Communist Review - The Party and State of Vietnam has always attached special importance to people rights, including the rights to learn of ethnic minority people. Over the past years, various achievements have been recorded in the task of promoting learning rights among ethnic minority people. However, the task has still faced a range of challenges and difficulties which need addressing in the time to come.

Current situation of the task of assuring learning rights of ethnic minority people in Vietnam

Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic minority groups, in which the Kinh takes up the largest amount with 85.3% (82,085,729 people) and others account for 14.7% (14,123,255 people)⁽¹⁾. Determining that “education is the first priority of the national policy” and learning rights are the among the most important human rights, the Party and State have, over the years, paid special attention to education in ethnic minority groups through various guidelines and policies. This has been noted in the Constitution and a number of legal documents such as the Law on the Universalization of Primary Education, the Law on Child Protection, Care and Education, the Law on Vocational Training, the Law on Education, the Law on Higher Education…Additionally, numerous mechanisms and policies prioritizing the promotion of education and training in ethnic minority groups have been promulgated including the policies on educational contents; the policies on developing the network of specialized schools in ethnic minority areas; the policies on investing and supporting educational facilities; the policies on teachers and educators in deep-lying and remote areas; the policies on ethnic minority learners… Apart from those from the central level, localities have also adopted policies to provide support to beneficiaries.

Achieved outcomes

At present, all communes have primary and secondary schools, in which 84.6% are built solidly. The situation of “white commune” in terms of education has been wiped out. Kindergartens have gradually constructed and developed in mountainous communes. What’s more, 100% of communes have reached the standard of primary education universalization, some among which have managed to universalize their secondary education. Continuing education centers have been established at provincial and district levels⁽²⁾, whereas community education centers have been set up in most of the communes, facilitating ethnic minority people’s acquisition of knowledge. Pre-school education for children has also drawn much attention from local authorities.

Much attention has recently been paid to the system of boarding schools. Particularly, in the school year of 2017-2018, there were a total of 315 boarding schools across 49 localities with 109,245 students, 40% of which have achieved the national standards. There were 1,097 semi-boarding schools in 28 ethnic minority provinces with a total of 185,671 semi-boarding students. Moreover, 15.2% of the semi-boarding schools have achieved the national standards. On average, the rate of students achieving distinction and above at boarding schools was as high as over 60%, 30% achieving pass, and 2.3% fail. The annual graduation rate at boarding secondary schools is more than 97% while that of boarding upper-secondary schools is about 90%. The completion rate at semi-boarding primary schools is 98.9%, and that at semi-boarding secondary schools is 92%⁽³⁾.

The universalization of ethnic minority languages has been carried out nationwide with 6 languages being taught and studied using textbooks compiled by the Ministry of Education and Training including Mong, Cham, Khome, Gia Rai, Bana, and Ede at 715 schools (4,812 classes and 113,231 students). Localities that are home to a large number of ethnic minority people have coordinated with relevant ministries and agencies to compile text books and reference books in those languages so as to be used as learning materials for local students. At present, the training of teachers of ethnic languages as a second language has been one of the focuses of the education industry. Besides the nationally recognized programs, ethnic students have also participated in special education activities such as living skills, vocational training and physical education for students’ comprehensive development.

There are 4 centers of tertiary education nationwide, which are situated in the North West, North East, Central Highland and South West. The system of vocational schools and colleges has been strengthened and developed. There are 4 pre-tertiary education schools and 1 boarding upper-secondary school directly under the control of the Ministry of Education and Training, which can provide pre-tertiary training courses. There are 3 pre-tertiary education faculties in the University of Central Highland, Can Tho University and Tra Vinh University with the total annual number of students of more than 5000 students. These institutions have been actively and comprehensively carrying out the task of education and training in localities of special difficult socio-economic condition, providing a permanent source of competent cadres for ethnic minority localities.

The nomination policy applied at universities and colleges has enabled students of ethnic minority groups to access higher education and assured a stable source of cadres for these areas. Over the past years, thousands of students have enjoyed standard education at universities, colleges and schools across the nation. It is notable that the policy for the first time covers such ethnic groups as Ha Nhi, Co lao, Pa Then, Khang, Bo Y, and Lao.

