1. Goals: Working with funders, local authorities and specialists to build kindergartens, primary schools, and special schools, and to bring effective learning environments to the children and the areas most disadvantaged and in need. To work on behalf of all children, especially the most disadvantaged, who struggle to get to school and ensure they receive a proper education, develop strongly and reach their full potential in life.

2. Beneficiaries: Disadvantaged children aged 3–12 in Southern Vietnam.

3. Project Description: SCC first started its School Building Project in 1994, building primary schools, secondary schools and special schools. Life has changed day by day and brought about a change of needs in daily life. The urgent need for primary schools and secondary schools is now a little less urgent as more policies and programmes established by the Government and the Ministry of Education and Training are focused on primary schools, secondary schools and high schools. In stark contrast, the budget and programmes for preschool buildings is almost non existent and this causes many problems that make many local authorities to worry about. Supporting these often very remote areas and those with extreme socio-economic difficulties by bringing schools and a better learning environment for preschool education is now our School Building’s first priority and focus for 2009 to 2013. The UN Convention on the Rights of Child points out all the rights needed to be realised for children to develop to their fullest potential. Based on that, SCC School Building Project works with local authorities to build more classrooms, primarily kindergartens, that are still deficient in learning facilities, improve the learning environment for those schools or build whole new completed kindergartens (with restrooms, fences, play ground, gardens, equipments…) In addition, to ensure that the most disadvantaged children can go to schools built by SCC, the School Building department co-ordinates closely with the SCC Scholarship Program which provides scholarships directly to the kids. It is easy to build a school. To build the right school, in the right place, at the right time and at the right price, however, is not so easy. What is even harder is ensuring the school is fully and productively used. This is where SCC has had great experience and success with cooperation from our partners in the local authorities.

Children at Tan Binh Thanh Kindergarten built by SCC in Tien Giang Province, are happy to sing and dance in the School Opening Ceremony.