Re Sky – The Social Responsibility of Enterprises in Sustainable Education Development in Vietnam

1. The current issues of education in Vietnam

The current issues of education in Vietnam today, the working-age population is 50.7 million people, accounting for 69% of the total population. The proportion of trained labor is 70%, but only 24.5% have vocational certificates. About 1.5-1.6 million young people enter working age each year, but up to 83% of graduates are assessed as lacking soft skills. According to forecasts, by 2026, about 40% of workers will no longer have skills suitable for current jobs, and 30% will have to change professions. The need to improve skills for workers is crucial, as survey figures indicate that candidates for positions such as specialists, technicians, and craftsmen in enterprises mostly lack necessary skills, with rates of 80%, 83%, and 40% respectively. Foreign organizations in Vietnam have also noted that Vietnamese workers lack soft skills required for work. Most foreign companies have to retrain before employing them. 80% of office staff in Vietnam lack skills.

Leaders of Vietnamese businesses believe that besides hard skills, soft skills determine up to 75% of the success of workers. However, according to UNICEF research, in Vietnam, many young people lack problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, emotional management skills, etc. This situation is particularly serious for adolescents aged 15-18

The Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) is a comprehensive index evaluating a country’s competitiveness at a certain point in time. The GCI, developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF), has been used as a standard to measure the competitiveness of a country. GCI evaluates and ranks countries worldwide on the economic micro and macro foundations that constitute a country’s capacity. WEF approaches GCI on 12 pillars: Institutions; Infrastructure; Macroeconomic environment; Health and basic education; Higher education and training; Goods market efficiency; Labor market efficiency; Financial market development; Technological readiness; Market size; Business sophistication; and Innovation capability. Since 2017, these 12 pillars have been categorized into 4 new groups, as presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1

With this approach, the GCI has a new scoring system, ranging from 0 to 100 (the best, reaching the limit).

Observing the scores of the Skills pillar in Vietnam, it can be seen that this pillar has a relatively low score, reaching only 54.3 points in 2018 and ranking 97th out of 140 countries in the world, 7th in the ASEAN bloc, only above Laos and Cambodia. By 2019, the score of the Skills pillar in Vietnam had increased to 57.0 points and rose 4 places compared to 2018. However, the scores and rankings in 2019 are still relatively low compared to countries in the ASEAN region and the world in general.

2. Causes

2.1. Traditional Education in Vietnam

In Vietnam, as well as in certain nations where formal education is highly esteemed and academic excellence in classes and examinations is prioritized, the current education methods fail to promote students’ creative thinking, diminishing their personal development. For students oriented towards specialized schools, where they delve deeper into specific subjects, the time spent on creativity-related activities diminishes even further.

2.2. Teaching Methods in Vietnam

Our education system tends to focus on individual subjects, with a lack of collaborative learning methods and teamwork-oriented subjects. Students take notes and memorize knowledge on their own, and almost 100% of tests are designed for individual assessment. According to the PISA survey (conducted every 3 years in 3 main areas: reading comprehension, mathematics, and science), Vietnamese secondary school students rank in the top 10 in the world in science proficiency; and in the other two areas, they are on par with other developed countries in the OECD group. However, in rankings of labor resources in Vietnam, where the ability to work and labor in collective environments and according to global professional standards are assessed, Vietnam ranks very low. For instance, in “The Global Human Capital Report 2017” by the World Economic Forum, the Know-How index, which is crucial through teamwork to achieve collective goals, Vietnam ranks only 120th out of 130 surveyed countries. Teamwork skills are identified as one of the top 10 most important work skills by the World Economic Forum.

2.3. The Central focus of education in Vietnam

In our era, we are witnessing the dominance of rational thinking, Western civilization threatening to disrupt the balance of human development, making people smarter but also prone to becoming dry, indifferent, selfish, and lacking tolerance in this conflict-ridden century. Aesthetic education is the most convenient path to moral education and, beyond morality, is the education of humanity, shaping the personality and spiritual world of individuals. However, among the four educational aspects: intellect, morality, physique, and aesthetics, the “aesthetics” aspect is currently the most neglected in Vietnamese education and has not been adequately implemented in line with its importance.

The educational and social environments in Vietnam do not provide conditions for children to self-discover. Without understanding who they are, what they are like, and what strengths and weaknesses they have, they will not be able to determine their own path and will always be influenced by others. Teenagers’ aesthetic taste is low, their cultural lifestyle in behavior is weak, and their reception of cultural and artistic works is often skewed.

