EDUCATION

EDUCATION

Boarding houses offer free charge to poor Ethnic students

Poverty statistics show that spending per head in ethnic minority households in the mountainous areas of central Vietnam is 14 times lower than that of Kinh or Chinese households, even if all other characteristics are the same. And ethnic minority families are more numerous and have more children than average. The combined effect of these elements is that the households of these minorities are dramatically poorer.

Four groups living in the central highlands (the Ba-na, the Gia-rai, the E-de and the Co-ho) are classified among the poorest ethnic groups. People from ethnic minorities are less well educated than their Kinh and Chinese compatriots. Although indicators show that progress is being made, they still lag a long way behind.

The proportion of ethnic minority children attending primary school has steadied at around 80%, which is approximately 12% less than the proportion among the other communities.

The gap is wider still when it comes to secondary education. Recent studies have attributed these poverty gaps to insufficient infrastructure, a lack of means of communication, cultural barriers and language, the limited quality of teachers (and an inadequate curriculum) and a perception that education gives a low return on investment.

According to statistics from the education ministry, in the South-Central and Central Highlands provinces around 250,000 people between 15 and 35 are illiterate and 150,000 six- to 11-year olds do not go to school. Only 72% of 14-year-olds are finishing their primary education. In Tay Nguyen some 53.9% of children from the Gia Lai ethnic minority, 52% of children from the Ba Na ethnic minority and 50% of other ethnic minority children are not in school (from an article entitled ‘The Education Situation in Tay Nguyen’ in ‘Education Today’, 7/6/2003).

The proportion of ethnic minority children receiving primary schooling is 23.7%, lower secondary 6.1% and upper secondary just 0.7% (also from ‘The Education Situation in Tay Nguyen’ – see above).

Primary schools in the Tay Nguyen central highlands are divided into small classes which are between 7 and 40 km from the parent school. The Tu Mo Rong primary school in Dakto Kontum, for example, has 10 small classes at a distance of 7 to 10 km. The classes of the Mo Nong school in Chu Pah district are between 30 and 40 km from the parent school. Villages such as Mang Buk ,Dak Rin and Ngoc Tum in the Daklay district of Kontum and many other villages in provinces of Gia Lai and Daklak have no means of transport. The children in these villages have a very long walk to school.

Faced with a shortage of teachers, the schools in Tay Nguyen are forced to take on teaching staff who have no proper training. They take preparatory teacher-training courses lasting between one and six months in order to become teachers. In Daklak province 54% of primary teachers are non-professionals.

As part of an effort to improve the education levels of ethnic minority children, SPC Danang is supporting a key programme in the mountainous regions where these ethnic minorities live. It is a programme which focuses on developing education in the most disadvantaged communities of these remote mountain regions.

These progressive projects are helping to raise the education level of the ethnic minorities in these particularly disadvantaged regions.

We are currently in the process of developing a network of four boarding houses in the three provinces of Kontum, Gia Lai and Daklak for 305 ethnic minority students who will play an important role in future socioeconomic development in the region.

+ Pleiku (Gia Lai): 155 boys, 16 to 18 years

Contact: Sister Thérésita Le Thi Lien, director of the Pleiku Boarding House.

Tel: 8459 824232

Email: spcpku@dng.vnn.vn

+ Phu Bon (Gia Lai): 50 girls, 7 to 16 years

+ Chi Lang, Buon Ma Thuot (Daklak): 18 boys and 32 girls, 7 to 14 years

Contact: Sister Françoise Savier Bui Thi Khoa, director of the Buon Ma Thuot Boarding House.

Tel: 8450 827234

+ Kontum : 60 girls from 6 to 18 years.

Contact: Sister Anne Doan Thi Tam, director of the Kontum Boarding House

Email : cdphaolokt@yahoo.com.vn

Your donation can make all the difference to the lives of poor students from ethnic minorities.

Thank you for your contribution:

In Europe:

HSBC (Luxembourg) S.A.

Swift code: BLICLULX

Address: 32, boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg

Account number:

- EUR: LU771470063710494087

- USD: LU021470063710494079

Ref.: Couvent St Paul de Chartres, Danang, BMTVN200603

Beneficiaries: Mrs Madeleine STEINITZ and Mrs Do Ly Lan LE

In Vietnam :

Vietcombank

Swift code: BFTVVNVX004

Address: 140-142 Le Loi st., Danang

Tel: (0511) 823503 – 823753 * Fax: 826062

Account number:

- VND: 0041000371467

- USD: 0041370371477

- Other currencies: 0041140371482

Beneficiary: Sister Huynh Thi An

Ref.: BMTVN200603