Vietnam Govt to Invest More to Improve Central Highlands Education

The Vietnamese government has decided to uplift the living standards of ethnic minority groups in the central highlands region by providing more educational facilities from 2011-2015. The government plans to invest more in education and vocational training courses so that by 2015 most of the districts in the central highlands and mountainous areas in the region will have boarding schools. The country also aims that 96% of ethnic minority children from the age of five will have opportunities to access good educational facilities and learn the Vietnamese language and culture from an early age. By 2015, many more, better and regular education facilities and community studying centers will be set up in communes to eradicate illiteracy amongst people above the age of 15. Two more universities including one private school and four colleges will be established in the region by 2015. As the average percentage of people entering universities in the central highlands is the lowest among regions, the government wants to raise this ratio to 180 students in every 10,000. It also wants to raise the number of ethnic minority students to 20% by 2015. (Saigon Giai Phong Nov 5)