VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked the Ministry of Education and Training to focus urgently on removing weaknesses in the country's pre-school education system.

There are 60 per cent of classrooms in kindergartens nationwide meet national standards.—Photo dantri

A report prepared by the Ministry says there are more than 13,000 kindergartens in the country, but this number falls short of demand by nearly 400.

It said 2,600 hamlets and villages in the country have no day care centres.

The report further said that many kindergartens are in bad condition. They do not have toilets and have unhygienic water supply systems that affecting the quality of care and education for children.

Only 60 per cent of classrooms in kindergartens nationwide meet national standards and many facilities are temporary constructions that are not very safe for children.

There are also stark differences between different regions in pre-school quality, the report said.

There are more than 180,000 kindergarten teachers in the country, but another 90,000 are needed. Furthermore, the quality of teaching staff is low.

At a meeting held in HCM City last week, Deputy Education Minister Nguyen Thi Nghia said that under the national project that seeks to ensure 100 per cent pre-school education by 2015, the number of kindergartens for the 2012-2013 academic year increased by 300 over the previous year.

However, the project, estimated to cost VND480 trillion (US$22.8 billion) in total, has faced several difficulties because of a shortage of funds.

It would not be possible to achieve the target of compulsory pre-school education in all provinces and cities by 2015, Nghia said.

As of July, the country had only six provinces and cities had achieved the target, she said.

She added that in the upcoming academic year, the ministry will give priority to building kindergartens in disadvantaged areas.

Source: VNS