Opening speech – Vietnam

Honorable chair, fellow delegates, and distinguished guest. It is a great honor for
the delegate of Vietnam to participate in this conference. The delegate of Vietnam
strongly believes that Education and training are supposed to be a first national
priority. Ensuring that all youth and adults achieve literacy and numeracy is a
compelling obligation for Vietnam. The delegate of Vietnam would be positive to
cooperate with all of the delegates present today.

Since the introduction of the reform process, ‘Doi Moi’ in 1986 issued, Vietnamese
education has been moving into a better state. Efforts have been taken to solve the
problems in terms of particular ethnic communities and provinces, of people living
in sparsely-populated regions, and of those who had no access to education in the
past. However, the distribution of literacy is still one of the trickiest problems that
Vietnam needs to overcome. In 2015, the number of the population who cannot
read or write in ethnic minorities above the age of 15, was 20.8%, four times
higher than the national average. In 2016, the household literacy rate decreased
back down to 57% of the total poor population. As a matter of fact, lack of
education undermines access to better employment and leads to poverty.

Science and technology and the world economy have been developing fast and
furious, for those without quality education are inclined to be grindingly left
behind. Therefore, achieving SDG 4.6 universal literacy and numeracy is of vital
importance for us. Vietnam is going to assume the responsibility of achieving this
mission and looking forward to international cooperation with all the delegates
present today.

- Resource 1: Big idea - literacy in Vietnam.

Phan, T., Bilgin, A., Eyland, A. and Shaw, P. (n.d.). Literacy in Vietnam- an atlas. [online] .
Available at:
https://stat.mq.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Literacy_in_Vietnam_-_an_atlas.pdf.
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- Resource 2: Reducing poverty in Vietnam.

https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/03/Reducing-rural.
-poverty-in-Vietnam-Issues-Policies-Challenges.pdf