The Guidance for the Implementation of Elementary Curriculum for Children with Intellectual Disabilities Project conducted by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education – with the financial support from Lufthansa Help Alliance and assistance from Saigonchildren – came to an end after two years of implementation, from 2016 to 2018.
The final workshop was held on May 17, 2018, and was attended by a number of representatives from the participating organizations, along with approximately eighty managers, teachers from twenty-one public schools, two private schools and two inclusive schools who are directly benefiting from the project.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tam, Director of the CIEDA, reaffirmed the need and importance of the project to help teachers in specialized schools use the curriculum for children with intellectual disabilities at the elementary level. He also expressed his delight that the project surpassed its goals, stating “Not only was the number of teachers and administrators who attended trainings higher than expected, but parents expressed their happiness as well that the schools had appropriate materials and textbooks to teach their children. Parents were instructed on the curriculum by the teachers, allowing them to understand it and use it to further support their child at home. This is unprecedented.”

Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa – Director of The Center for Special Education Research of Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, creator of the “Elementary Curriculum for Children with Intellectual Disability” and a project trainer – said, “It is very fortunate to cooperate with the relevant units within the project, especially school teachers, because everyone was enthusiastic in taking part in the training courses, actively applying the knowledge, actively teaching the children, easing constraints in the application process with better explanations and additional support, and, above all else maintaining their primary interest in teaching the children.” In addition, the project team was honored to receive support of Assistant Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ly Kha, in compiling textbooks for the curriculum. Dr. Ly Kha is the editor of Vietnamese books for elementary students in Ho Chi Minh City.

After receiving training, all managers and teachers confirmed that they would continue to use the curriculum to teach children in the most effective way. In addition, they made recommendations that would help them in their work of teaching children with intellectual disabilities, that way their methods and teaching abilities will continuously improve.
