President sends letter for new academic year

President Truong Tan Sang sent a congratulatory letter to the education sector, students and parents across the country on August 31 to mark the beginning of the 2012-2013 academic year, which will start next week.

In his letter, the President praised the great efforts made by the education sector and its and achievements in the last academic year. The quality and management of education have seen positive progress and are continuing to improve. Vietnamese students have also won many prizes in various international academic competitions.

The President warmly praised the devoted teachers who have made significant contributions to the nation’s education, as well as the disadvantaged students who strived to overcome their difficulties and challenges to achieve outstanding academic results.

He stressed the importance of the 2012-2013 academic year as the first year towards realising the 2011-2020 Education Development Strategy, urging the sector to continue reforms to improve the quality of education, develop educational materials on life skills for students, and promote priority policies for ethnic minorities and students living in difficult circumstances. He also asked the sector to deal with urgent current issues such as uncontrolled tutoring classes, cheating on exams and school violence.

The President said he believes that Vietnamese students will continue to uphold the national tradition of learning and try their best to contribute to the country’s development.

He also called on Party committees and all levels of administration, as well as organisations and the entire community to work with the education sector to promote ’educational development as the top national priority’.

More than 1,000 receive citizenship

More than one thousand people received Vietnamese citizenship status at a ceremony in the border district of Dak Glei in Kon Tum province this morning.

Among those present were Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong and many high ranking officials.

A representative of Kon Tum People's Committee read out State President Truong Tan Sang's decision to give citizenship to 1066 people who had been living at Dak Glei and Ngoc Hoi districts for several decades.

All had settled down before July 1, 1989, but did not held Vietnamese citizenship status. According to a provincial representative, they all abided by Vietnamese law and wanted to become citizens. This is in accordance with Article 22 of the Citizenship Law issued in 2008.

Local authorities said the immigrants lived in 383 households and had stable lives, mingling with local inhabitant both at work and study.

Fake credit card ring busted

Four people were arrested on September 1 when police smashed a big credit card counterfeiting ring in Hanoi.    

Ring leader Dinh Van Long (37), residing in Hai Ba Trung district, was arrested along with Le Truong Xuan (25) from Tay Ho district and Pham Quynh Anh (30) and Pham Ngoc Truong Giang (22), both from Dong Da district.

They confessed that they used the fake credit cards to pay for taxi fares and buy iPhones, iPads, and laptops worth hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong.

While searching Dinh Van Long’s house, the police also seized hundreds of fake Master cards and Visa cards from different banks, as well as equipment to make the cards.

The police are currently expanding the investigation.

Embassy pledges help to Vietnamese students in UK

Ambassador Vu Minh Quang has affirmed that the embassy will do its best to assist Vietnamese students who are studying as well as those who have registered to study at London Metropolitan University (LMU).

The Vietnamese diplomat made the statement on August 31 after the UK Border Agency said it has revoked London Metropolitan University's licence to sponsor non-European Union students.

The withdrawal of LMU’s licence means that it is removed from the register of licensed sponsors, and students from outside the European Union are no longer allowed to study at the university, the agency said in its website.
Ambassador Minh said the embassy is keeping a close watch on the case as there are many Vietnamese students at the university. It has urgently reported to the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and proposed solutions for the ministry to assist Vietnamese students at the university.

The Vietnamese embassy is ready to provide papers certifying students who are qualified to get visas to study at LMU under the State scholarship programmes such as schemes 322 and Mekong 1000.

In addition, the embassy is providing answering services to students and their parents who are interested in the case as well as consultancy for those who want to change to other universities in the UK.

According to the Vietnamese embassy, there are around 170 Vietnamese students at LMU in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Doctors provide free medical check-ups for Lao people

A medical delegation from the central province of Binh Dinh offered free medical check-ups to nearly 1,600 residents of Thateng district, Sekong province in Laos from August 26-31.  

The Deputy Head of the Binh Dinh provincial Health Department, Ho Viet My, said that high quality staff with a wealth of experience were sent to Laos, and they worked enthusiastically to care for local people during their stay.

They examined and dispensed free medicine to more than twice the number of people they had initially planned for, at a total cost of over VND300 million.

