Vĩnh Long nurtures love for Khmer culture, script among students

Vĩnh Long province currently has eight schools in ethnic minority areas that teach Khmer language to students. VNA Photo

VĨNH LONG - The southern province of Vĩnh Long has carried out effective measures to nurture a love for Khmer culture and script among Khmer students.

Vĩnh Long Province is home to nearly 26,000 Khmer people, accounting for approximately 2.1 per cent of the population.

Over time, the preservation of the Khmer language and script has received considerable attention from local authorities.

Currently, the province has five primary schools and three secondary schools in ethnic minority areas that teach Khmer language to students.

During the summers, Khmer students attend classes at temples to enhance their understanding and foster an appreciation for their cultural heritage and script.

This past summer, many temples in the Khmer ethnic areas of Vĩnh Long Province opened new classes to teach Khmer script and culture.

At Mới Temple in Trà Côn commune in Trà Ôn district, three classes were opened, teaching the Khmer language to about 150 students from grade 1 to grade 3.

Thạch Thị Hoàng Gấm Rèng Sây from the commune said, "I have been attending this class for four summers now. I find the classes very fun and beneficial. At home, I always speak in Khmer, but I'm not very good at writing. Each year, the teachers help us review a lot of knowledge so that we can do better in our studies. I will strive to study hard because I want to know more about the Khmer script to preserve our ethnic language and writing."

Thạch Thị Hoa Tân, also from the commune, has been helping teachers at the temple every summer.

Having studied the Khmer language and script at the temple for nearly eight years, Hoa Tân understands the significance and benefits of these classes.

Hoa Tân shared, "Every summer, I spend two months teaching the younger kids here. This year, my class has 85 students. The students are of different ages, so teaching can be challenging. I have to observe and support the younger ones who are not paying attention. For the older students, teaching is easier, but I still need to be dedicated so they can understand and grasp the knowledge. I want to use my knowledge to help the children read and write better in the Khmer language, encouraging them to excel in their studies while also preserving and promoting the Khmer language and script."

Many local children love spending time in these classes. - VNA Photo

Besides learning the script, cultural clubs of the Khmer people have also been active this summer.

At Hạnh Phúc Tăng Temple in Trung Thành commune, the Vũng Liêm District Public Culture and Arts Club operates weekly.

Club members include Khmer youth and students who participate in activities, helping each other learn traditional songs and dances, contributing to the preservation and promotion of Khmer traditional culture.

Trần Ngọc Phúc Hân from the commune shared that only a few members of her family can read and write Khmer, so she wants to learn more about her ethnic language and dances to better understand and introduce them to others.

This summer, she spent her mornings at the temple learning Khmer and her evenings participating in the dance club.

Sơn Ngọc Hiển, also from the commune, has been a member of the club for about a year.

Thanks to the club, he has learned various Khmer dances and some basic movements to perform them.

He wants to learn more to better understand and confidently introduce the beautiful cultural heritage of the Khmer people to others, Hiển shared.

According to Thạch Dương, head of the provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee in Vĩnh Long, under the national target programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas, the province in recent years has organised many activities to promote development in the Khmer ethnic region, including efforts to preserve and promote cultural identity.

Vĩnh Long will continue to maintain these activities to preserve and promote the script and culture of the Khmer people.

The province will also continue to effectively implement the national target programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas. - VNS