3. Solutions

The goal of the educational process needs to change to adapt to the demands of the new era, dismantling outdated practices, removing the concept of “stuffing” knowledge to help children develop their intellect through imaginative and self- discovery-based learning. The Reggio Emilia approach is a good solution for the existing issues in Vietnamese education today. Reggio Emilia is an educational approach originating from the Italian city of the same name, developed by psychologist Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994).

The Reggio Emilia educational approach is an inspired approach to early childhood education, based on the image of a strong, capable, and resilient child eager to learn. The method allows children to explore the world around them in an open learning environment, built on truly listening to and understanding children’s needs. They are encouraged to ask questions, be curious, and explore their surroundings to perceive the constant changes in the world, participating in activities

3.1. The Reggio Emilia Approach in Enhancing Learners’ Adaptive and Creative Thinking Skills

According to Mr. Lewis Readman, Senior Academic Director of Apollo English in Vietnam, humans cannot cram all knowledge like artificial intelligence. “We need skills that AI does not have,” he emphasizes. Addressing problem is a skill that has never changed since the primitive era with humans. However, under the influence of AI – technology that can replace humans in repetitive tasks, the younger generation needs creative skills to solve problems and a learning mindset to expand their knowledge.

Educating children in problem-solving and creativity involves allowing them to make mistakes within a controlled environment and learn from them. This is the ability to find new and innovative solutions to problems or challenges. This skill not only focuses on finding solutions but also explores new approaches, breakthrough ideas, and modern, scientific methods. It requires flexibility, innovative thinking, the ability to connect information from different fields, the ability to view from multiple perspectives, and social thinking. The ability to experiment fearlessly is what drive creativity. Encouraging children to make mistakes and providing learning opportunities from those mistakes are core values of the Reggio Emilia approach.

3.2. The Reggio Emilia Approach in Enhancing Learners’ Teamwork Skills

Teresa Amabile, a professor and research director at Harvard Business School, is a Dr. Amabile studies how daily work life can affect people and their performance. Specifically, her research examines creativity, productivity, innovation, and work life in the soul. The insights from her research and others provide deep insights into the positive impact of peer support.

Why is positive interaction between peers important? One reason, as Teresa noted in her 2006 article “How to Kill Creativity,” shows that supportive peer groups are essential for creativity. They include: enthusiasm for the team’s goals; willingness to help teammates overcome challenges and failures; and the ability to recognize the unique knowledge and perspectives that other members bring. Teresa explains: “These factors not only enhance intrinsic motivation but also enhance expertise and creative thinking skills. The benefits of peer support are more valuable than creativity alone.”

One of the educational philosophies of the Reggio Emilia approach is “Each child is a collaborator”:

The child as a collaborator. Education must focus on each child in relation to other children, family, teachers, and the community rather than isolating each child. There is an emphasis on working in small groups. This practice is based on the social constructivist model, which supports the idea that we shape ourselves through interaction with peers, adults, things in the world, and symbols.

Reggio Emilia always emphasizes building highly communal children, citizens in real society. Therefore, educating young children is always placed in multi-level social relationships: (1) relationships between children (emphasizing the organization of group teaching, even groups of children of different ages); (2) The relationship between children and their families; (3) The relationship between children and teachers; (4) The relationship between children and the community. And in all those relationships, children are always identified as collaborators who participate, build, and perfect ideas, as a piece of the collective by enhancing their individuality through the interaction process. The value of projects in Reggio always lies in the harmony between the child’s individuality and the unity of the team’s results.

3.3. The Reggio Emilia Approach in Enhancing Learners’ Aesthetic Thinking Skills

Aesthetic education is the easiest way to educate ethics, and beyond ethics is humanistic education, shaping the personality, spiritual world of human beings. Aesthetic education is an effective way to preserve the nation’s identity because art and cultural activities are where the soul and identity of the nation are most preserved.

The characteristic image of the city of Reggio Emilia, of all schools following the Reggio Emilia approach worldwide, is spaces filled with children’s products.

These products are displayed right in the classroom, in the school’s common spaces (piazzas), and published into valuable educational research products. Only when we appreciate the paintings that children draw, the products children make, can we understand children, understand the subjects we are impacting, and guide daily education. Because the fifth principle in the Reggio Emilia approach clearly states about the hundred languages of children’s communication.

