Hanoi (VNA)🐭 – The Ministry of Education and Training (MoIT), the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), The Nippon Foundation (TNF) and Save the Children (SC) on March 21 launched a project to support education for children from ethnic minorities and kids with disabilities in Vietnam.

The GPE and TNF will jointly provide 121 billion VND (5.15 million USD) to enable children from ethnic minorities across Vietnam to receive high-quality, inclusive education. The support will be made through Save the Children International’s Vietnam Office, and the programme will jointly be carried out with the MoET. The project is expected to enhance access to education for ethnic minority children of preschool ages in their mother tongue and preserve the culture of ethnic minorities in primary schools. The project also aims to strengthen inclusive education for disabled children and ethnic minority children. Under the project, preschool children of six ethnic minority groups - Mong, Ede, Khmer, J'rai, Bahnar, and Thai - will improve their Vietnamese based on their mother tongue. They will be supported to participate in activities at preschool and be ready for grade 1. Meanwhile, primary school students of eight ethnic minority groups - Bahnar, Cham, Ede, Khmer, J'rai, Mnong, Mong, and Thai - will have more opportunities to learn and use their mother tongue and access information and documents about their people's culture. Children with disabilities will be supported with inclusive education and specific skills to gradually integrate and learn more effectively. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Kim Chi thanked the TNF and GPE for their support, affirming that the project is of great significance to Vietnam’s education, especially for children from ethnic or disadvantaged groups. Besides positive changes in the past time, Vietnam’s education still faces difficulties, particularly in remote mountainous areas, she said, adding that the support for children in such areas not only promotes universal education, and equality in education but also the noble humanity of education. GPE’s Deputy CEO Charles North mentioned the strength of working as partners to overcome obstacles to education, and emphasised that this joint project will work to provide opportunities for learning and growth for all boys and girls in Vietnam regardless of where they live or their families’ circumstances. TNF Chairman Yohei Sasakawa said that “One World, One Family” is the basic philosophy of The Nippon Foundation, which has been working with partners in Vietnam for many years. He expressed his pleasure at being able to form this partnership with the GPE and other partners, pointing out that education is the cornerstone of development, and it is necessary to provide opportunities for every child. The fund will continue to make efforts to expand the project nationwide, he said. Country Director for Save the Children International in Vietnam Le Thi Thanh Huong also committed to promoting Vietnam’s education and acting for a good future for every child. Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups, with minorities primarily residing in mountainous regions. The fact that many ethnic minority children fall behind after entering elementary school because they do not become sufficiently fluent in Vietnamese in early childhood has become a major issue./.