All policies applied to ethnic minority students have been widely and comprehensively practiced by localities through providing free text books, notebooks, stationaries, medical insurance, scholarships; through prioritizing training courses that are in high demand etc. Thanks to such policies, students of poor families in mountainous and far-reaching areas can get educated, contributing to increasing the national overall rate of literacy. Most minority groups have seen their members earn university degrees and certificates as well as obtain high academic performances. In the year of 2018, the the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs applauded 166 ethnic minority students, among whom 17 achieved high rankings in the 2018 National Scientific and Technical Competition; 94 earned their prizes of all kinds in the National Competition for Gifted Students; 2 passed their university entrance exam with above 27 points; 11 (of small groups) passed their university entrance exam; 42 completed their universities with high distinction.

At present, there are 13 thousand ethnic people holding university, college degrees; and 78 thousand having certificates of all kinds. Such outcomes have positively contributed to the cause of illiteracy elimination as well as primary and secondary education universalization.

Shortcomings and challenges

Besides those abovementioned outcomes, the task of assuring learning rights of ethnic minority people has encountered a number of difficulties and challenges:

As a whole, in comparison to the whole nation, the education and awareness level of ethnic minority people is still way below standard. The overall academic performances of ethnic students are poor, widening the gap between them and those of the Kinh. In addition, the legal framework facilitating the implementation of learning rights of ethnic minority people has been gradually but not synchronously built.

In spite of a substantial investment increase, the network of schools, facilities and teaching materials have failed to meet the requirement of education development and quality insurance, especially those in ethinic minority areas. Kindergartens have yet to be built in some mountainous communes. Ethnic minority children, whose native languages are not yet fluent, face with various difficulties in acquiring the national language. The rate of ethnic students who start schools at the right age remains low (about 70% at primary and secondary level). Such groups as Brau, Xtieng, Gia Rai, Ma, Mnong, Lo Lo have their rate stay at 60%, 10% of which are at secondary level⁽⁴⁾.

Nowadays, the literacy rate among ethnic minority people is not quite high. In some areas, more than half of the population is illiterate. On average, 79.2% of the ethnic population know how to read and use Vietnamese. There is a huge gap among ethnic groups. The total number of illiterate people from 15 to 60 years of age is 676,873, accounting for 45.8% of the country’s figure. The illiteracy rate among people at labor age remain high in a number of localities including Lai Chau, Ha Giang, Dien Bien, Son La, Bac Kan, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Cao Bang, Ninh Thuan, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, An Giang etc. It is clear from this fact that Vietnam’s illiteracy eradication efforts have encountered enormous challenges.

In addition, the rate of trained laborers remains low and there is a big divide among different ethnic groups. The rate, on average, is 6.2, equivalent to a third of the national figure. The lowest rate is below 2%, while the highest is above 7%⁽⁵⁾.

There are a number of inadequacies in the compilation of textbooks, teaching methods, support policies towards teachers and educators. For instance, various localities are short of teachers and support policies, failing to generate a material and spiritual boost and encourage and attract teachers to work in those localities.

Policy implementation in some are has been conducted in delayed and asynchronous manner⁽⁶⁾; policy contents regarding beneficiaries, financial support, time and methods of support are not well defined⁽⁷⁾. The implementation of specialized policies such as nomination policy has yet to be done properly.

Most ethnic minority localities are home to a high proportion of poor households and difficult socio-economic conditions. Therefore, regardless of being prioritized, the insufficient fund has prevented education and training goals from being achieved. These shortcomings have had direct impacts on the task of assuring learning rights of ethnic minority people.

Suggestions for improving the quality and efficiency of assuring learning rights of ethnic minority people.

Firstly, disseminating the role of education and learning rights in order to generate right attitudes towards learning and raise awareness in education.

