The move comes as every province and city nationwide prepares for the 2009-2010 academic year, which will officially start early this month. 

For primary school pupils from ethnic minority groups, the ministry has instructed all education departments to encourage local children aged between 4-5 to attend nursery school so they can learn Vietnamese. 

The MoET’s directive requires education departments to increase the number of Vietnamese classes for 1st year pupils to 500 from the current 350 and combine teaching Vietnamese with other subjects, extra curriculum activities and cultural exchanges. 

With regard to street children, the departments were advised to hold classes and use flexible curriculums and timetables that are suitable for each individual locality. 

The curriculum designed for street kids should focus on Vietnamese, maths, reading, writing and arithmetic, according to the ministry. 

For pupils with disabilities, the MoET instructed the departments to focus on encouraging the efforts and progress made by the targeted children to ensure their right to good care and education. 

The ministry will use every available resource to assist primary school teachers and disabled pupils to learn alongside their able bodied peers while at school. 

In the 2009-2010 academic year, northern Ninh Binh and central Quang Nam provinces have been chosen to carry out a pilot project where junior secondary school pupils with disabilities will be taught at conventional schools. 

The departments are responsible for instructing all junior and senior secondary schools to facilitate disabled students’ pursuit of vocational training or higher education, the ministry stated.