Vietnam: 1Goal calls for education for all

As South Africa was setting the stage for the craze of the World Cup to begin, Vietnam was teaming up with more than 100 other nations across the world to harness the power of football in a call for education for all.

As part of the 1Goal: Global Action Week for Education, school children in the Vietnam capital of Hanoi joined Pham Thanh Luong and Van Thi Thanh, two famous footballers, in a fascinating football match. The goal of the game was to raise awareness of the 72 million children around the world who have not yet gained access to education.

1Goal is a global campaign calling for investment in creating learning opportunities for children without access to school. The aim of the 1Goal campaign is to ensure that Education for All is a lasting impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training, nearly 0.5% of students are reported to quit primary and secondary schools in 2010, a fall from 1% in 2007. Up to 71% of children between 3-5 years old go to kindergarten in 2010, an increase from 59% in 2006.

In addition to the big game in Hanoi, similar activities took place in many provinces and cities across Vietnam. Children, parents and teachers joined football matches and education forums at World Vision’s working sites in Hai Lang, Quang Tri, and Quang Nam provinces.

“Send all the children to school, open all doors to them. Invest in teachers, textbooks, and schools,” called Ms Katherine Müller-Marin, Representative and Head of UNESCO Hanoi Office, representing the Global Campaign for Education Alliance in Vietnam. “The 1 Goal: Education for All campaign… aims to mobilise record numbers of people to support the education for all agenda and to call on the government and the international development partners to ensure the on-going sustained allocation of financial resources and investments in education,” she said.

“Education is our national priority as it can help children create a good life,” confirmed Ms Tran Thi Nghia, Vice Minister of Education and Training. “Besides the government, we need support from other local and international organisations as well as businesses to invest in education. We should join hands so that Vietnam can complete goals of Education for All.”

The Global Action Week in Vietnam was co-organised by Ministry of Education and Training, the Global Campaign for Education Alliances which include UNESCO, Actionaid, Childfund, World Vision, Aide de Action, Oxfam, Vietnam Learning Encouragement Association and local NGOs of CENEV, CEPEW and DHA, Vietnam Football Federation, and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Global Action Week received enthusiastic support from a number of celebrities in the world including President of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Sepp Blatter, Queen of the Kingdom of Jordan Rania al-Abdullah, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Zinedine Zidane and Alan Shearer.