Environmental Education in Vietnam: A Critical Discourse Analysis

• In Event: The Future is Now: Youth Engagement and Environmental Action

Proposal

OVERVIEW: RESEARCH QUESTION, METHODOLOGY, CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
This paper is a component of a broader research project that explores the Environmental Education (EE) policy in Vietnam, a Communist country governed by a single party with distinct characteristics, and its potential impacts on social (in)justice among immigrant students in urban areas. In this sense, the project starts with examining the formulation and implementation of EE policy in Vietnam, which is the focus of this paper. Specifically, this paper aims to address the research question: “How is environmental education policy formulated and implemented in Vietnam?” To answer this question, the paper is divided into three sub-questions:
1. How are EE and EE policy defined, and what are their characteristics?
2. Does EE in Vietnam align with these conceptualizations, and if so, how?
3. How is EE policy formulated, developed, and implemented in Vietnam, and who are the stakeholders involved in this process?
This paper analyzes existing research to examine the available definitions and perceptions of EE, comparing its conceptualizations with local understanding to provide insights into how EE is defined within Vietnam. To achieve this, the paper employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and its tripartite analysis framework (Fairclough, 2010; van Dijk, 1993; Wodak, 2012). Through an examination of policy documents issued by the Vietnamese government, the study seeks to understand how EE is conceptualized and defined in the country, as well as its scope and characteristics. CDA also allows the analysis to go beyond the text to uncover external factors that shape the understanding and definition of EE, as well as the development and implementation of EE policy within Vietnam’s education system. The study also employs the conceptual framework of political ecology in education (PEE) (Hurrell, 2006; Meek, 2015; Meek & Llora-Bidart, 2017) to explore the political, social, economic, and historical influences that shape EE in Vietnam.

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
Using a micro-level approach of CDA, the analysis focused on seven key official documents issued by Vietnamese authorities. Two cycles of coding were employed to examine these documents: (1) co-occurrence analysis to identify instances where the term “education” co-occurred with terms like “environment,” “environmental protection,” and “sustainability,” and (2) magnitude analysis to assess the frequency, intensity, and presence of specific plans or guidelines for integrating EE into the educational system and curricula.
The findings reveal that while the Vietnamese government recognizes the importance of EE, it is not a top priority, as evidenced by the limited number of policy documents and the lack of detailed instructions for integrating EE into national curricula. The absence of a unified definition for terms like EE, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), and Education for Environmental Protection (EfEP) leads to limited understanding and non-standardized approaches among teachers. By using the term EfEP to refer to EE, the policy documents’ focus on the natural and ecological aspects of EE overlooks social justice, climate justice, and the impacts of climate change on marginalized groups. Furthermore, the lack of specific instructions for implementation hinders the effective integration of EE into the school system. The documents primarily emphasize bureaucratic actions without providing a comprehensive strategic plan. This reflects a lack of commitment and results in performative policy language.

GOING BEYOND THE TEXT
As policy documents construct a particular view of reality and are influenced by the perspectives and goals of their authors and target audiences (Chambers, 2009), it is essential to explore the underlying assumptions, values, and discursive strategies that shape them. This requires employing the meso and macro levels of CDA to examine the broader societal and political contexts. In this study, the PEE framework was utilized for understanding “how the reciprocal relations between political economic forces influence educational priorities affecting the production, dissemination, and contestation of environmental knowledge at various interconnected scales” (Meek, 2015, p.448).
Particularly, the framework helps offer valuable insights into power dynamics and their negotiation throughout the process of developing, distributing, and implementing the EE policy. In the context of Vietnam’s top-down administrative model, characterized by an emphasis on obedience and limited tolerance for dissent, power distribution can hinder open and meaningful dialogues, creating a climate of fear among lower-level contributors who seek to advocate for policy changes (Nghia, 2005). Additionally, the analysis sheds light on the lack of representation and inclusion of marginalized groups, who bear the brunt of climate change and environmental disasters, in the formulation and implementation of the EE policy.
The analysis also reveals a strong emphasis on economic development, industrialization, modernization, and international integration, reflecting the government’s prioritization of global competitiveness and adherence to neoliberal values. Academic achievements are primarily measured based on meeting market demands rather than focusing on comprehensive knowledge and skills. This underscores the country’s ideology and aligns with previous policy analyses, emphasizing the government’s prioritization of science and technology as key drivers of progress. Notably, the Education Law 2019, the highest-level governing document for education in Vietnam, does not explicitly mention EE, while emphasizing the importance of science and technology in education and highlighting their role in the country’s economic growth and international integration.
Taking a deeper look, the macro-level analysis examines the historical and cultural factors that have shaped Vietnam’s educational policies and practices. Confucianism, shaped by centuries of Sinicization, has influenced Vietnam’s educational philosophy with a focus on serving the nation’s interests and meeting construction and defense requirements (Tho, 2016). Consequently, sectors aligned with the current development priorities (e.g. modernization, industrialization, and international integration) receive greater emphasis. This approach underscores the practical and phased nature of Vietnamese education. Furthermore, the Vietnamese education system inherited characteristics from the former Soviet model, placing a strong emphasis on technical and heavy industry fields for post-war reconstruction (Pham & Fry, 2004). This emphasis persists today, with traditional disciplines like engineering, industry, and business receiving more recognition, overshadowing social sciences, humanities, and emerging fields like environmental studies. These factors contribute to the chronic undervaluation of EE. This analysis emphasizes the influence of political and economic factors on education policies and underscores the importance of considering the local context in analyzing them.

Author

• Tien Pham, OISE, University of Toronto