To ensure children have a safe and enriching summer.
On the occasion of International Children's Day (June 1st) and the 2024 Action Month for Children, Nghe An Newspaper had an interview with Ms. Le Thi Nguyet – Head of the Department of Children and Gender Equality (Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs) regarding the care and protection of children and aiming for a safe, healthy, and enriching summer.
PV:It is known that Nghe An currently has over 926,000 children, accounting for 26% of the population. This is a valuable source of human resources for the homeland and the country in the future. Could you please share some of the outstanding achievements in the care and protection of children in the province in recent times?
Ms. Le Thi Nguyet:Over the years, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee, and Party committees and authorities at all levels have consistently paid attention to and focused on leading and directing the work of caring for and protecting children; implementing comprehensive and timely solutions and policies to protect and care for children, thereby contributing to social security stability.
Specifically, the entire province has effectively implemented healthcare and malnutrition prevention measures for children. The issuance of free health insurance cards for children under 6 years old has been carried out promptly, reaching 100%. By the end of 2023, the rate of stunting (height-for-age) among children under 5 years old decreased by 0.5% compared to 2022; the rate of weight-for-age malnutrition decreased by 0.6%; and the rate of children under 5 years old receiving full vaccination reached 95%.
Education and training for children have received special attention, resulting in improved quality of universal education throughout the province. The enrollment rate for 5-year-old children in kindergarten reached 99.99%; the rate of children completing primary school reached 99%, and the rate of children completing lower secondary school reached 98.7%. Alongside this, experiential activities, moral and lifestyle education, cultural etiquette education, survival skills education, online safety skills education, and education on national sovereignty regarding borders and islands have been increasingly strengthened for children.
The prevention and control of childhood injuries is also regularly given attention and guidance by all levels and sectors. Notably, the Provincial People's Council approved Resolution No. 09/2023/NQ-HĐND dated July 7, 2023, "Regulations on policies to support investment in swimming pools and organize swimming lessons for children in Nghe An province." Annually, localities organize "Month of Action for Children," sign commitments for "Safe Summer for Children," and organize launching ceremonies for "All citizens to practice swimming and prevent drowning."
The Department of Education and Training directs schools to strengthen coordination with mass organizations at all levels in localities and parent-teacher associations to disseminate information and warn students about preventing injuries and drowning accidents.
The Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee, is developing a model of a "Traffic Safety" school gate. Youth Union branches throughout the province maintain "Safe Ferry Crossings," "Safe Road-Railway Crossings," "Traffic Safety School Gates," and sections of roads managed by young people…
Provincial departments, agencies, and organizations, as well as local authorities, also organize many activities to create conditions for all children to exercise their right to participate, such as children's forums at all levels, competitions and performances for children, especially during the Month of Action for Children and Vietnamese Family Day on June 28th; competitions such as: Children's Art Award, Reading Culture Ambassador; various forms of flag-raising ceremonies, online activities, children's radio broadcasts, themed activities, etc. The entire province maintains the "What I Want to Say" mailbox model so that students can share their thoughts and aspirations.
PV:In reality, there are still children in the province living in extremely difficult circumstances. So, what specific activities have the relevant authorities and sectors undertaken to mobilize community support and assistance for these children, Madam?
Ms. Le Thi Nguyet:Implementing the "Project to mobilize social resources to support children in particularly difficult communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, and children with special and difficult circumstances in Nghe An province in the period 2021-2025" and other guiding documents on implementing movements for the protection and care of children, from 2021 to the end of 2023, the entire province mobilized over 144 billion VND for the Children's Protection Fund at all levels. As a result, the percentage of children with special circumstances receiving protection and care increased from 95% in 2021 to 97% in 2023.
In addition, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of the province has effectively implemented social assistance, making a significant contribution to stabilizing the lives and integrating into the community for the vast majority of social assistance beneficiaries, including children.
Currently, the province has 13,330 children in extremely difficult circumstances; nearly 131,844 children at risk of falling into difficult circumstances and children in other circumstances, including 10,763 children with various disabilities, accounting for 1.19% of the total number of children.
As of May 2023, the number of children receiving regular allowances was 16,904, including 2,169 children with severe disabilities; 5,873 children with moderate disabilities; and 8,862 children under 3 years old from poor and near-poor households not covered by Clauses 1, 3, and 6 of Article 5 of Decree No. 20/2021/ND-CP, living in communes and villages in ethnic minority and mountainous areas with special difficulties.
The Provincial Women's Union has promoted the "Godmother" movement throughout the province, with a total of 1,771 children sponsored, reaching 14.8%; the Provincial Youth Union has implemented the "Adopted Children of the Youth Union" model, providing care and assistance to 200 disadvantaged children from 2018 to 2022, and is developing a plan to undertake the care and assistance of another 200 disadvantaged children from 2023 to 2027.
