Kien Giang improves education, training for Khmer ethnics

Kien Giang is home to more than 216,850 Khmer ethnics, who account for about 12.5% of the provincial population.

The rate of school participation of ethnic children between six and 14 years olds was above 96% in the 2014-2015 academic year. The year also saw 100 and 98.7% of ethnic students completing primary and secondary education, respectively.

Besides general education, there are 35 schools across the locality offering 193 Khmer-language classes with 4,870 students at primary, junior and senior high school levels.

Local authorities has invested in building educational facilities and subsidised tuition fees for the group.

The province has five boarding schools for ethnic students, accommodating 1,420 students. A new boarding school in An Bien district is now under construction and expected to enroll 200 students once become operational in the 2016-2017 academic year.

Kien Giang has also provided teaching tools and materials for Khmer monks to teach children the Khmer language in pagodas during summer.