Choi Young-sook (L), a Korean woman in her 60s with a doctorate degree in audiology, has been dedicating her time to students with disabilities in Da Lat city in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong (Photo: VNA) Lam Dong (VNA) – Choi Young-sook, aKorean woman in her 60s with a doctorate degree in audiology, has beendedicating her time to students with disabilities in Da Lat city in the CentralHighland province of Lam Dong over the past eight years.
Choi has many years experience in teaching hearing-impairedstudents at Pusan Kuhaw school in the Republic of Korea (RoK). Previously, as a lecturer at theINJE University in Gyeognam province, she decided to retire early to focus on specialeducation in Vietnam.
Ahead of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival,Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s reporter had an opportunity to talk with Choi at LangCafé – a community venue for children who are hard of hearing, set up by herand Lam Dong School for the Hearing Impaired.
Choi shared with the reporter some of thelatest developments in special education in the RoK and suggested what Vietnamshould do to reform its education system towards being more inclusive.
She first visited Lam Dong School for the HearingImpaired in 2005. After becoming more familiar with the school and highlightingsome of its shortcomings, Choi decided to offer her hand to overcome thesebarriers.
Over the past eight years, Choi and herpartners have carried out many activities to help children withdisabilities.
Korean special education experts have beentravelling to Vietnam to conduct training courses for teachers, Choi said. Shehas introduced 25 experts from the Korean Wonmyeong Daejeon University to DaLat, thus far training 80 teachers. In August 2018, 13 special education experts from theRoK held training courses in this field in Vietnam with the participation of 35schools in the southern region of Vietnam.
Along with education, the Lam Dong School forthe Hearing Impaired and the Lam Dong Blind Association have provided music andphysical education classes for secondary school students.
Choi said she feels very happy in doing herwork, with herself and her spouse often taking part in social activities withthe provincial Red Cross Society.
So far, she has called on donators tocoordinate with the provincial Red Cross Society to build 13 houses for peoplewith disabilities, as well as buy 269 wheelchairs and over 400 bicycles forpoor and ethnic minority students.
“My biggest desire in the future is toestablish a development centre for children with disabilities so that they canreceive appropriate education even before the age of three,” she said.
Choi added that in Vietnam, the detection andeducation of disabled children remains slow, especially as most children do notgo to school until the age of six. Children with congenital disabilities, iffound early before the age of three, are likely to overcome their disabilitiesthrough early special education, Choi said.
“With my efforts and the assistance of Koreanand Vietnamese donors, I hope the special education system in Vietnam can beimproved,” she added.–VNA
Choi has many years experience in teaching hearing-impairedstudents at Pusan Kuhaw school in the Republic of Korea (RoK). Previously, as a lecturer at theINJE University in Gyeognam province, she decided to retire early to focus on specialeducation in Vietnam.
Ahead of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival,Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s reporter had an opportunity to talk with Choi at LangCafé – a community venue for children who are hard of hearing, set up by herand Lam Dong School for the Hearing Impaired.
Choi shared with the reporter some of thelatest developments in special education in the RoK and suggested what Vietnamshould do to reform its education system towards being more inclusive.
She first visited Lam Dong School for the HearingImpaired in 2005. After becoming more familiar with the school and highlightingsome of its shortcomings, Choi decided to offer her hand to overcome thesebarriers.
Over the past eight years, Choi and herpartners have carried out many activities to help children withdisabilities.
Korean special education experts have beentravelling to Vietnam to conduct training courses for teachers, Choi said. Shehas introduced 25 experts from the Korean Wonmyeong Daejeon University to DaLat, thus far training 80 teachers. In August 2018, 13 special education experts from theRoK held training courses in this field in Vietnam with the participation of 35schools in the southern region of Vietnam.
Along with education, the Lam Dong School forthe Hearing Impaired and the Lam Dong Blind Association have provided music andphysical education classes for secondary school students.
Choi said she feels very happy in doing herwork, with herself and her spouse often taking part in social activities withthe provincial Red Cross Society.
So far, she has called on donators tocoordinate with the provincial Red Cross Society to build 13 houses for peoplewith disabilities, as well as buy 269 wheelchairs and over 400 bicycles forpoor and ethnic minority students.
“My biggest desire in the future is toestablish a development centre for children with disabilities so that they canreceive appropriate education even before the age of three,” she said.
Choi added that in Vietnam, the detection andeducation of disabled children remains slow, especially as most children do notgo to school until the age of six. Children with congenital disabilities, iffound early before the age of three, are likely to overcome their disabilitiesthrough early special education, Choi said.
“With my efforts and the assistance of Koreanand Vietnamese donors, I hope the special education system in Vietnam can beimproved,” she added.–VNA
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