The event helped strengthen the comprehensive ties between the two provinces and is one of the practical activities to support the Vietnam-Lao Friendship Year 2012.

Vietnam to host int’l traffic safety conference

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the National Traffic Safety Committee’s proposal to organize an international conference in Vietnam this year.    

The conference will be divided into different sessions for specialized sub-committees to debate various issues related to traffic infrastructure, organization and management, vehicles and drivers, communication and education, and policy implementation.

The event aims to offer the opportunity for domestic and foreign experts and policy makers to discuss scientific research and practical experiences to help Vietnam achieve its targets for traffic safety.

It will also help the Committee develop new projects as well as policies, strategies and plans on traffic safety.

Bird flu epidemic breaks out in Quang Ngai

The Quang Ngai provincial People’s Committee declared on August 31 that a bird flu epidemic has swept through 23 hamlets in 17 communes of five districts across the province.      

All of the nearly 80 blood samples sent from these localities tested positive for the A/H5N1 virus, prompting local authorities have culled 58,000 infected fowl.

The provincto e is implementing strict measures to control the illegal slaughter and transport of poultry to prevent the disease spreading wider.

The provincial Department of Animal Health has provided one million doses of vaccine to protect poultry in seven neighbouring districts and towns.

Japanese peace boat arrives in Danang

A group of nearly 40 victims of Agent Orange (AO) worldwide and those Japanese affected by atomic bombs aboard Japan’s Peace Boat joined in an exchange with Vietnamese AO victims in Danang city, on August 31.     

At the event, the participants shared the pain that the AO victims suffered during the war and encouraged each other to overcome difficulties in their daily lives.

The same day, over 300 young people from the locality and Peace Boat engaged in a cultural exchange, where they had a chance to enjoy traditional music performances.

Since 2007, the Peace Boat has mobilised nearly VND500 million in aid for AO victims based in Danang city, which is chosen as its regular destination each year.

An Binh island gets fresh water after 300 years

Inhabitants of An Binh Islet, 30km off the coast of central Quang Ngai province, will now have access to fresh water for the first time in 300 years.

The water comes from a desalination station which was put into use yesterday and will be provided free of cost to over 500 islet residents.

The South Korean heavy industry group Doosan Vina is funding the US$1 million project, which will desalinate and filter sea water to produce 200 cubic metres of fresh water each day.

The lack of fresh water in the dry season has been a burden for local people who farm the islet's two major crops, garlic and spring onion. "We have waited from generation to generation for fresh water. Our dream comes true today," said Bui Ma, a resident of An Binh islet.

"We used to save rain water in tanks, but the scant amount of water saved us from thirst for only a few months. Residents used to buy water from Ly Son Islands, 5km away, at a cost of VND180,000 per cubic metre," he said.

"Although we collected water during the rainy season from September to April, we were always thirsty in the dry season from May to August," said Nguyen Thi Chung.

"We had to save water in the dry season. All local people had to bathe in the sea and clean with fresh water. The used water was reserved for watering plants and washing clothes," she recalled.

The 1sq.km islet has yet to get access to the electric grid or the Internet, while the solar energy system only offers enough power for a few hours of light or TV.

Chinese contractor hit for illegal planting

A Chinese contractor of bidding package A7 of Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway project has been fined VND8.2 million (US$390) for illegally planting an exotic type of grass by the side of a road in Bao Yen District, Lao Cai Province.

According to the northern mountain province's Agricultural and Rural Development Department, Huang Yong, the package's construction director, part of the China's Guangxi Road and Bridge Construction Company, violated the plant protection and quarantine regulations of Viet Nam.

Strange grass seed was illegally imported and planted there without permission from Vietnamese authorities.

Hue opens Perfume River bridge
 
Authorities yesterday opened a new bridge over Hue's Huong (Perfume) River.

The Bach Ho (White Tiger) Bridge is 542.5 metres long including the approach roads and 34.5 metres wide, with four lanes and sidewalks on either side.

The five-span bridge also has six viewing-towers for people to relax and enjoy the river views.