“ The child as communicators. This approach fosters children’s intellectual development through a systematic focus on symbolic representation, including words, movement, drawing, painting, building, sculpture, shadow play, collage, dramatic play, and music, which leads children to surprising levels of communication, symbolic skills, and creativity. Children have the right to use many materials in order to discover and communicate what they know, understand, wonder about, question, view and imagine. In this way, they make their thinking visible through their many natural languages. A studio teacher, trained in visual arts, works closely with children and teachers in each school to enable children to explore many materials and to use a great number of languages to make their thinking visible.”

When children confidently express their communicative language to the world around them, it is also when the education process can reach a profound philosophy: education to help children answer the question “who am I.” This is understood according to the psychological law that: when our space is arranged and decorated with products made by ourselves, it will help children feel safe and familiar with where they live and learn. When children feel a sense of belonging, they will know where they are, where to find themselves. Only when they understand their desires, emotions, thoughts, and confidently express themselves can they help us develop perceptions of their own identity and determine their position in the world. That is the core factor to determine a successful person in the future. Because we will always become what we think. So we need to give children a good perception of themselves through the belief of the community, the belief of the family, school, and society. Confidence for children to be active collaborators in the activities they participate in.

4. Business Idea for Social Impact

UNICEF highly appreciates the indispensable role of the business sector in upholding rights and ensuring the well-being of children and adolescents. UNICEF’s experience and research also demonstrate that the private sector has its own voice, capacity, resources, and innovative ability to collaborate with governments, communities, and young people to influence policies, develop impactful programs, and meet the current and future needs of the labor market.

Recognizing the current realities of Vietnam’s education system and the role of businesses in contributing to societal education development, Re.Sky Company was founded since 2015 with the slogan “United education to the better society” and the mission to “connect internationally in the field of education, providing opportunities for life experiences, social skill development, and worldview formation for students from preschool age to adulthood.”

To accomplish this mission, Re.Sky has specific objectives:

Conduct research activities on the Reggio Emilia
Implement training and sharing activities on the Reggio Emilia approach for parents, school owners, and preschool
Promote the participation of educators, parents, and policymakers in contributing to the value of the Reggio Emilia approach in preschool education.
Build and foster a sustainable community in exploring and promoting education from preschool to secondary levels inspired by Reggio
Develop collaborative research activities with foreign organizations, receive and transfer training and research technologies with high-quality and reputable Reggio Emilia organizations

The founders of Re.Sky:

a/ Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha

Education

Master of English Teaching – Victoria University, Australia
Bachelor of German -Hanoi University
Reggio Emilia international preschool teacher – trained at Loris Malaguzzi Center – Reggio Emilia – Italy
Study abroad consultant – training at Ho Chi Minh City School of Educational

Experience

Principal of a preschool (trained according to the Reggio Emilia method)
Manage Goldsilk English Club with 200 students
Organize international summer camp activities
Organize international teacher training courses

b/ Mrs. Lai Thi Phuong Thao

Education

Doctor of Law – trained at Hanoi Law University
Reggio Emilia international preschool teacher – trained at Loris Malaguzzi Center – Reggio Emilia – Italy
Study abroad consultant – training at Ho Chi Minh City School of Educational Management

Experience

Lecturer at Hanoi Law University
Education ambassador for online courses
Organize international summer camp activities
Train preschool teachers on the Reggio Emilia approach

What Re.Sky has Accomplished

4.1. Learning and Research Activities on the Reggio Emilia Approach

Conducted research and learning activities on the Reggio Emilia approach at the Loris Malaguzzi Center in Reggio Emilia, Italy, where the Reggio Emilia approach originated.

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/hanh-trinh-nghien-cuu-giao-duc- resky/theo-duoi-dam-me-giao-duc-mam-non/

Conducted research and learning experiences on the application of the Reggio Emilia approach in several countries: Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany

+ In Singapore

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/hanh-trinh-nghien-cuu-giao- duc-resky/stronger-together/

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/hanh-trinh-nghien-cuu-giao- duc-resky/cu-di-de-loi-thanh-duong/

+ In Hongkong

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/hanh-trinh-nghien-cuu-giao- duc-resky/nhom-hoc-tap-cua-cac-nha-giao-duc-tai-hongkong/

+ In Germany

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/hanh-trinh-nghien-cuu-giao- duc-resky/nhan-quyen-trong-giao-duc-duc/

