Time to make sexuality education part of Vietnamese school curriculum

A 9-year project ensuring young people`s rights to sexual and reproductive health in rural areas of Vietnam has come to an end. The two driving forces behind the project are The Danish Family Planning Association (DFPA) and Center for Gender, Family and Environment in Development (CGFED). Steps to mainstreaming sexuality education in Vietnam are now being taken.
 
On September 20 CGFED and DFPA arranged a conference in Hanoi to highlight the results of the project and to advocate for an institutionalization of sexuality education in Vietnam. The project has shown its strength through the outreach and mobilization of community and local government support for sexuality education in the areas Nam Dinh, Bac Giang, Phu Yen and Ho Chi Minh City.

Aiming at enabling continued cooperation between DFPA and CGFED in a partnership to promote sexuality education in Vietnam, the conference was attended by more than 90 people, including the secretary general of DFPA, Bjarne B. Christensen, Executive Director of CGFED, Ms. Ngoc and representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.

 

Mr Christensen explained that from Danish experience, good quality sexuality education is based on a legal framework, qualified human resources and good education materials.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen from Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, the Ministry of Education and Training, the time is right to make sexuality education part of the school curriculum.