Models of Child-friendly school libraries in Vietnam

School libraries contextin Vietnam

• Most of school having school libraries but in small space

• The lack of qualified school librarians • Poor furniture and documents.

Limited number of books and types of book which are not adapted to user’s needs

• School libraries are used regularly, the rest are difficult to access or considered as a book store room

Vietnam- Belgium Education project

•“ Improving quality of education in pre and in-service training for primary and lower secondary teachers in 14 provinces in the north of Vietnam”

•Child – friendly school library is a part of the project which is identified as the role to support active learning application

Why CFSL?

• Millennium Development Goals at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, 2000 - Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

• Education for all (EFA) with 6 goals, focusing on literacy, numeracy and essential life skills

Why CFSL?

• The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990): Article 17 “ All children have the right to get information that is important to their well-being, from radio, newspaper, books, computers and other sources…”

CFSL approach

• Child-rights based approach: the reason for the existence of a school library is to address child rights, child development and participation

• Participatory approach: All stakeholders have chance to participate in plan-making, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of child-friendly school library

A child- friendly school library

is a

open learning environment,

where ...

Celebrate

indigenous

culture

Increase access

to information

Support active

learning

Improve all

aspects of

development

Develop

language

The first Child-friendly school libraries in Vietnam

Access to information

• Different models of CFSL adapted to the local context: multi-corner library, classroom library, out-door library, mobile library…

• Friendly–user management system of CFSL: color code, DDC, borrowing system

School library with different learning corners

Classroom library

Out-door library

Mobile library

is relevant to :

- Satellite schools

- Remote schools

- Schools in disadvantaged locations

Learning Zone

A library is a place to promote all aspects of child

development

Language Development

A library is a place wherechildren have the opportunity

to develop all their language skills

Reading Writing

Listening

Speaking

Cognitive Development

... Through:

- playing educational games - answering quizzes- writing book reviews- contributing to planning

and monitoring

Creative Development...

... By expressing ideasthrough art,

music and role play

Physical Development...

... Through manipulation of construction toys,

clay and embroidery.

Personal and Social Development

Self confidence

Responsibilities Self-esteem

Active Learning

Children need the opportunityto take an active role in their own learning.

Group Work(Working together to make books

for the library)

Researchproject

(Conducting projects on local culture, absenteeism…)

A place to celebratelocal cultures.

Indigenous knowledge

’I am very proud that I made and collected costumes to put in the

cultural corner of our library. With them, I can understand the different

cultures of ethnic minority groups ’said Thao Seo Tenh - 7A - Thai Nguyen

Boarding School

Child participation

Why?

The CFSL belongs to all students in the school. They are the main users of

the CFSL

Child participation: How

• Support the librarian to organize library activities

• Collect student’s ideas on school library

• Guide newcomers how to use the school library

Establish supporting groups

Child participation

Child participation: How

- Identify libraries activities needed in the school library

- Contribute their ideas on friendly school library regulations

- Give their voices on book selection for the school library

- Arrange together the CFLS timetable

- …

Involvements of all students…

How to make a library “child friendly”?

Key principles

The school library belongs to all children

The process Situation analysis/

self-assessment

Make plan

Building capacity:

technical trainingsAction/

implementation

Monitoring

Situation analysis

• To find out the current situation

• To understand the needs, wants and expectations of all the stakeholders

• To determine the stakeholders’ understanding, capacity and willingness to be involved

Planning workshop

• To prioritize the needs and rights of the stakeholders

• To share common problems, previous efforts, reasons for failure and to offer new possible solutions to set up a CFSL

• To devise a pictorial vision of their library (infra structure, system, use…)

• To know what specific training the librarians require and to set up a training schedule

TRAINING 1THE PHYSICAL SET UP AND

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

AIM• To design a school library

that is friendly towards children and teachers

• To be able to set up library systems: record keeping, classification, borrowing and routines to allow for effective use of the library

• To generate ideas how to promote the effective use of the library: timetable, rules, introductory tour, children support group...

Friendly Physical Set Up

•Age-appropriate furniture

•Welcoming atmosphere

• Clearly set out and easy

access

Friendly operational Systems

-Color coded classification

system

-Simple borrowing system

-Regular routines

TRAINING 4BOOK SELECTION AND LIBRARY

ACTIVITIES

AIMTo know how to organize the corners and special activities that will attract children to use the library and will stimulate all areas of their development

Daily Corner activities

Daily corner activities: reading, writing, drawing,

education games...…

Special activities

World book day, quizzes,

project work

Supportive monitoring

• Regular monitoring by Supporting Group to ensure the activities are child friendly

• Supportive monitoring by national experts and BOET staff to ensure adherence to the action plan.

• The results are reported at Steering Committee meetings

CFSL self-assessment

A self-assessment tool covering:

6 dimensions,

16 indicators,

40 criteria.

Evaluators:

- Students

- Teachers

- Librarians

- School managers

- Parent

- Community members

•Identify the process applied by the

CFSL and its outcomes

•Design action plans based on the

results of self-assessment

AND…

What are the most significant changes in school libraries?

“ Now, I know where is my library school. It

looks beautiful, friendly and we are comfortable to read there. I like it and my

friends do, too”

said Nguyen Mai Trang - 9A -Yen Bien LSS - Ha Giang

“ It is useful for my students to search information from the school library; it supported me a lot in applying active learning” said Phan Thi Hoa - Quang Trung LSS teacher -

Thai Nguyen

What are the most significant changes in school libraries?

“We saw our children happy when they have chance to read” quoted from Ms Nguyen Lan Huong – Quang Ninh primary school - Head master

“The CFSL models are relevant to any local context, even for schools that do not have a specific room. Alternative solutions (outdoor or mobile libraries) allow children to access information” quoted from Ms Nguyen Thanh Thuy_ Lang Son DOET manager

What’s next…

• Advocacy/ support the Ministry of Education and Training to dissemination the CFSL model in Viet Nam: all districts in a province, all province in Vietnam and further…

• Sharing experience with local NGO, INGO working in school library field

Thank you for listening

Contact:

library@vietbiedu.org.vn