Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religion Dao Ngoc Dung during a visit and working session at the Sam Son Ethnic Minority Pre-University School, Thanh Hoa province - Photo: VGP/Anh Dung
This was the view expressed by Central Committee member and Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religion Dao Ngoc Dung during his visit and working session at the Sam Son Ethnic Minority Pre-University School (Thanh Hoa province) on the afternoon of December 14th.
During the meeting, Dr. Le Lam, the Rector of the school, reported to the Minister on the results of implementing the Party and State's guidelines and policies, especially in the field of human resource development for ethnic minority areas. The school proactively implemented directives on ethnic education and fully carried out the tasks of the academic year. The staff and lecturers basically met the professional requirements, demonstrated a sense of responsibility, solidarity, and dedication to their profession.
Currently, the school is educating approximately 600 students from ethnic minority groups. Notably, for the 2025-2026 academic year, the number of applications for admission increased sharply, reaching nearly 3,000 while the enrollment quota is only over 600 students, demonstrating the growing demand for education among children from ethnic minority groups.
On March 31, 2025, the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions approved the investment project for the school's infrastructure under Decision No. 154/QD-BDTTG. However, due to obstacles related to the planning of commercial and tourism land in Area A and part of Area B, funding from the National Target Program could not be implemented. Therefore, many essential items such as facilities, dormitories, fire safety equipment, technical infrastructure in Area A, and the 5-story dormitory and dining hall in Area B have not yet been renovated or upgraded, affecting the living conditions of boarding students.
During the meeting, leaders of specialized departments of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions directly exchanged views, answered questions, and proposed solutions to overcome difficulties and create favorable conditions for the school to effectively carry out its educational and training tasks in the future.
Minister Dao Ngoc Dung: "With the specific target group being children of ethnic minorities, this is a suitable and effective model that needs to be maintained and improved" - Photo: VGP/Anh Dung
In his concluding remarks, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung emphasized that this is a unique educational model, unlike any existing model. Education in mountainous areas, especially education for ethnic minorities, is a "difficult area within a difficult area," requiring special attention.
Resolution 71-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development has raised major questions: Why haven't ethnic minority youth received a complete education? Why do educational "gaps" still exist? Why is there a shortage of personnel, and has investment been adequate? This is an area of particular concern to the Central Committee.
Based on that policy, and at the initiative of the General Secretary, the Central Committee decided to invest in 248 combined primary and secondary schools in remote, border, and disadvantaged areas, prioritizing those facing difficulties; initially, 100 schools will be implemented. Each school will have a scale of approximately 5 hectares, with an investment of over 200 billion VND, ensuring adequate learning, living, and recreational conditions for students.
"Returning to the current school model, legally it is neither a university nor a high school, but rather a model for training and building a foundation for students to qualify for university. Given the specific target group of children from ethnic minority communities, this model is suitable, effective, and should be maintained and improved," the Minister emphasized.
To achieve this, the Minister first requested urgent coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training to fundamentally revise Circular 44/2021/TT-BGDĐT, resolving obstacles related to mechanisms. Schools need to be granted genuine autonomy, from student recruitment to training, with clear preferential policies for ethnic minority students; the State should play the role of commissioning and ensuring investment responsibility. Along with that, it is necessary to clearly define training programs, policies for teachers, and mechanisms for self-assessment and evaluation.
Furthermore, schools must maintain close ties with the local communities where they are located to leverage available support and ensure sustainable development. The curriculum must be clear and targeted, with students at the center. Students should be cared for as if they were in a shared home: learning about culture, preserving their ethnic identity and language; and simultaneously, technology and foreign languages should be mandatory requirements.
Regarding infrastructure, the Minister directed that investment must be rapid, decisive, and substantial, especially in classrooms, dormitories, dining halls, and learning equipment. All implementation stages must be objective and transparent, prioritizing the interests of students above all else; absolutely no waste or mismanagement is allowed. Any inappropriate aspects will be reviewed and adjusted during the implementation process. The Minister stated that the groundbreaking ceremony for the overall construction project is expected to be held on December 30-31, 2025, via online connection with Viet Bac Highland High School and a remote location in Ho Chi Minh City.
Minister Dao Ngoc Dung: Education in mountainous areas, especially education for ethnic minorities, is a "difficult area of difficulty," requiring special attention - Photo: VGP/Anh Dung
During the working session, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung also personally inspected the living and learning conditions of the students; surveyed and listened to reports on the preparation for investment projects to build, renovate, upgrade, and repair infrastructure; and presented gifts to the school.
Son Hao
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/can-tiep-tuc-hoan-thien-mo-hinh-du-bi-dai-hoc-dan-toc-102251214201544558.htm
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