PV:HolidayDuring the summer, children are relieved of academic pressure; creating safe and enriching playgrounds for children is always a top priority for parents during this time. Could you share some practical activities that have been organized by various departments and agencies recently?
Ms. Le Thi Nguyet:To ensure children have a safe, healthy, enriching, and meaningful summer, right after the school year ends, youth organizations and associations organize many meaningful and beneficial activities such as: summer camps, arts and culture performances, sports activities, reading books and newspapers, storytelling based on books, and the "Military Summer Camp" program.
In Vinh City and several districts, there are both public and private centers offering classes in extracurricular subjects for children, such as dance, singing, painting, music, life skills, and foreign languages. In rural and mountainous areas, in recent years, communes, wards, and towns have opened swimming classes and focused on creating playgrounds for children. The Department of Education and Training annually directs schools to allow students to play and have fun in schoolyards and to open school libraries for them to read.
On the other hand, families can also proactively plan summer activities with their children, incorporating beneficial physical and mental activities such as participating in environmental protection projects, helping grandparents and parents with household chores, etc. If possible, families should also organize trips back to their hometowns or vacations to give children opportunities to experience, learn, broaden their practical knowledge, connect with relatives in their hometowns, or even meet and interact with foreigners.
In reality, each family's circumstances allow for different experiences to be enjoyed during the summer. However, it is essential that families and relatives always show concern, closely monitor, manage, and supervise their children. This ensures that by the end of the summer, children have a relaxed spirit, greater maturity and confidence, a sense of responsibility, and stronger bonds with their family, relatives, friends, teachers, and the community.
Ms. Le Thi Nguyet - Head of the Department of Children and Gender Equality (Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs).
PV:With summer approaching, children will have more time to spend online. So, how can we ensure their safety online?
Ms. Le Thi Nguyet:Nowadays, with the rapid development of technology, the number of people who know about and use social media is increasing. Social media is characterized by its ability to connect communities, its multimedia capabilities, its interactivity, its capacity to store and transmit vast amounts of information, and its rapid and widespread dissemination. For children, participating in social media provides a free and endless source of knowledge, easily expanding their relationships and supporting their learning, daily life, and entertainment effectively.
However, alongside these benefits, children face many risks when participating in social media, such as: the risk of personal information being leaked; social media addiction; encountering online scams; exposure to and influence from harmful, toxic, and fake news; being easily lured into traps of clickbait and like-baiting to increase interaction; and being easily drawn into offensive and harmful trends.
To ensure children's safety online, the most important thing is for families and children themselves to equip themselves with skills to protect their personal information on social media; to think carefully before sharing on social media; and to know how to behave respectfully online. They also need knowledge and understanding to recognize various forms of online scams.
Families should also limit their children's use of social media, restricting it to communication and academic exchange with friends and teachers under parental supervision, or to entertainment after completing necessary tasks. Furthermore, parents should spend more time with their children and limit their social media use in front of them to ensure consistency in parenting and set a good example.
PV:In conjunction with the Month of Action for Children, what are the key activities of the Nghe An Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to continue effectively carrying out the work of caring for, educating, and protecting children?
Ms. Le Thi Nguyet:This year's Action Month for Children has the theme "Practical Action, Prioritizing Resources for Children" and includes a pledge for "A Safe Summer for Children".
In fulfilling its assigned role and responsibilities, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has guided localities in organizing the launching ceremony of the Month of Action for Children, signing commitments to ensure a safe summer for children; conducting the handover and management of children between schools, localities, and families during the summer break; organizing cultural, sports, recreational, and entertainment activities, swimming lessons, soft skills training, equipping children with water rescue skills, safety in water environments, and safety while participating in traffic; organizing forums that attract many children to interact with useful content suitable to their age, conditions, and the specific characteristics of each locality, linked to promoting the movement "All people care for, educate, and protect children" and building child-friendly communes and wards in the process of building new and model rural areas.
In addition, strengthen measures to prevent and minimize the risks of abuse and violence against children; prevent accidents, injuries, and drowning accidents among children; protect and support children's healthy and creative interactions in the online environment; direct the Provincial Children's Protection Fund to strengthen the mobilization of resources to focus on resolving issues related to children; strengthen state management, especially the inspection and monitoring of the implementation of mechanisms, policies, and children's rights; promptly commend and reward good examples and good deeds; and at the same time criticize and strictly handle organizations and individuals who are irresponsible in the process of organizing implementation and who violate the law on children's rights.
PV:Thank you for this conversation!