Quang Nam invests in developing education in mountainous areas

The dormitory and cafeteria of the Dong Giang Ethnic Boarding Secondary School in Quang Nam Province are located behind the newly built and renovated classrooms. In the morning, the teachers are preparing lunch for the students. The school educates 277 students from grades 6 to 9 who are ethnic minorities in the district. All students stay in the dormitory throughout the school year, only returning home a few times a year during the holidays or when there is an emergency at home.

Freezer for preserving fresh food

Every day, members of the school's Board of Directors inspect the kitchen, dining room, and student dormitories. Teacher Bui Thanh Chung, Principal of Dong Giang Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Quang Nam Province, boasts that recently, from the capital of Sub-Project 1 of Project 5 of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas, the school was granted funding to buy a freezer to preserve fresh food, a cabinet to store main food, a clothes rack, a shelf for students' dishes, and student desks and chairs. Previously, the kitchen did not have a freezer, so food had to be prepared in the morning to be eaten all day. Now, food is stored in the freezer, which is very convenient and ensures food hygiene and safety.

Teacher Bui Thanh Chung said that the school is completing procedures to receive additional equipment such as televisions for teaching, student beds, wardrobes, water heaters for students to bathe in winter, etc., ensuring students' accommodation, living and studying.

“100% of the students are boarding students at the school. This project is very effective, improving the living conditions of the students. On the school side, we also hope that all levels pay attention to the issue of accommodation for boarding students. The school always ensures that there are no cases of dropping out of school and the quality of education of the school has been maintained well over the years.”

Dong Giang Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities has been invested in purchasing student desks and chairs.

Dong Giang is one of the poor mountainous districts in Quang Nam province. From many different sources, every year, the district prioritizes investment in repairing and building new school facilities, purchasing teaching equipment, and basically eliminating thatched, bamboo, reed, leaf or wooden classrooms. However, many schools and student dormitories that were built too long ago have now degraded. From the capital of Sub-Project 1 under Project 5 on Developing Education and Training, Improving the Quality of Human Resources of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2025 period, the district has invested in upgrading, repairing, purchasing teaching equipment and providing accommodation for 4 schools with boarding and semi-boarding students.

Mr. Nguyen Van Le, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Dong Giang district, Quang Nam province, said that the District People's Committee continues to adjust and supplement the Department of Education and Training with 2 billion VND to purchase equipment for the remaining schools:

“Most of the purchased equipment is very practical, the children really need it. The biggest need now is accommodation, some schools have been built for a long time and need to be repaired to be solid and spacious. Recently, the District People's Committee also adjusted and supplemented the Department of Education with more than 2 billion VND along with capital from the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas.”

Class hours of students at Dong Giang Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Quang Nam Province

In 2024, the mountainous district of Dong Giang was allocated more than 15 billion VND by Quang Nam province from the capital source of the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2025 period to continue investing in education. Mr. Do Huu Tung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Giang district, Quang Nam province, said that the People's Committee of the district has issued a "Project to improve the quality of school facilities to meet national standards", requiring a budget of about 86 billion VND:

“The need to build a national standard school for ethnic minorities and mountainous areas requires a large amount of capital because it is related to many factors, due to the historical factor of school construction not being uniform. Currently, the district is implementing Circular 13 of the Ministry of Education and Training, which has many new things. However, through implementation, the capital to ensure according to criterion number 3 of this Circular on facilities is too large. If the investment is completed and maintained, it will require more than 86 billion VND. Dong Giang is a poor district, so it really needs investment from the state,” said Mr. Do Huu Tung.

The ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Quang Nam province currently have 199 schools. The model of boarding and semi-boarding schools for ethnic minorities has greatly contributed to the training of cadres, fostering and developing quality human resources for ethnic minority and mountainous areas. However, subject classrooms and equipment in some schools do not meet the requirements of the 2018 General Education Program. The project "Supporting the development of education in mountainous areas of Quang Nam province for the period 2021 - 2025" aims to accelerate the process of gradually reducing the gap in education quality between mountainous districts and the plains. Accordingly, the province invests in arranging and completing the school network system, building facilities in the direction of meeting prescribed standards, ensuring safety against natural disasters; improving the capacity of teachers and educational managers to be sufficient in quantity, qualified in profession, and reasonable in structure.

Prepare lunch for boarding students

Up to now, from the capital of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2025 period, Quang Nam province has built 53 school projects. The program's capital is allocated to the Department of Education and Training and the People's Committees of the districts for implementation; of which the Department of Education and Training is allocated more than 12 billion VND to invest in facilities and equipment for 4 affiliated ethnic boarding schools.

Mr. Thai Viet Tuong, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Nam province, said that the capital source of the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2025 period has contributed to continuing to consolidate and reasonably develop the system of ethnic minority boarding schools and semi-boarding schools, and schools with semi-boarding students; investing in supplementing and upgrading facilities for schools that have not met national standards.

“The Education sector implements a number of state policies, from the capital of the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, policies on border areas and a number of other policies to support schools in these areas. The sector has coordinated with localities to rearrange and relocate schools and school locations in accordance with the socio-economic conditions in these areas, especially in accordance with the conditions of population distribution in mountainous areas."

Source: https://vov.vn/xa-hoi/quang-nam-dau-tu-phat-trien-giao-duc-mien-nui-post1132366.vov