Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on May 30 visited educational institutions for disadvantaged children in Hanoi on the occasion of International Children’s Day (June 1) and Action Month for Children.
At the SOS Hermann Gmeiner School, established in 1994 with its construction funded by the SOS Children’s Village, Chinh presented gifts to the school and its outstanding students.
The school was named after Austrian philanthropist Hermann Gmeiner – the founder of the SOS Children’s Village, which is home to underprivileged children. It provides primary and secondary education for children in the SOS Children’s Village Vietnam, those belonging to poor households and other vulnerable children.
The government leader also made a field trip to a center for integration education development under the National College for Education, which admits more than 200 disabled students each year.
Talking to teachers and students of the school and the centre, the PM stressed that the Party and the State have paid due attention to the protection of and care for children, and created the best possible conditions for their all-round development, considering this both an urgent and strategic, long-term matter.
He lauded efforts by teachers and students of the two educational institutions in teaching and learning despite material difficulties.
Pointing to challenges to child-related work in general and the education of disabled children in particular, Chinh asked the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and other ministries, agencies and all-level authorities to continuously roll out mechanisms and policies on the education and protection of and care for children, particularly those with disabilities.
He suggested they focus on addressing the shortages of educational institutions and teachers, especially those at the preschool level, along with issues regarding ethics of teachers, textbooks, material conditions of teachers and students in remote and border areas, hygiene, nutrition, food safety, and violence against children, among others.
The PM urged stepping up the implementation of guidelines and policies on persons with disabilities, especially disabled children, saying more efforts are needed to call for investments to support these educational institutions.
He encouraged teachers and students to overcome difficulties in teaching and studying in an effort to make a better contribution to society.
On this occasion, the leader presented more than 200 scholarships to outstanding students, along with gifts to teachers and students of the two educational institutions. (VietnamPlus [1])