VietNamNet Bridge – Programmes on translating Vietnamese lessons into ethnic minority languages at primary schools have won acceptance in rural areas, according to teachers and education officials in Quang Ngai Province.

Young minority students often have trouble understanding lessons given in Vietnamese. Translators are considered an effective tool to solve the problem.

“Different languages are no longer a barrier to primary education in ethnic minority areas thanks to the work of 210 teaching assistants,” said Tran Huu Thap, vice head of the provincial Education and Training Department.

“These translators act as a link between ethnic students and teachers who have volunteered to work on boosting literacy among minorities.”

Chau Van Cang, head of the Primary Education Division under the department, said teachers had faced many difficulties during classes.

“Although many young minority students study Vietnamese during the three-month summer holiday, most of them still don’t fully understand lessons given by teachers in Vietnamese,” said Cang.

“Since the new model was implemented, the education quality has improved. The number of drop-outs has fallen compared to the previous years and 96 per cent of children of school age attend classes,” he said.

Dinh Thi Thu, a H’Re teaching assistant at Go Sim Primary School in Ta Gam Hamlet, Son Ky Commune of Son Ha District, said her work kept her busy from dusk to dawn. She, like other teachers, gets up early to take students to school, helps them in their reading and writing exercises, and encourages drop-outs to go back to school.

“Children are usually absent from school as harvest time approaches and they are forced to work in the fields instead of going to school. The teachers and I go to their homes to encourage parents to let their kids keep on studying,” said Thu.

Students Dinh Thi Tiet and Dinh Thi Hom came back to school after Thu persuaded their parents that education was the only path to eradicate hunger and poverty.

“Our children should focus on studying, not looking after the cows,” their parents agreed.

Thanh Tuyen, a teacher at a primary school in Bo Nung Hamlet, Son Ky Commune of Son Ha District, said the translators work was extremely valuable.

“I wouldn’t know what to do with a class of 20 H’Re ethnic minority students without these translators,” said Tuyen.

Ho Thi Be, a Kor teaching assistant at the primary school in Ha Rieng Hamlet, Tra Phong Commune, Tay Tra District, said the new programme had motivated her to get involved in education in the locality.

“Many students in my hamlet failed their senior high school entrance exams. Students and villagers are sad and down-hearted. Many had no choice but to toil away in the fields,” said Be.

But now Be is helping out by tutoring Kor students who are lagging behind in their studies.

Le Quang Khuong, headmaster of Tra Phong Primary School, said that none of his pupils had dropped out of school this year thanks to the efficient assistance from local teaching assistants.

“Language differences have been overcome and education improved,” said Khuong.

Vice head of the provincial Department of Education and Training Tran Huu Thap said each teaching assistant got a monthly salary of VND432,000 (US$26).

“This sum of money is rather low and not enough to maintain their living but it’s an encouragement for them to keep their jobs,” said Thap.

“More schools in other rural areas in the province will have teaching assistants next year if we see good results at the end of the 2008-09 academic year.”

According to a report from the Ministry of Education and Training, in the first term of this academic year, almost 119,000 students dropped out of primary schools, accounting for 1.2 per cent of all students. The drop-outs mainly come from rural areas where the living standard are low.

(Source: Viet Nam News)