Vietnam: Bildungsministerium verspricht zügige Ausstattung der Schulen mit Lehrmitteln

Das vietnamesische Bildungsministerium (Ministry of Education and Training, MoET) beabsichtigt, im Rahmen des "Programms zur Erneuerung von Schulbüchern" (Schoolbook Renewal Programme) in diesem Jahr dem Kauf und der Bereitstellung von Lehrmitteln rechtzeitig vor dem kommenden Schuljahr nachzukommen.


MoET vows speedy class supplies

(10-07-2007)

HA NOI — The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) this year intends to fulfil plans to buy and provide educational resources in time for the upcoming school year.

Although it has been running for four years, a programme for renewing schoolbooks has failed to get new learning materials to schools before the first day of the new August term.

As a result, thousands of pupils across Viet Nam sometimes begin their classes without proper materials.

According to a recent survey conducted by MoET’s Trade Union, over 66 per cent of the educational materials were provided late in the school-year 2006-2007. Many provinces fail to fulfil their education equipment plan even when the school-year is coming to a close.

Only 22 out of 64 provinces and cities managed to get the right educational resources to schools by the end of 2006.

At present, many provincial education and training departments fail to effectively evaluate and approve purchase plans for buying school equipment. Provinces needed to collaborate with other sectors more efficiently to avoid distribution delays, said an MoET expert.

Vice Chairwoman of the Hai An Education Sector’s Trade Union, Hai An District, Hai Phong Province, Tran Thi Kim Oanh said: "Providers should supply educational resources with appropriate guidelines and instructions for use. And there is a need to make a yearly training plan for teachers to see how effectively they use resources."

Annually, the MoET spends approximately US$62.5 million from the State budget on buying educational materials and renewing the curriculum.

School-year 2007-2008 is the 5th year that the MoET implements the schoolbook renewal programme. One of the programme’s key requirements is that every lecture is supported with illustrated learning materials.

Chairman of the MoET Trade Union, Le Hong Son said that despite delays, the schoolbook renewal programme has improved teaching conditions and helped to provide textbooks, computers and better classrooms.

However, Son said management of educational facilities ran into problems as many teachers said the supplied resources were limited.

Director of Bac Kan Education and Training Department Nguyen Van Ben said it would take at least three months for schoolbooks to be sent from their manufacturing location to schools.

According to estimates by the MoET, provincial and city Departments of Education and Training will have three months to buy classroom materials and they think this is sufficient time. To speed up the process, the MoET also discussed with the Ministry of Finance measures to streamline the evaluation of purchase plans.

The MoET and provincial departments of education and training now are trying their best to meet the deadline. Teachers still wait to see whether they have to teach without educational equipment in the coming school year.