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.

Source: VNA