Nguyen Hai Huu, Ph.D.
Former Director of Child Department, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs
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| Students of Tran Quoc Tuan primary school, Chu Drang commune, Krong Pa district, Gia Lai province, read books in the school library__Photo: Hong Diep/VNA |
Cultural, sports, entertainment and recreational activities are of great significance for the all-sided development of people, particularly children. Good physical and spiritual strength is essential for children’s all-round development. Correctly perceiving and assessing the current state of cultural and sports institutions for children is very important for their development.
Legal provisions on children’s rights to participate in cultural, sports, entertainment and recreational activities
Cultural, sports, entertainment and recreational activities constitute a group of basic rights of children, as outlined in the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which came into effect in 1990.
“The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, or in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice. The exercise of this right may be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary; “the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; the right to freedom of association and to freedom of peaceful assembly”.[1]
“States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity”.[2]
Cultural, sports, entertainment and recreational activities constitute a group of fundamental rights of children, as prescribed in Vietnam’s 2016 Law on Children.
The right to entertainment and recreation
Children have the right to engage in entertainment and recreational activities. They are entitled to equal opportunities to participate in cultural, artistic, physical exercise, sports and tourist activities suitable to their age groups.
The right to preserve and promote identity
Children have the right to have their personal characteristics and values respected in accordance with their age and ethnic culture and to be recognized within family relations.
Children have the right to use their own language and scripts, preserve identities, and promote the cultural traditions, fine customs and practices of their ethnic groups.
The right to freedom of belief and religion
Children have the right to freedom of belief and religion, to follow or not to follow any religion, and must be assured safety in their best interests”.[3]
With Circular 13/2021/TT/BLDTBXH dated September 30, 2021, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs issued a set of indexes to monitor the situation of children and child abuse, and prescribed the administrative handling of child abuse acts. The statistical index on cultural and sports institutions for children comprises: the percentage of hamlets or equivalent administrative units with cultural and sports institutions for children; and the rate of communes, wards and townships with cultural and entertainment locations for children.
The children’s rights to participate in cultural, sports, entertainment and recreational activities have been recognized both nationally and internationally by law. Therefore, administrations at all levels, sectors and relevant organizations have the responsibility to support children in exercising these rights.
Role of cultural and sports institutions for children
The term “cultural and sports institutions for children” refers to cultural and sports agencies established by the State or social communities according to law or regulations of sectors or organizations. These institutions aim to meet the cultural, sports, entertainment and recreational needs of children, contributing to the development of a healthy cultural life in local communities.
The system of grassroots cultural and sports institutions plays an important role in disseminating the Party’s line and the State’s policies and laws. They organize cultural, artistic, physical training and sports activities, thus contributing to building the cultural life at the grassroots level and preserving and promoting national cultural identity.
Cultural and sports institutions for children are crucial in organizing cultural, sports, entertainment and recreation activities appropriate to their age, enhancing their physical and spiritual well-being, and contributing to their all-sided development.
Cultural and sports institutions also serve as material bases and direct and active instruments for Party Committees and administrations in leading and directing the exercise of children’s rights, and as the tool for building child-safe and friendly communities.
In the current context of national industrialization and modernization as well as new-style countryside building, cultural and sports institutions play an increasingly important role. They mobilize public participation in exercising the child’s rights and organizing cultural and sports activities appropriate to children’s age and social ethical norms, especially those aligning with regional and ethnic customs and practices.
Overall, cultural and sports institutions, particularly those for children, are contributing significantly to sustainable social development.
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| Children practice ball-controlling skills at Community Football Center Starlink in PhuTho province__Photo: VNA |
Current state of cultural and sports institutions
After nearly 40 years of doi moi (renewal), the cultural life of people in general and children in particular has seen continuous improvements. The system of cultural and sports institutions has been modernized, effectively meeting the people’s spiritual needs.
However, despite the fast and sustainable development as compared with other areas, cultural, sports, entertainment and recreational institutions for children still receive modest investment.
On November 11, 2013, the Prime Minister issued Decision 2164/QD-TTg, approving the 2013-20 master plan for developing grassroots cultural and sports institutions, with a vision toward 2030. These include grassroots cultural and sports institutions serving youth, pioneers and young pioneers such as district-level pioneer houses; pioneer palaces, and provincial-level pioneer houses or centers.
Recently, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and localities have actively implemented the measures identified in the Prime Minister’s Decision.
According to a report of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, by the end of August 2022, there were 66 provincial-level cultural and sports institutions, including cultural centers, cultural and art centers, and cultural and cinematographic centers. Additionally, 674 out of 704 rural and urban districts had their own cultural and sports centers or cultural houses; and 8,217 out of 10,599 communes, wards and townships had cultural and sports centers, including those meeting the standards. Moreover, 77,380 out of 98,455 villages and hamlets had cultural houses, including standard ones[4].
As of now, 40 provinces and centrally run cities have allocated land for the construction of cultural and sports institutions, including three provincial-level cultural centers with modern facilities in Bac Lieu, Ben Tre and Quang Binh.
Limitations and challenges
First, the current legal framework for cultural, sports, entertainment and recreation institutions for children is incomplete. It only prescribes such institutions under the management of the Central Committee of the Youth Union and does not specify children’s right to benefit from or use common community cultural institutions at all levels.
Second, many cultural institutions for children and population communities have aged and deteriorated, failing to serve their intended purpose. Many villages or hamlets still lack cultural institutions for children.
Third, in some localities, the management of cultural and sports institutions for children is inadequate; the material bases of these institutions are often misused as market places or for production and business activities. Children’s access to cultural, sports, entertainment and recreation institutions remains limited due to the lack of specific regulations and guidance.
Fourth, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a number of localities have not reserved land areas for cultural and sports institutions or invested in their construction.
Fifth, many provincial- and district-level cultural and sports centers have become obsolete, with poor material bases. They fail to meet the cultural, sports, entertainment and recreation needs of local people, particularly children.
Sixth, the central and local budgets as well as mobilized resources for investment in equipment and activities of these institutions remain limited.
Solution recommendations
Raising awareness and finalizing the legal framework on cultural and sports institutions for children
It is necessary to have a broader perception of cultural and sports facilities (audio-visual, reading, writing culture) at central, provincial, district, commune and village, and school levels. They include swimming pools, libraries, television, radio, museum, books for children, gyms, cultural houses, sports centers, and playgrounds.
It is suggested to work out specific regulations to ensure children’s access to and benefits from these cultural and sports institutions, catering their entertainment, recreation, physical training and educational needs.
Mobilizing resources for investment in cultural and sports facilities for children
It is required to implement priority policies for synchronous investment in a standard system of cultural and sports institutions from districts to villages, including those for children. Public or public-private construction of cultural and sports facilities for children should be encouraged.
Working out a master plan on management and establishment of operational mechanisms for cultural and sports institutions
Based on the clear definition of types of cultural and sports institutions in general and those for children in particular, it is necessary to determine their development requirements and plans for each period in line with the socio-economic development of the country and localities.
Agencies managing cultural and sports facilities should work out specific regulations to facilitate children’s easy access to these facilities and organize activities to meet their cultural, sports, entertainment and recreation needs.
Enhancing the efficiency of cultural and sports institutions and facilities for children
The content and methods of cultural and sports activities should be renewed to better meet children’s demands, with a focus on minority children and children with disabilities.
The effectiveness of cultural and sports competitions and festivals should be improved, while grassroots cultural and sports clubs for children need to be established.-
[1] Articles 13, 14 and 15, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
[2] Article 31, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
[3] Articles 16 thru 19, the 2016 Law on Children.
[4] The 2022 Report of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
