Successful networking of the PASCH partner schools in Vietnam

For the first time, a headmaster's conference of all Vietnamese PASCH partner schools took place in Vietnam from October 28-29th 2016.

Headmasters and educational experts as well as representatives of the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) and The Department of Education Training (DoET) from Da Nang, Hue and Hanoi attended the event. Furthermore, the president of the Vietnamese German teachers association and representatives of the Vietnam National University and Hanoi University participated. The first headmaster's conference was organized by Goethe-Institut and The Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA).
 
The meeting focused on two main topics: German as an aspect of multilingualism in the Vietnamese education system and questions of quality management.

Sophie Lindner © Goethe-Institut Hanoi First chance for networking and idea exchange offered the common dinner on October 28th. The following morning started with a meeting at the German embassy. Here, both partners ZfA and Goethe-Institut introduced their program and how they implement the PASCH initiative in Vietnam. Afterwards, German ambassador Christian Berger welcomed all participants. In his speech, he highlighted the role of the PASCH initiative within the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany. He emphasized the approval of the curriculum for German as second foreign language as milestone to learn and teach German in Vietnamese schools. In the end, he stressed that German could be also taught as first foreign language in selected Vietnamese schools.
 
Thereafter, the participants attended the conference „Multilingualism in the Vietnamese education system“ which took place at Goethe-Institut as part of the 6th European Day of Languages.
 
As representative of MoET, the deputy head of the National Foreign Language Project 2020 Nguyen Thi May Huu underlined the importance of multilingualism. A scientific discourse by German university professor Dr. Hans-Jürgen Krumm about the possibilities of multilingualism in schools followed.

  In the afternoon, the PASCH conference continued with a discussion about quality. The participants talked about how to assess the German program and how to guarantee a high standard on the long run. They all agreed that strengthening the teachers in order to fit the high demands of teaching a modern language plays a key role for quality. They shall be given the opportunity to regularly attend language and method trainings. In order to give the PASCH project a long-term perspective, a professional teacher education needs be established at university level. Everyone expressed their commitment for intensifying the exchange that shall be realized on city, Vietnam and regional level.
 
The first common Vietnamese headmaster's conference was a big success and an important step within the process of networking. At the same time, the event was a good chance to get to know the programs of Goethe-Institut and ZfA.
 
Kristin Kropidlowski, Education specialist, Project Manager “Schools: Partner for the Future” (PASCH) at Goethe-Institut Hanoi
Andrea Kunze, consultant of The Central Agency for Schools Abroad in Hanoi