Implementing and intensifying the dissemination of the Party and State guidelines and policies on the role education and ethnic minority people’s learning rights towards the cause of hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and living standard improvement. Therefore, sustainable development should be based on the fact that education and training is comprehensive and renovated as well as people’s learning rights are assured.

Amid the vigorous development of science and technology, especially the Fourth Industrial Revolution, localities are advised to promote dissemination, raise people’s awareness in self-education, aiming for the ultimate goal of building a learning society.

Secondly, reviewing policies, laws on ethnic minority people’s learning rights, adjusting and supplementing for betterment

Continuing to comprehensively and promptly execute available policies and laws on ethnic minority people’s learning rights. At the same time, reviewing those policies and laws, based on which to propose to the National Congress, Government, relevant ministries and agencies to make suitable adjustments and supplements that are in line with the reality.

Thirdly, increasing investment to develop education in ethnic minority areas.

It is necessary to invest resources to soon standardize educational facilities at all levels. In the short run, investments are to focus on building new schools for localities without kindergartens, restoring and concretizing old and downgraded schools, supplying educational facilities for separate schools to raise the rate of schoolchildren among the communities. Investments should also be paid on bettering the network of secondary schools, meeting the demand of children at school ages. Furthermore, the government should mobilize and stipulate other social resources to invest in education and training development, contributing to narrowing the education gaps among localities. What’s more, policies on supporting ethnic minority students, students of poor and policy families should also be well implemented.

Fourthly, building a staff of competent teachers and educators for the cause of education and training renovation.

Building teacher and educator training plans; increasing the quantity while improving the quality of teachers and educators who are ethnic minority people; implementing the nomination policy; promoting training on the basis of local professional structure to build a staff of standardized ethnic minority teachers. Promptly, accurately and comprehensively implementing all support policies towards teachers and educators at far-reaching, remote and difficult areas, keeping them assured and attached to the education career.

Fifthly, renovating training programs at all levels and improving training quality.

Conducting research and carrying out extensive renovations to the methods, contents and programs at all levels so as to be suitable to ethnic learners. Shifting from knowledge-intensive training to capacity and quality-based development; constructing an open education system; ensuring fundamental factors for education quality improvement.

Sixthly, developing economy, eradicating hunger and reducing poverty, lifting conventional barriers.

Continuing to promote hunger eradication and poverty reduction at ethnic minority groups, especially those in far-reaching, remote areas, guaranteeing the premise for ethnic people to practice their rights to learn. Enhancing education and dissemination to raise people’s awareness in lifting conventional and spiritual barriers and in realizing the role of education in hunger eradication, poverty reduction and socio-economic development./.

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(1) Vietnam Population Census on April 1 2019.
(2) Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs: Reports on law enforcement in 2017.
(3) Ministry of Education and Training: Review of the implementation of education and training policies towards ethnic minority people. Conference Report 2019
(4) Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs: Overview of the Socio-economic situation of 53 ethnic minority groups in 2017, page. 18, see www.undp.org › vietnam › docs › Publications › Bao cao 53 dan toc
(5) Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs: Overview of the Socio-economic situation of 53 ethnic minority groups in 2017, page. 18
(6) Example: The year 2015 marked the end of the Project on Education Development for Ethnic Minority Groups in the period of 2010-2015 (adopted on November 21 2010 in Decision No 2123/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister). However, since then, there has been no available alike project.
(7) Example: Joint Circular 109/2009/TTLT-BTC-BGDĐT, dated May 29 2009 of the Ministry of Education and Training and Ministry of Finance, which provides instructions on financial supports for students at boarding schools and pre-university schools, clearly states: students at those institutions can enjoy a monthly policy scholarship of 80% of base salary. This amount remains low, failing to satisfy students’ basic needs. Students repeating classes enjoy 50% of the scholarship. This aims at encouraging students to study hard and earn high academic performances. However, for poor students, this amount is nowhere near the minimum, leading to the increase in the dropout rate. For semi-boarding schools, according to Decree No 116/2016/NĐ-CP dated July 18 2016 of the government, food allowance for students is 40% of base salary, provided 9 months a year. This has proven to be too low.

Source: Communist Review, June 8 2020.