A programme ensuring internet access at all educational institutions across the country that was launched five months ago has seen swift progress, and an official says the work could be completed one year ahead of schedule.

Students at Kim Lien Primary School in Ha Noi City uses high technology supporting equipment during their English course.

General director of the ministry’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department Quach Tuan Ngoc said it was initially planned to implement the programme’s final phase in remote and mountainous areas in 2010.

“However, the plan was changed and installation has already started in both urban and disadvantaged areas,” he said.

However, there are still some challenges that need to be overcome, including installing internet lines in the most remote localities.

“One of the difficulties is the installation of poles for internet wire,” said Ngoc.

“As a result, we will ask for co-operation from relevant sectors to take advantage of existing electric poles.”

The programme, which is jointly implemented by the MoET and the military-run telecom provider Viettel, aims to provide internet connections to all provincial education and training offices, universities, grade schools and kindergartens across the country. When the work is complete, 63 local education and training offices in cities and provinces and almost 600 universities and colleges will have access to the internet via optic-fibre cable systems. More than 39,000 grade schools and kindergartens will get internet services as well, and the State will cover installation and monthly fees. The ministry estimated that the programme will benefit more than 27 million people.

As of October last year, about 62 per cent of 27,000 grade schools and 11,500 kindergartens across the country still didn’t have access to the internet.

Ngoc said that since then, internet access has been supplied to 6,000 grade schools through the programme.

He added that the ministry hoped to bring international standard IT applications to several cities and provinces within the year.

According to Nguyen Manh Hung, deputy general director of Viettel, the programme has been implemented at all local education and training departments, but work was still cut out at schools.

“The difficulties started to appear when we turned our focus to schools, due to their huge number: almost 40,000 schools in different locations, including many in remote areas,” he said.

For remote areas, Viettel plans to use advanced technology such as the general packet radio services (GPRS) system, which is used by GSM mobile phones, or the enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE).

Breakthrough

On September 25 last year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan officially launched the programme. He said it was a historical day for the education and training sector as well as for the development of the ICT sector.

“It was indeed a historic event,” said Ngoc. “For the first time, Viet Nam affirmed its determination to strive for wide-band internet connection at all educational institutions, including free internet service for schools and kindergartens, and planned to do it in a very short time.”

“I believe that there has never been a country to implement such a programme so thoroughly,” Ngoc said.

“The programme has great benefits as it will also be an investment for future generations of the country,” he said. “It will also elevate the role of ICT in Viet Nam.”

The ministry has planned to organise training courses for all local educational staff, including principals, heads of departments, directors of IT centres and IT workers.

Ngoc said that the ministry had helped build an Internet-based conference network for staff in mountainous northern and central Viet Nam, and offered training in software management for local schools.

“By doing this, I realise that it is not impossible to have internet access in all remote areas,” he said, “It will be the quickest and most realistic tool for localities to escape backwardness.”

The Ha Noi-based Viet-Duc High School is scheduled to have internet access ensured through the programme by October this year.

“In fact, the school has been connected since July last year through another provider, but it was a slow connection and was not free,” said Nguyen Boi Quynh, the school’s deputy principal.

She expected the new connection through the ministry’s programme would be better and bring more benefits for students.

“All schools should think about using the internet as teaching and learning tools, especially for foreign language class,” said Quynh, who is also an English teacher.

“As for my English classes, I have applied and guided my students to do internet searches for information and references,” she said. “As a result, the lessons have become more interesting.”

The school is now equipped with three computer rooms with a total of 75 computers connected to the internet for 2,300 students. The internet connection has also brought exchanges with the Katerham High School in the UK.

“However, I think students’ internet use needs to be managed by teachers to avoid access to bad sites, which are harmful to their minds,” said Quynh.

The MoET’s Ngoc said he agreed.

“Teachers should have a responsibility to watch out for their students, regarding internet security issues,” he said. “Also parents need to have an eye on their children to avoid the negatives and dangers of the internet.”

VietNamNet/VNS