are being investigated, evaluated and appraised for recognition in the coming time.

Ky Son is a mountainous border district with the most difficult terrain in the province, with complex terrain, difficult transportation, and sparse population. In addition, the attention and care for preschool children among ethnic minorities is still limited, which are factors that directly affect the work of preschool education for 5-year-old children.

Despite difficult conditions, Keng Du Kindergarten, Ky Son district still tries to ensure the conditions to meet the standards (In the photo: "Fairy garden" created by teachers and parents)

According to Mr. Luong Van Ngam - Chairman of Keng Du Commune People's Committee, the whole commune has 12 villages, the distance between the villages is 7 - 8 km of forest road, so traveling is difficult. To ensure the target of mobilizing children to go to school, the commune coordinates with the district Department of Education and Training to open satellite schools in the villages, bring classes to the children and arrange teachers to stay in the villages.

This policy was approved by parents, who voluntarily contributed manpower and facilities to build classrooms in the villages, ensuring air tightness above and warmth below. The whole commune has 11 schools in 12 villages; the rate of mobilizing preschool children aged 3-5 is 91.1%, of which 5-year-old children alone reached 99%.

A class for 5-year-old children ensures universal standards at Muong Xen Kindergarten, Ky Son district

According to Ms. Cut Thi Nguyet - Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee: "The District Party Committee has issued Directive No. 26 on eliminating makeshift thatched and bamboo houses with classrooms that ensure 3 conditions for universalization, which are hard flat roofs (cement roofs), hard walls (planks), and hard cement floors; directing communes and towns to include the goals and tasks of universalizing preschool education for 5-year-old children in the Resolutions of Party Committees, People's Councils, and local socio-economic development programs to focus on directing and prioritizing resources for implementation".

At the same time, the organization increased the opening of separate classes in the villages, arranged teachers to stay in the villages (increased by 39 classes compared to before the project was implemented) to ensure the rate of child mobilization. As a result, the rate of preschool child mobilization increased from 88.5% (in 2011) to 94.5% (in 2015); this is a very important criterion for universal recognition. Up to this point, Ky Son district has had 19/21 communes and towns recognized as achieving universal primary education for 5-year-old children.

As a mountainous district, the task of directing the universalization of preschool education for 5-year-old children in Que Phong is assigned specific responsibilities to each relevant department, office and locality. Through that, priority is given to integrating resources to improve facilities and minimum teaching equipment; arranging enough teachers to teach in class to ensure the conditions for universalization. In particular, it is necessary to promote propaganda and raise awareness about the role of preschool education, especially for 5-year-old children, preparing them mentally for primary school.

Kindergarten class at Nam Nhoong Kindergarten, Que Phong district.

Regarding schools, they focus on improving the quality of child care and education, while also organizing a good boarding school model for local people. Currently, the district has 13/14 communes and towns recognized as achieving universal preschool education for 5-year-old children. The only commune is Tri Le, according to the roadmap, which will focus on directing to complete the universalization program by 2017.

Implementing Decision No. 239/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on Approving the Project on Universalizing Preschool Education for 5-year-old Children in the 2010-2015 period, the Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 348/2010/NQ-HDND dated December 10, 2010 on implementing the Project on Universalizing Preschool Education for 5-year-old Children in Nghe An province with the goal of completing it by 2015. Accordingly, from the province to the grassroots level, many drastic and synchronous solutions have been actively implemented, creating a common development step for the preschool education sector in general and good conditions for 5-year-old children in particular.

Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training - Luu Duc Thuyen, said that at the beginning of the project implementation, many 5-year-old preschool classes lacked equipment, learning materials, and toys, especially in separate classes and schools in mountainous districts. The rate of mobilizing 5-year-old children to go to school was low. However, up to now, 99.17% of 5-year-old preschool classes have equipment for learning and playing that meets the regulations. The number of solid classrooms is increasing, while temporary classrooms are decreasing. In 5 years, 970 new classrooms have been built to replace temporary classrooms.

The scale and network of schools have been expanded, creating more opportunities for children to go to school, especially in mountainous districts with the opening of many classes and satellite schools with the motto "bringing classes to children". The whole province currently has 524 kindergartens, an increase of 16 schools and 125 classes for 5-year-old children compared to 2011. Of which, the number of schools meeting national standards at level I increased by 121 compared to 2010, bringing the total number of schools meeting standards to 273.

The rate of mobilizing preschool children has increased, of which 5-year-old children alone reached 99.8%. The number of teachers has also been increased and the quality has been improved, of which 100% of teachers teaching 5-year-old preschool classes have met the standards, 84% above the standards.

Temporary classrooms at the satellite school cluster of Tri Le Kindergarten, Que Phong district are being

Despite many achievements, according to a survey by the Department of Culture and Society, Provincial People's Council last September, there are still 5 units that have not been recognized as having universal primary education for 5-year-old children (the whole province has only 16/21 districts, cities and towns that have achieved universal primary education). In particular, due to difficulties in facilities, the universalization work in some places is not sustainable. Currently, the whole province has 504 borrowed and temporary classrooms, of which 96 are temporary and borrowed classrooms for 5-year-old classes.

A temporary classroom at Tri Le Kindergarten, Que Phong district

The “debt” of criteria when being recognized still occurs in a locality such as lack of fences, clean water facilities, sanitation facilities for children not enough according to the regulation of 10 children/1 toilet, or toilets are not built properly. There are some schools lacking campus area, functional classrooms and not ensuring green - clean - beautiful criteria.

Many preschools are lacking teachers according to regulations: 2 teachers/class for 5-year-olds and 1.8 teachers/class for 5-year-olds and under (at the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, the whole province was still lacking 1,033 preschool teachers). This affects the quality of child care as well as ensuring the safety of children when they go to class.

Many schools in Vinh City, due to lack of space, the space behind the classrooms is too narrow, not in accordance with regulations.

According to Mr. Luu Duc Thuyen - Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training: "The unsustainability in the work of universalizing preschool education for 5-year-old children is shown in the fact that currently, units only need 90% of communes and towns to be recognized as universal (meaning 1-2 communes remain) to achieve it. Therefore, among the achieved communes, if 1 commune loses a certain standard, the district will also "fall".

According to Ms. Ton Thi Cam Ha - Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Society, to ensure the completion of universal preschool education for 5-year-old children in the whole province in 2015 according to the Project, it is necessary to speed up the review, evaluation and completion of documents for recognition of universalization in the remaining 5 units. At the same time, it is necessary to soon develop a plan to evaluate and summarize the implementation of the Project on universal preschool education for 5-year-old children in the period of 2010-2015 in the province. From there, there will be solutions to develop preschool education in general and firmly maintain the results of universal preschool education for 5-year-old children in the province.

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