Addressing the
event, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Vinh Hien highlighted
the significance of the project, and praised the United Nations Children Fund
(UNICEF)’s support for Vietnam’s education cause, especially in ethnic minority
areas.
The ministry encourages localities to expand the project, he stressed, adding
that this helps not only teach Vietnamese language to ethnic minority pupils but
also improve the education quality and efficiency in ethnic minority areas,
contributing to preserving cultural identities of ethnic minority groups.
During the event,
participants shared experience in implementing the project and discussed future
cooperation orientations in the context of comprehensive education reform in
Vietnam.
The Ministry of Education and Training has successfully implemented the UNICEF’s
initiative promoting mother tongue-based bilingual education in Lao Cai, Gia Lai
and Tra Vinh provinces since 2008.
Mother tongue-based bilingual education is an effective approach to help ensure
children have equal access to quality education, empowering ethnic minority
groups, assisting in their societal integration and contributing to the
country’s sustainable development.
Studies and results from the project show that the use of the mother tongue
encourages and supports learning of ethnic minority students, encouraging them
to remain in school and improve their academic achievements, skills and
attitude. Ethnic minority children taught in their native languages have better
educational outcomes than their peers learning in Vietnamese.
VNA