Lawmakers highlight importance of education in ethnic minority-inhabited areas

Deputy Nguyen Thi Lan Anh from the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai said that education and training for students, and labourers in the areas has always received due attention from the Party and State, as many relevant policies have been promulgated and carried out, including the above-mentioned national target programme.

The programme has had a positive impact on the lives of people and ethnic minorities, especially those in border mountainous provinces, she said, but pointing out several problems arising from the practical implementation.

According to the deputy, vocational education establishments in ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas, including colleges and continuing education centres, still lack facilities and training equipment, while investment sources for education and training are limited and cannot meet demand.

Therefore, she proposed including these training facilities in the list of those benefited from the national target programme.

Emphasising the importance of investing in education for talented students who are ethnic minorities, deputy Truong Xuan Cu from the capital city of Hanoi suggested using funds from the budget or having training "contracts" with high schools for the gifted under universities in major cities.

Delegates also proposed a policy to send qualified individuals and excellent ethnic minority students to study in countries that share borders with their localities to create human resources to contribute to the goal of international integration in border provinces.