Viet Nam has made overall progress in basic education. Net enrolment rates for primary and second level are 95.5 per cent and 86.2 per cent, respectively (2009 Census). Between 1992 and 2008, primary level completion rates rose from 45.0 per cent to 89.8 per cent.

Despite major achievements in the education sector in Viet Nam, however disparities still remain and education attainment is much lower among several groups, particularly among ethnic minority groups. For ethnic minority children, low enrolment and completion and high drop-out and repetition rates remain a challenge. According to the Government’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS, 2011), the primary school completion rate among ethnic minority children is significantly lower than that of Kinh and Hoa children: 79.8 per cent and 103.1 per cent, respectively. There is also inequality between different ethnic minority groups. Figure 1 shows that the primary school net attendance rate among the Mong is as low as 69.6 per cent, while the rate among the Tay is the highest of all, 93.5 per cent, followed by Kinh of 92.6 per cent (Census, 2009).

The first General Nutrition Survey was conducted between 1981-1985. Further surveys were carried out in 1987-1989 and in 2000. This fourth, and most recent General Survey, was conducted in 2009-2010.

In addition to the aforementioned general surveys, additional data have been collected in the following surveys: Epidemiological survey of vitamin A deficiency and exophthalmia (1985), Survey on maternal and child nutritional status and exophthalmia (1994), National survey of nutritional anemia (1995 and 2000), Assessing the PEM project (2004), and the General survey of overweight and obesity in adults (2005).

The 4th General Survey was conducted to evaluate the 2001-2010 National Nutrition Strategy goals, as well as to provide scientific evidence of trends in food consumption and nutrition status for the National Nutrition Strategy for 2011-2020, with a vision toward 2030.

In addition, data from the General Survey are also useful for nutrition research in national institutions and universities.

The National Institute of Nutrition worked closely in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Department of Science and Training, Department of Preventive Medicine, Department of Maternal and Child Health, and Vietnam Food Administration to successfully conduct the survey.

We also gratefully acknowledge technical guidance from General Statistic Office and UNICEF Hanoi.

Special thanks are also due to the Department of Health and Preventive Medicine Centers in all provinces and cities, as well as local health care workers and households for their active participation.

We are delighted to present the findings of the comprehensive report on the General Nutrition Survey for 2009-2010.

This Profile was prepared to present key findings from the Primary Classroom Language Mapping in Lao Cai province, conducted by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Training, Lao Cai Department of Education and Planning, and Summer Institute of Linguistics International. The mapping was to collect information on primary school students' strongest language and academic performance, and the teacher's ethnicity and second language abilities. It helped to identify monolingual school sites, where mother tongue based bilingual education (MTBBE) can be applied; the number of teachers who can potentially be the MTBBE teachers; and where students are performing well and where students are performing weakly. The instrument has proven effective and other provinces plan to apply it in future.

The amendment of the 1992 Constitution offers Viet Nam an opportunity to strengthen the rule of law, promote human rights and enhance equality as well as socio-economic and political stability. While the current draft includes a number of significant and positive changes, UNICEF believes the current draft can be made more responsive to the needs of a third of the country's population – its children.

UNICEF's mission is to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and create opportunities to allow children to reach their full potential. UNICEF's work is guided by the provisions and principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). UNICEF has extensive experience, globally and regionally, supporting countries to reflect the rights of children within their constitutions.

In the framework of cooperation with UNICEF to implement the Program for Child Survival and Development (CSD); the MOH, MOLISA, MARD are the partners in the areas related to malnutrition prevention, safe water and environment hygiene, injury prevention for children…Various activities of Information – Education and Communication; Behavior Change Communication and Public advocacy for making policies on Child survival and development have been conducted. In order to improve the quality of the program and effectively integrate activities in each area as well as across different areas of CSD, this capacity assessment of the partners involved was conducted with the aim to give recommendations for improving communication for development.