17mln USD to be spent on education for minority groups

The Prime Minister has approved a 341 billion VND (17 million USD) project to improve educational facilities and training standards for students from nine minority groups with low populations from 2010-15.

The investment would help students to work their way out of poverty while preserving their own traditional identity, said Mong Ky Slay, head of the Ethnic Minority Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training.

A ministry report showed that the nine groups live in poor disadvantaged areas, where literacy levels are between just 30-40 percent and only 15 percent of the people can speak the national language. Most children from the groups drop out of school after second or third grade and few make it to high school or higher education.

The project will focus on upgrading infrastructure and equipping schools with more teaching materials.

It will also pay for training to give teachers a better understanding of the minority groups they teach.

Each poor pre-school student will be entitled to 30 percent of the government minimum salary per month, which currently stands at 730,000 VND (37.5 USD).

Pupils enrolled in primary schools will receive assistance of 40-60 percent, students in secondary boarding schools will receive 60 percent while students at boarding high schools will receive 100 percent of the minimum salary.

All the students will be encouraged to follow further education and high school graduates wishing to attend colleges, universities or vocational schools will be given priority depending on their abilities and desires.

Van Trong Luu, deputy head of Kon Tum province's Minority Group Education Management Division said that students from the Brau and Bo Mam ethnic groups have been given care and support under Government and provincial policies including scholarships and meals.

However, those students are included in a socio-economic development programme for remote disadvantaged areas whereas this project is the first of its kind aimed at minority groups with low populations.

The project will support the O Du, Pu Peo, Si La, Ro Nam, Cong, B'rau, Bo Y, Mang and Co Lao groups from the provinces of Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, central Nghe An and the Central Highland province of Kon Tum; each has a population of 300-2,000 people./.

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$17m to be spent on education for minority groups

HA NOI — The Prime Minister has approved a VND341 billion (US$17 million) project to improve educational facilities and training standards for students from nine minority groups with low populations from 2010-15.

The investment would help students to work their way out of poverty while preserving their own traditional identity, said Mong Ky Slay, head of the Ethnic Minority Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training.

A ministry report showed that the nine groups live in poor disadvantaged areas, where literacy levels are between just 30-40 per cent and only 15 per cent of the people can speak the national language. Most children from the groups drop out of school after second or third grade and few make it to high school or higher education.

The project will focus on upgrading infrastructure and equipping schools with more teaching materials.

It will also pay for teaching training to give teachers a better understanding of the minority groups they teach.

Each poor pre-school student will be entitled to 30 per cent of the government minimum salary per month, which currently stands at VND730,000 ($37.5).

Pupils enrolled in primary schools will receive assistance of 40-60 per cent, students in secondary boarding schools will receive 60 per cent while students at boarding high schools will receive 100 per cent of the minimum salary.

All the students will be encouraged to follow further education and high school graduates wishing to attend colleges, universities or vocational schools will be given priority depending on their abilities and desires.

Van Trong Luu, deputy head of Kon Tum Province's Minority Group Education Management Division said that students from the Brau and Bo Mam ethnic groups had been given care and support under Government and provincial policies including scholarships and meals.

However, those students were included in a socio-economic development programme for remote disadvantaged areas whereas this project is the first of its kind aimed at minority groups with low populations.

The project will support the O Du, Pu Peo, Si La, Ro Nam, Cong, B'rau, Bo Y, Mang and Co Lao groups from the provinces of Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, central Nghe An and the Central Highland province of Kon Tum; each has a population of 300-2,000 people. — VNS

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Access to microfinance helps poor groups

A workshop was held in the northern midland province of Phu Tho on September 16 to implement a microfinance support programme, helping promote better access to sustainable, affordable and diversified financial services by low-income groups in Vietnam.

The project, funded by Cordiad from the Netherlands with technical assistance from the International Labour Orgainisation (ILO), will build institutional and operational capacity of microfinance stakeholders through the establishment of a network of qualified training providers, and the strengthening of the representation roles of the microfinance working group.

It will also improve access to savings products for low-income groups and promote microinsurance initiatives for the low-income population.

The project emphasises linking training institutions with resource trainers/practitioners in the area of microfinance, exploring innovative channels for distributing savings and insurance products to a greater number of poor in rural and remote areas, and enhancing the financial capabilities of low-income groups to enable them to make informed choices on money matters.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam spoke highly of the project in helping the ministry to make policies relating to poverty reduction and risk mitigation.

“Through the project, we do hope that concerned line ministries and agencies will recognise the importance and ways for effective cooperation between policy makers, microfinance service providers and social organisations for the best interest of Vietnamese people, especially low-income groups,” he said.

Rie Vejs-Kjeldgaard, ILO country director, said the project continues to demonstrate the strong commitment of the ILO in assisting the government of Vietnam in developing effective social protection policies under the framework of Decent Work for All.

Microfinance has developed gradually during the past 20 years, reaching over six million low-income people in all provinces of the country.

However, the microfinance sector in Vietnam has not fully realised its potential for fostering economic and social development in comparison with other regional countries, since there is no leading training institution in the sector./.

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Vietnamese ethnic culture-tourism village to open

The Culture-Tourism Village of Vietnamese ethnic groups is scheduled to open on September 19 as a project in celebration of Thang Long-Hanoi millennium anniversary.

Located on a 1,544-ha area in Dong Mo , Son Tay of Hanoi, the site is a complex of traditional Vietnamese architectures, highlighting unique characteristics of the nation’s culture.
Apart from typical architectural work of each ethnic group, like houses, communal houses, pagodas, many production tools, fine arts and craft, rice cultivation techniques will be introduced.

There are also functional and service quarters with malls, restaurants, hotels, sports, parks, and resorts.

A series of activities will held on the opening day such as ethnic groups’ specialty fair, food festival, cultural and art performance, folk games and sports.

with its construction starting in 2003, the village that features values of the distinctive cultures of each of Vietnam ’s 54 ethnic groups, is expected to be an attractive destination for local and foreign tourists./.

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