Children in Ho Chi Minh City are suffering from an overload in school curriculum, members of the Children’s Council of Ho Chi Minh City said at the council’s second meeting themed “Our city” on February 4. Many expressed hope that the style of teaching at school will change from the current teacher reading-student taking note to more lively and more easily comprehensible forms. They said children need more fun time and an environment favorable for more comprehensive development. The children also brought up issues such as traffic congestion, pollution, and unqualified public transport. It is necessary to promote communication campaigns in order to raise public awareness of the observance of traffic rules and the environmental protection, they said. The children representatives also expressed concern about the increase of child abuse and violence at schools in recent time. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Nhung, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal council of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organisation said all issues mentioned at the meeting will be collected and submitted to relevant agencies for handling. She hoped children will work as observers and communicators, towards effectively solving these issues. The Children’s Council of Ho Chi Minh City has 55 members representing the city’s children. The southern economic hub was the first locality in Vietnam to launch the children’s council in June last year. The move is part of the city’s efforts to improve children’s rights and their participation in issues related to their own affairs. The council meets biennially to discuss different topics. The pilot models of this kind have been implemented in Hanoi, the central province of Binh Dinh, and the northern provinces of Quang Ninh and Yen Bai. (english.vietnamnet.vn Feb 6)
