Kindergartens and crèches around the country have benefited from equipment and personnel training under the Equitable and Inclusive Early Childhood Development: For A Better Start in Life programme. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

HCM CITY — The Equitable and Inclusive Early Childhood Development: For A Better Start in Life programme has helped kindergartens around the country greatly improve their facilities, equipment and personnel training.

Launched in 2017, the US$400,000 project seeks to provide quality childcare and development support to children under five.

It is being run now in 10 districts in HCM City, Đà Nẵng and other places.

With support from the project, childcare centres set up educational environment meeting its safety standards.

According to a report at a meeting held by the Department of Education and Training of HCM City and UNICEF Việt Nam in HCM City on November 5 to review the project’s achievements, some 1,640 children in HCM City were provided with toys, equipment and stationery.

More than 830 teachers and crèche managers received training and attended workshops on how to interact with the children and early childhood education incentives to create a friendly, safe and inclusive environment for children.

Nearly 3,600 children in HCM City and Đà Nẵng have benefited from them.

With the two cities scaling up their efforts, more than 77,000 children and 38,000 children in industrial zones and export processing zones will benefit in the coming years.

Another meaningful activity of the project is strengthening the policy on early childhood education and enhancing service quality of pre-primary education in industrial zones in Việt Nam.

UNICEF, the Ministry of Education and Training and the HCM City Department of Education and Training have, in partnership with Asiana Airlines, been carrying out programmes to enhance the quality of pre-primary education, particularly at export processing and industrial zones in HCM City.

Cho Young Seok, communications director of Asiana Airlines, told the meeting: “Children are the future of the community. Therefore, we believe that educating children is the most important thing. I had the opportunity to visit some kindergartens in HCM City and was very happy to see the children learning and having fun. The project is funded by passengers on flights and donations from staff, and the fund has been used in a very meaningful way.”

UNICEF Việt Nam deputy representative Lesley Miller said: “Our comprehensive interventions include clean water and sanitation, immunisation, nutrition, education, etc. to ensure every child has a better start in life.” — VNS