The second Education Development Fair that opened in HCM City yesterday aimed to stimulate educational innovations in Viet Nam, organizers said. Huynh Cong Minh, director of the city's Department of Education and Training, told the opening ceremony the fair aimed to encourage more investment to the education sector. Nearly 120 booths run by 70 domestic and international enterprises and educational institutions are showcasing textbooks, learning tools and education products and services. The four-day event would also meet the demand of schools and students for the new 2010-11 academic year, Minh said. The country's advanced schooling models and information about investment from domestic and international enterprises and institutions in the city and neighboring provinces would be popularized to visitors. Representatives from 30 educational and training departments and agencies nationwide would participate in educational forums and seminars, Minh said. At the fair, the Viet Nam Education Publishing House handed out 6,120 new textbook kits to elementary and junior high school students in HCM City and eight southern provinces. Visitors can also meet and exchange with popular children's writers and poets at a forum titled "The library is the heart of the school" to encourage reading among students. It is being held at the Phu Tho Exhibition Center in District 11 until Sunday.
