Beat it: Women play gongs at a festival of the Muong ethnic group. The Muong's cultural heritage is one of the subjects for a heritage education project launched by UNESCO. — VNA/VNS Photo Le Ba Lieu

HA NOI — Education will help students understand and act on the importance of preserving Viet Nam's heritage, Nguyen Van Huy, vice director of the Centre for Cultural Heritage Research and Promotion (CCH) said at a workshop.

The event was held in Ha Noi yesterday as part of UNESCO's Culture and Development Week.

Current educational practices in Viet Nam offers little linkage between schools, museums and heritage, Huy said.

"UNESCO's intervention in the field of heritage education has strengthened the chain and advocated the inclusion of heritage education in curriculum," he said.

The workshop was aimed at reviewing and evaluating projects implemented by UNESCO and various organisations in integrating cultural heritage education into school curriculum and to promote such models at national level.

Since 2010, UNESCO co-operated with the CCH in Ha Noi schools, the northern province of Hoa Binh and the Central Highlands province of Dac Nong to develop heritage education.

Until now, heritage education programmes have included education at museums, vestiges and cultural sites, promotion of the ethnic Muong in Hoa Binh Province and intangible cultural heritage sites in Ha Noi as well as the preservation of Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage site.

"Both students and teachers are more creative and active since joining our projects and carry out regular field trips to cultural vestiges," Huy said.

"Students not only obtain knowledge about national heritage, but also learn skills such as taking photos, interviewing, filming and making speeches."

Huy said obstacles include the lack of education authority participation in the projects and teacher attitudes towards preparing materials related to heritage education. Representatives from schools and the Ministry of Education and Training attended the workshop. — VNS