4.2. Sharing Activities on the Reggio Emilia Approach

Organized training activities for parents on the Reggio Emilia

https://resky-edutravel.net/category/giao-duc-mam-non/hoat-dong-cung-cong-dong-phu-huynh/

Organized training activities for teachers and school owners on the Reggio Emilia

https://resky-edutravel.net/category/giao-duc-mam-non/dao-tao-giao-vien- mam-non/

Participated in training sessions on the Reggio Emilia approach for public schools under the annual specialized training program of the Hai Ba Trung District Education Department,

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/workshop-truong-mam- non/workshop-chia-se-tai-quan-tay-ho-thanh-pho-ha-noi/

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/workshop-truong-mam- non/workshop-chia-se-tai-quan-ba-dinh-thanh-pho-ha-noi/

Published books on the experiences and applications of the Reggio Emilia approach in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Germany for easy sharing and dissemination.

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/hanh-trinh-nghien-cuu-giao- duc-resky/giao-duc-mam-non-nhung-sac-mau-the-gioi/

Participated in presentations at workshops on the application of the Reggio Emilia approach in Southeast Asian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U4dnmsrpZM&t=1686s

5. Development of Collaborative Research Activities with Foreign Organizations

Organized workshops with sharing sessions by foreign experts on the Reggio Emilia approach from Italy, Australia, and Hong Kong.

Workshop with representatives from Reggio Children in Australia

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/cac-khoa-dao-tao-voi-giao- vien-quoc-te/khoa-bring-reggio-to-vietnam/

Workshop with education experts from Australia

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/cac-khoa-dao-tao-voi-giao- vien-quoc-te/nhap-mon-ve-nghe-thuat-thi-giac-theo-du-an-co-denise-savin/

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/cac-khoa-dao-tao-voi-giao- vien-quoc-te/nghe-thuat-thi-giac-thang-8-2019/

Workshop with experts from Italy

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/cac-khoa-dao-tao-voi-giao- vien-quoc-te/lang-nghe-quan-sat-bao-cao-trong-day-hoc-theo-du-an/

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/cac-khoa-dao-tao-voi-giao- vien-quoc-te/nen-tang-hoat-dong-goc-trong-day-hoc-theo-du-an/

Workshops with experts in HongKong

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/cac-khoa-dao-tao-voi-giao- vien-quoc-te/khung-chuong-trinh-linh-hoat-day-hoc-theo-du-an/

Organized study tours for preschool owners to learn in Bali, Indonesia, with courses on Sustainable Education led by experts from Italy, Sweden, and New Zealand, visiting some sustainable education model schools such as Hamorny and Greenschool (Introduced through the key values of these two education models).

https://resky-edutravel.net/giao-duc-mam-non/cac-khoa-dao-tao-voi-giao- vien-quoc-te/giao-duc-vi-su-phat-trien-ben-vung-voi-to-chuc-giao-duc-zerosei/

6. Building a Sustainable Community to Promote Education Inspired by Reggio Emilia

Organized overseas summer camps with support from international organizations such as Deloitte, Starbucks, Acapella (Singapore), and charitable schools in Indonesia https://resky-edutravel.net/trai-he/
Organized summer camps in Mai Village, Thailand, to nurture students’ minds based on the Buddhist philosophy of Zen Master Thich Nhat
Over the past 8 years, Sky has conducted numerous training courses for teachers and parents, provided specialized advice, and assisted in setting up many preschools. It has also organized annual domestic and international summer camps, as well as participated in numerous workshops on project-based preschool education. Notable achievements include:
Organized over 20 training courses for preschool teachers on project- based teaching methods, in collaboration with experts from Italy, Australia, Hong Kong, and
Trained over 2000 preschool teachers and hundreds of parents in provinces such as Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue, Hai Phong, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, and Hung Yen.
Provided specialized advice and assistance in setting up preschools in Hanoi, Hue, Hung Yen, and Ninh
Presented at the “Application of the Reggio Emilia Approach in Preschools in Vietnam” conference at the Asia Reggio
Organized study tours for 14 preschool owners to learn about “Sustainable Education” in Bali,
Organized 7 domestic and 3 international summer camps in Singapore and Indonesia.

7. Stakeholders in Re.Sky’s Social Impact Business Idea

a/ Summer camp organization: Supported by international organizations such as Deloitte, Starbucks, Acapella (Singapore), charitable schools in Indonesia

b/ Research and sharing on the Reggio Emilia approach: Partnerships with foreign experts in the Reggio Emilia field

EVIDENCE FOR VIDEO