Young people perform at the ceremony celebrating International Youth Day 2019. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

HÀ GIANG — Young Vietnamese gathered yesterday in Đồng Văn Town, the northern province of Hà Giang to make their voices heard on how to transform education.

They shared their opinions at a policy dialogue with leaders of the Hà Giang Peoples’ Committee, the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union and other concerned stakeholders.

The policy dialogue was part of a series of activities to celebrate International Youth Day 2019 (August 12), organised by the United Nations in Việt Nam in collaboration with the provincial people's committee and the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union.

Featuring the theme “Transforming education”, International Youth Day this year highlights efforts to make education more relevant, equitable and inclusive for all young people, including efforts by youths themselves. 

Rooted in Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” – International Youth Day 2019 will examine how Governments, young people and youth-led and youth-focused organisations are transforming education into a powerful tool for achieving the sustainable development agenda.

Sùng Văn Thắng, a local student, said: “This is a unique opportunity for us to participate and contribute our ideas on transforming education. We are living in the era of Industry 4.0 technology and young people have a lot of access to information on the internet. The educational system must provide us with a range of tools and skills to be compatible with a constantly changing modern world.”

Addressing the event, acting secretary of the Hà Giang Provincial Youth Union Đào Quang Diệu said there were more than 200,000 young people in the province, accounting for about 24 per cent of the population.

“Education and occupational skills of local youth have been improved significantly," he said. "This aims to form a young generation who are dynamic, creative, economic thinking and capable of seizing opportunities and contributing to the development of the province."

Astrid Bant of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Việt Nam said: “The main purpose of young people’s participation is to empower them as individuals and as members of society to fulfil their role to improve the design and implementation of education policies, programmes and investments for young people.”

At the event, experts called for more investment in education for vulnerable and disadvantaged youth, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds and those with disabilities to strengthen their opportunities and promote engagement. — VNS