In a vibrant celebration of culture and education, Sông Cầu Primary School in Bắc Kạn City hosted a series of engaging activities designed to enhance the Vietnamese language skills of ethnic minority students. The program, held in conjunction with the 2025 Vietnamese Book and Reading Culture Day, featured a variety of events including Vietnamese language exchanges, book introductions, and creative drawing competitions focused on beloved fairy tale characters.
One of the highlights of the event was the dramatized storytelling segment, where students showcased their expressive reading skills. Participants brought their favorite stories to life, captivating the audience with elaborate performances that included costumes, music, and well-crafted narratives. This engaging format not only entertained but also educated, introducing students to new literature.
For the drawing competition, 26 students actively participated, illustrating characters from classic tales such as Tấm Cám, Bạch Tuyết, and Nàng Tiên Cá. The creativity displayed by the young artists reflected their deep connection to these stories, which they have cherished since childhood.
Nguyễn Minh Châu, a third-grade student from Sông Cầu Primary School, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "Participating in the Book Reading Festival made me feel like I was immersed in the characters of the stories. I found it very beneficial and will read more to improve my expressive reading skills." This sentiment echoes the program's goal of fostering a love for reading and enhancing language proficiency among students.
Similarly, Đức Xuân Primary School organized complementary activities to celebrate the same cultural day, ensuring that students had ample opportunities to engage with the Vietnamese language. These initiatives not only helped students develop their storytelling and communication skills but also encouraged them to embrace their cultural heritage.
The overarching aim of these programs is to develop the listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of ethnic minority students at the primary school level. The Department of Education and Training of Bắc Kạn has been proactive in promoting Vietnamese language education for ethnic minority students, adapting teaching methods to meet the unique needs of these communities.
In a broader initiative, the Department has implemented the project titled “Enhancing Vietnamese Language for Ethnic Minority Children in Preschools and Primary Schools” from 2016 to 2020, with a continued focus toward 2025. This project empowers educators by allowing them to create tailored teaching plans and adjust the curriculum to prioritize Vietnamese language instruction.
As part of ongoing efforts to improve educational equity, the People's Council of Thái Nguyên province recently announced a new resolution aimed at supporting ethnic minority children in their language acquisition journey. According to Resolution No. 02/2025/NQ-HĐND, issued on April 23, 2025, each ethnic minority child will receive 350,000 VND to purchase educational materials and learning tools to facilitate their Vietnamese language studies before entering 1st grade.
Teachers involved in this initiative will also receive financial support based on their actual teaching hours, amounting to approximately 5.9 million VND per teacher per class. The Vietnamese language teaching program is structured to include no more than 80 class periods, ideally conducted over the summer prior to the start of the 1st grade curriculum.
In the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, Thái Nguyên plans to implement this Vietnamese language program in areas identified as having practical needs, including the districts of Võ Nhai, Định Hóa, and Đồng Hỷ. The initiative will encompass 150 classes, targeting around 2,622 children who currently lack the necessary learning tools. Notably, all participating teachers have volunteered for this important educational endeavor.
Looking ahead, projections indicate that from 2025 to 2030, Thái Nguyên will expand this program to include nearly 700 classes, benefiting approximately 15,000 ethnic minority children who express a need for Vietnamese language instruction before starting 1st grade. Nguyễn Thị Quốc Hòa, the head of the Department of Preschool and Primary Education in Thái Nguyên, emphasized the importance of this support, stating that it aims to ensure equitable access to education and provide opportunities for ethnic minority children in particularly challenging regions.
She noted, "This policy aims to ensure fairness in educational access, giving ethnic minority children in difficult areas the chance to attend school and meet the real needs of primary education institutions to enhance the quality of education for these students." This commitment to improving Vietnamese language education for ethnic minority children is expected to lay a strong foundation for their academic success as they transition into formal schooling.
As both Bắc Kạn and Thái Nguyên provinces continue to implement innovative strategies to bolster the Vietnamese language skills of their ethnic minority populations, the emphasis on cultural appreciation and educational equity remains at the forefront of their initiatives. By fostering a love for reading and providing essential resources, these programs not only enrich the students' educational experiences but also strengthen their connections to their cultural identities.