Construction of the bridge began in December 2009, and cost VND730 billion (nearly US$35 million).

Nguyen Van Cao, chairman of the Thua Thien – Hue Province People's Committee, said the bridge would significantly contribute to the province's socio-economic development, especially tourism, and also ease traffic on the Phu Xuan Bridge, which is deteriorating after decades of operation.

Dong Loc commemorates fallen soldiers

An art performance was held yesterday at the Dong Loc historic site in the central province of Ha Tinh to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives for national independence.

The show, which was co-organised by Nhan Dan Newspaper and the Ha Tinh People’s Committee, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other senior central and provincial officials.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Nhan Dan editor-in-chief Thuan Huu recounted the military exploits of the Vietnamese people and army during the American resistance war.

He particularly praised the sacrifices made by many soldiers and volunteers at the legendary Dong Loc three-way intersection, to protect the major artery for transporting essential goods to the southern battlefield.

In 1968, ten young female volunteers were killed in action at Dong Loc when a bomb exploded during a raid by American troops.

Dong Loc has become a supreme symbol of Vietnamese patriotism and a popular site for those who want to pay tribute to contributors to the nation.

On this occasion, the organisers presented 16 savings books, 16 television sets and 16 compact disk players to the families of Dong Loc junction heroes.

The performance, entitled “The Sacred World of Dong Loc” is one in a series of events to mark the 67th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day.

Doosan Vina hands over desalination plant to An Binh island

Doosan Heavy Industries Vietnam (Doosan Vina) held a ceremony yesterday to hand over a US$1million desalination station to An Binh islanders in Ly Son island district in the central province of Quang Ngai.

The event took place in the presence of local authorities, representatives from the Republic of Korea (RoK) embassy in Vietnam, the RoK International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) and Doosan Vina, as well as local residents of An Binh Island and domestic and foreign media.

An Binh island is located 30km off the coast of Quang Ngai in central Vietnam. The islanders have suffered water shortages for a long time and have to pay high prices to buy fresh water for their daily activities.

Under an MOU signed between Doosan Vina and the Quang Ngai provincial government on August 30, 2011, the RoK based group provided funding to build two desalination plants, each capable of filtering and desalinating seawater to produce 200 cubic metres of fresh water every day.

Construction of the plants on An Binh Island began on May 4, 2012 and was completed in only four months. It is expected to end the island’s century-long dependence on rainwater and provide residents with access to fresh water.

To ensure the safe and efficient operation of the facility, Doosan Vina will dispatch a technical team to train local operators for one year.

Speaking at the ceremony, General Director of RoK-based Doosan Vina, Hang Ha Ryu, said he was delighted with the fruitful results of the project that will change the quality of water and improve living conditions for the islanders.

Head of the Vietnam Supreme People’s Procuracy, Nguyen Hoa Binh, praised Doosan Vina for supporting local people and the development of Vietnam’s heavy industry sector, as well as the country’s overall socio-economic development.

To date, Doosan Vina has spent nearly US$2 million on community programmes in Vietnam, mainly in Quang Ngai province.

Information sharing on climate change in north

An international seminar on dialogue and information sharing on climate change in the northern region was held in Hanoi on August 31.

The event aims to share and update policies relating to climate change, strengthen dialogue and information exchange from the central to grassroot levels and build action plans to cope with climate change.

It is also to boost potential of co-operation between the Government and non-governmental organisations in the implementation of plans and programmes in this field.

Vietnam’s strategy on climate change notes that the country not only copes with the phenomenon but also takes advantage of the chances for sustainable development and drastic measures for the target of green growth, said Le Cong Thanh, Director of the Centre for Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change.

Climate change closely associates to the benefits of many people and, as a result, the whole society should get involved in this work, he added.

Representatives of Thai Binh and Lai Chau provinces and Hai Phong shared experiences and models in building plans of actions to cope with climate change.

HCMC strives to raise poverty line, remove slums

Ho Chi Minh City has at present only 36 wards with households having an income of less than VND12 million per person per year, and is striving to raise this poverty line by the end of this year.

Eight of these wards are in Districts 3 and 6, five are in Districts 5 and 11, and six are in Binh Thanh District. The City is striving to raise the standards in 20 other wards as well, by the end of 2012.
 
