Some ten schools in the border areas with Cambodia are called ‘international schools’ as they receive overseas Vietnamese (Viet Kieu) people and their children who settle in Cambodia and now go to the schools to study.

The schools which receive most of the Viet Kieu students are Khanh An High School, Khanh An Secondary School, Long Binh High, and Secondary Schools.

La Van Be, Headmaster of Khanh An Secondary School, said that his school has 679 students, including 214 Viet Kieu.

Le My Duyen, an 8^th class student who comes from Koh Thum district, Kan Dal province in Cambodia, related that she has to go on boat to the school, as it is 10 km far from her home. Everyday, Duyen has to help her parents sell cakes on Binh Di River in the afternoon. However, Duyen still wishes to go to a Vietnamese high school the next year.

Tran Minh Thi from An Giang province who now settles in Pec Chay commune in Cambodia, related that his daughter cannot go to school in Cambodia, as the school is too far from home. However, Thi heard on the radio that the An Giang authorities encourage Viet Kieu to bring their children to Vietnamese schools, and he decided to bring his child to Long Binh Primary School. Every morning, he and his wife bring fish across the Khanh Binh border gate to sell, and then bring the child to school in An Giang province, and in evening, they bring the child back home.

Giving strength to Viet Kieu students

Ho Van Mach, Head of the An Phu Commune’s Education Sub-department, said that the ratio of drop outs has been decreasing.

He said that the eagerness for learning and the enthusiasm of students and their parents in Cambodia have made local authorities moved. An Giang authorities decided to exempt Viet Kieu students from the money for material facilities for the schools. Meanwhile, parents of Viet Kieu students always return to attend the parents’ meetings.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Van Khen, Deputy Chairman of An Phu People’s Committee said that the authorities have been providing scholarships to Viet Kieu students.

“We have also sent officials across the border to learn about the students’ conditions and help poor students, encouraging them to go to school,” he said.

VietNamNet/SGTT