Bilingual language school helps enhance Việt Nam - Laos connection

Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos, Nguyễn Minh Tâm (centre), presents a donation to the school. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Tú

VIENTIANE — Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyễn Minh Tâm and his spouse visited the Nguyễn Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual language school in Vientiane on Friday, during which they congratulated teachers of the education establishment on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Lao Teacher's Day (October 7, 1994 - 2024).

The Vietnamese diplomat praised the school for positive results it achieved in recent years, especially the increasing quality of education at all levels, the school's strong position in the Lao education sector, and students' significant accomplishments in competitions.

He commended achievements and efforts of the school's teachers in the mission of "training and developing human resources," saying that they have overcome challenges and taken many innovative initiatives in teaching methods to improve the quality of education.

Tâm highlighted the necessity for the school to train students that can speak both Lao and Vietnamese languages, while urging the teachers to enhance their professional expertise, be dynamic, creative, and flexible, and adopt new approaches in teaching and learning, thus contributing to training a future generation that is both virtuous and skilled.

According to Principal of the school Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương, the school, which spans from kindergarten to high school levels, has nearly 60 teachers and employees, and over 1,000 students, with approximately 30 per cent being children of Vietnamese descent and the remaining students being Lao children.

In the 2021-2022 school year, the school was honourably selected by the Ministry of Education and Training of Việt Nam and the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos as a pilot school for bilingual Lao-Vietnamese education from grade 1 to grade 12. This initiative aims to expand this training model across Laos, helping the younger generation of Laos gain a deeper understanding of the tradition of special friendship between the two countries.

Regarding the preservation and development of the Vietnamese language, Hương said the school aims to teach Vietnamese as a common language, adding that Vietnamese is always given top priority in the school.

Students are not only taught to read, write, and speak Vietnamese but also receive lessons on Vietnamese culture and history, which are conveyed by the teachers in every lecture, she noted.

Tâm took this occasion to present 20 million LAK (over US$900) to the school to support activities related to the preservation and development of the Vietnamese language, expressing his hope that the teachers and students will become ambassadors of the Vietnamese language in the country. — VNS