Southern Cross University and ChildFund lead cutting edge research on Vietnamese children

Research under way in Vietnam by Southern Cross University’s Centre for Children and Young People is pushing new boundaries in hearing from kids about what is important to them about learning and schooling.

Vietnam’s education system, like other South East Asian countries, has traditionally focused on rote memorisation from text books, passive learning, competition rather than collaboration and a heavy emphasis on testing.

In seeking to increase participation, and enhance quality, recent government policy changes have sought to create more child-focused learning environments.

The project involves interviews with 50 children from the rural province of Bac Kan, north of Hanoi. In a culture where children are traditionally ‘seen but not heard’ engaging children in having a say is both important and challenging.

The research is being conducted in partnership with ChildFund Australia, an independent international development organisation that works to reduce poverty for children in the developing world. Professor Anne Graham, the director of the Centre for Children and Young People, said that ChildFund’s commitment to children’s wellbeing was very much in line with the Centre for Children and Young People’s aim and vision.

“Education is a major focus of ChildFund’s work in Vietnam and they are committed to engaging children actively in decisions which affect the design, delivery and evaluation of their programs,” Professor Graham said.

The project has involved capacity building and research training for a small team of Vietnamese researchers who visited the Centre for Children and Young People in late 2009 to undertake training in child-inclusive research methods.

Dr Renata Phelps, a senior research fellow with the Centre, returned from Vietnam recently after meeting there with the Vietnamese researchers.

“It is such a mutually beneficial project for all involved. We are learning so much not only from the children but also from the research team about cultural and practical issues in conducting such research with children,” she said.

The project will conclude in May. The report will be available from the Centre for Children and Young People’s website www.ccyp.scu.edu.au.

Photo: A class being conducted in the rural province of Bac Kan, north of Hanoi.

Dr Renata Phelps, Professor Anne Graham and Mr Nigel Spence, chief executive officer, ChildFund Australia, are available for interview. Mr Spence is based in Sydney and can be reached on 0423 343 439.

For interviews with Professor Graham and Dr Phelps, please contact Zoe Satherley, Southern Cross University media officer, (02) 6620 3144, 0439 132 095.