HCMC currently has nearly 66,400 households with 301,000 people living below the poverty line, accounting for 3.64 percent of the total number of households in the City. Around 86,000 people have already raised their standards above the poverty line, since 2009.
 
For years, the City leaders along with district authorities have focused on measures to support poor households and carry out many social welfare policies to benefit welfare beneficiaries and raise standards of living.
 
The hunger eradication and poverty alleviation fund was established to provide more than VND200 billion (US$9,620,009) as starting capital for 33,500 poor households and 225 manufacturing units employing 2,200 laborers.
 
In addition, Vietnam Bank for Social Policies loans VND793 billion ($38,143,338) to 55,400 poor households at low interest rates. Around 110,000 people from households living near poverty line are given health insurance cards.
 
The City also keeps a check on these households whose economic condition is close to the poverty line. There are 84,000 households with incomes from VND12-16 million per head per year, accounting for 4.6 percent of total number of households in HCMC.

These households will be eligible for loans from the fund to establish businesses to increase their incomes so as to eradicate hunger and poverty.

Mekong Delta relocates thousands to flood-proof camps

Eight provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta have relocated more than 165,000 households from flood and landslide prone areas to newly built flood-proof residential camps.

These newly constructed flood-proof houses are in An Giang, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Long An, Vinh Long, Kien Giang and Hau Giang Provinces and in Can Tho City.

Dong Thap has relocated the most number of 44,000 households, followed by Tien Giang Province with 42,000 households and An Giang Province with 33,200 households.

An Giang Province is speeding up construction of another 42 flood-proof residential camps so as to resettle 12,000 households.

The province has also proposed to the Government to assist them to build another 19 such locations to provide for 5,500 households.

Dong Thap Province is also rushing to build 46 flood-proof camps and has asked the Government to assist with VND330 billion (US$15.30 million) for construction of another five camps in Chau Thanh, Thanh Binh and Hong Ngu Districts.

Minister fulfills poor student’s wish to study in Army School

General Phung Quang Thanh, Minister of Defense, has offered free education to Ngo Van Thuan in the Tank and Armored Officer Training School, after learning of Thuan’s struggle to sit for the entrance exam.
Ngo Van Thuan works in Vinh Market to support his family and dreams of studying in the Army School

Ngo Van Thuan comes from a very poor family from Yen Thanh District in the central province of Nghe An. He rode 300 kilometers on a borrowed bicycle from Nghe An to Hanoi to sit for the entrance examination for the Army Officer Training School, with a measly VND30,000 ($1.4) in his pocket.

However, he failed the entrance exam as he got only 14 marks, whereas the passing score is 16.5, but he did not give up hope or his dream to study in the Army School.

After hearing of his case and dream to study further in the Tank and Armored Officer Training School, General Phung Quang Thanh, Minister of Defense, agreed to allow him to study in the school.

The Ministry of Defense will exempt all tuition fee and other expense allowances for Thuan while he is studying in the Tank and Armored Officer Training School.

Primary school students in Hanoi exempted from homework    

Teachers at Hanoi’s primary schools need to instruct and help their students to finish their homework in class if they do a full day at school.

This proposal is among regulations issued by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training for the 2012-2013 school year.

According to the regulation, teachers at local primary schools are banned from organising extra classes for their students during the weekend or holidays. Schools are also not permitted to hold entrance exams for the first grade and force students to join extra classes.

Schools located in areas with developed socio-economic conditions should enhance comprehensive education activities such as holding open air activities and clubs for students. They are not allowed to open clubs and classes for Vietnamese language and maths. District education and training boards must closely control the use of reference books at primary schools.

Schools offering a whole day of education need to provide students with storage facilities for the pupil’s personal items. Meanwhile, schools only offering half a day are only allowed to provide no more than five periods over five days per week.

This school year, Hanoi will pilot a teaching method using the results from a pilot scheme for students at four primary schools in Hoang Mai and Hai Ba Trung districts. Many primary schools in other districts will also adopt the new teaching methods to boost student creativity and self study.