Poor students need more support: PM - Social Issues

Updated

April, 19 2012 10:22:44

Poor students need more support: PM

Students at the Ha Noi Sciene and Technology University. A new Government directive aims to better support poor students in pursuing their studies at universities and vocational training schools. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan

HA NOI — Students who pass entrance exams at universities or vocational training schools, but lack the funds to pursue their studies, will receive more support under a newly-issued directive by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The Prime Minister has required universities, colleges and vocational training schools nation-wide to work with the Education and Training Ministry and People's Committee chairmen in provinces and cities to make detailed reports on numbers of disadvantaged students in their area.

The director of the Student Affairs Department under the Ministry of Education and Training, Ngu Duy Anh, said schools were also required to propose suitable solutions to help disadvantaged students continue their studies.

"Disadvantaged students may be able to receive financial support from the schools' budgets or through donations from local businesses, or they may be able to borrow money from the preferential credit programme run by the Viet Nam Bank for Social Policy," said Anh.

"The move by the PM aims to ensure that no disadvantaged student misses out on an opportunity to study due to a lack of money."

The Viet Nam Bank for Social Policy's latest statistics show that by March more than 2.3 million students from around 1.9 million disadvantaged households gained benefits since the preferential credit programme began in October 2007.

It is estimated that total programme support has reached around VND34 trillion (US$1.6 billion).

Students nationwide now can access monthly loans of VND1 million ($48) each at a fixed preferential interest rate of 0.65 per cent per month under a Government decision that took effect in August last year.

Previously, the maximum monthly loan was VND900,000 ($43) with an interest rate of 0.5 per cent per month.

Nguyen Van Ly, Deputy General Director of Viet Nam Bank for Social Policy, said the preferential credit programme for students dealt with low-risk loans and invested in developing the country's human resources.

"We now collect a debt of VND150 billion ($7.2 billion) each month from borrowers and payments are going smoothly," Ly said. — VNS

Send Us Your Comments:

Name:

Your E-mail address:

Title:

VietNamNews may edit your comments and not all emails will be published.

Hightlight

Disabled speaker inspires audience

More than 2,500 people attended a talk by Nick Vujicic, an inspirational speaker without arms and legs, at the White Palace Conference Centre in HCM City's Tan Binh District yesterday.

Crane accident leads to major power cut

A two-hour power failure caused by an incident on the 500kV north-south transmission line hindered road traffic in many southern provinces and HCM City yesterday afternoon.

Spread of hand-foot-mouth disease concerns hospitals

Hand-Foot-Mouth disease (HFMD) is now at its peak, having infected a total of 796 children in HCM City in April, an increase of 127 per cent against the same period last year.

US steel producers make dumping claim

After welded steel pipes and steel wire garment hangers, now welded stainless pressure pipe from Viet Nam continue to face charges of dumping in the US.