Strengthening Vietnamese language, improving education quality in ethnic minority areas

On the morning of November 6, in Ninh Binh, the Ministry of Education and Training held a conference to summarize the Project "Enhancing Vietnamese language for preschool children and primary school students of ethnic minorities in the period 2016-2020, with a vision to 2025".

The conference was attended by Permanent Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong, representatives of central ministries, branches and localities nationwide.

Speaking at the opening of the Conference, Permanent Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong emphasized: “The Conference is an opportunity to review the implementation process, evaluate the results achieved, share experiences, models, and good practices from localities. I hope that delegates will discuss frankly and substantially, and propose practical solutions to improve the effectiveness of enhancing Vietnamese language for children in ethnic minority areas.”

Outstanding results after 7 years of implementation

According to a report by the Ministry of Education and Training, after 7 years of implementation (2016-2023), the Project to enhance Vietnamese language for preschool children and primary school students of ethnic minorities has achieved many clear results.
By May 2025, the whole country will have 4,913 kindergartens with a large number of ethnic minority children, with 882,845 children attending school (an increase of more than 128,000 children compared to 2015).
The rate of ethnic minority children receiving Vietnamese language enhancement is 98.7%, an increase of 0.8% compared to the first phase. The number of children studying 2 sessions/day is nearly 98.5%.

Facilities have been significantly improved: 99% of preschools with ethnic minority children have built environments that enhance Vietnamese language, and nearly 2,000 schools have friendly libraries for parents to read books with their children.
The teaching staff has been improved in both quality and bilingual capacity: more than 90% of teachers are qualified, 54% are ethnic minorities, and over 52% of teachers know the children's mother tongue.

Training and coaching activities were widely deployed, with over 52,000 teachers receiving specialized training to enhance Vietnamese language, and nearly 100,000 young ethnic minority parents receiving Vietnamese language training to support their children's learning at home.

Localities have been creative in implementation: building "Green Libraries", "Vietnamese Lovers Clubs", organizing storytelling contests, poetry readings, Vietnamese language exchanges... to help children become bolder and more confident in communication, contributing to reducing the language gap when entering primary school.

At the Conference, representatives from provinces and cities across the country presented reports, shared the results of the Project implementation, experiences in organizing activities to enhance Vietnamese language and effective models in the locality. Many presentations highlighted creative solutions in mobilizing resources, building a Vietnamese communication environment, connecting families - schools - communities in supporting ethnic minority children to develop language.

Striving to overcome difficulties, towards the period 2026 - 2030

Besides the results achieved, the report also pointed out some difficulties: many localities still lack teachers, especially teachers who know the mother tongue of children; facilities and learning materials to enhance Vietnamese language are still lacking, especially in remote areas.
The Ministry of Education and Training has determined that in the coming period, it will focus on implementing a model of enhancing Vietnamese language on the basis of mother tongue, improving teacher capacity, mobilizing social resources and expanding international cooperation to improve the quality of education in ethnic minority areas.

In his closing speech at the Conference, Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong affirmed: “The project to enhance Vietnamese has brought practical benefits, helping ethnic minority children to be confident, integrate and absorb the curriculum well. In the coming time, the Ministry of Education and Training will continue to direct and remove difficulties for localities, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to study in an equal, safe and culturally rich environment.”

The Deputy Minister requested localities to continue to strictly implement policies to support teachers and children in ethnic minority areas, train staff, and build a natural and rich Vietnamese communication environment, contributing to the successful implementation of the goal of universalizing and improving the quality of preschool education in the 2026-2030 period.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/tang-cuong-tieng-viet-nang-cao-chat-luong-giao-duc-vung-dan-toc-thieu-so-post755555.html