British Ambassador to Việt Nam Iain Frew interacted with students at the Nghệ An Provincial Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities No 2. Photos courtesy of Chevening Alumni.

NGHỆ AN — British Ambassador to Việt Nam Iain Frew discussed youth-led initiatives with students of Nghệ An Provincial Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities No 2, aiming to foster psychological safety and a diverse, equitable and inclusive school environment.

It was part of his two visits to the central province, which began on Tuesday.

The initiative was funded by the UK Government's Chevening Alumni Programme Fund and implemented by Chevening Scholars and volunteers.

Students presenting their communications initiative on diversity, equity, and inclusion at school.

A core group of 25 students, representing over 750 students from the school’s ten ethnic minority groups, presented the communications plan for preventing school violence, promoting gender equality and LGBT+ rights, increasing inclusivity for ethnic minority students and promoting psychological safety in schools. 

Their plan outlines specific and practical steps to foster a sense of belonging and empowerment among the students through awareness-raising activities, cultural recognition campaigns, broadcasts and in-depth group discussions in each class.

Through these activities, the core team aims to inspire students to collaborate in building a safe, inclusive and equitable educational environment for all, regardless of gender, religion, nationality, health condition or social background. Baseline and end-line surveys are included to monitor the programme's effectiveness accurately.

The ambassador expressed his surprise at the students' dedication and enthusiasm.

More than 90 per cent of the students at Nghệ An Provincial Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities No 2 are from 12 economically disadvantaged mountainous areas, including some from Laos. This effort contributes to the Vietnamese Government's goal of creating a safe, healthy and friendly school environment as highlighted in Decree 80/2017/NĐ-CP, United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), and 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

The school’s principal, Hồ Quốc Việt, said: "Recognising the importance of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the school environment, our faculty has strived to incorporate extracurricular activities to increase awareness and cultivate essential skills among students.

“However, the scope and quality of these projects have been constrained. I am certain that this project, funded by the British Embassy and carried out in cooperation with Chevening Scholars, will be an important and organised step toward creating an inclusive and welcoming learning environment for all of our students." 

Expressing his surprise at the students' dedication and enthusiasm, Ambassador Iain Frew said: "Listening to their perspectives and initiatives to create an enabling learning environment, where they can proactively and confidently participate in enhancing the quality of education, has left me very optimistic about the future of Việt Nam's youth.

"These students represent a generation full of passion, ambition and aspirations to contribute to building a society that leaves no one behind—a vision central to both Việt Nam and the UK."

Representing the Chevening Alumni group, Nguyễn Thị Diệu Linh, said: "I was delighted to listen to students' deep reflections on values, gender identity, and rights. They raised questions about how true equality can be reached, how they may avoid feeling ashamed of being 'different,' how their ethnic cultures can be free of discrimination, and how to rise beyond stereotypes.

“This demonstrates how much they value fair treatment and being accepted for who they are. I believe that big change starts with modest steps and with the help of the school's administration, these children will soon find solutions for themselves,” she said.

The core team of 25 students will continue to work with the Chevening scholars and project volunteers to carry out communication activities to raise awareness about Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Schools and conduct mid-term/final evaluations to assess the initiative's impact. — VNS