supporting students in disadvantaged are - besides increasing the number of universities,rasing the education quality is also urgent problem

INTRODUCTORY
The first course of the new school year which started two weeks ago
brought eagernees and happiness for every students . After finishing the first
year , we have grown up in both life and study . English exercises helped us
to raise English skills. So we got good result in last course. In this course ,
we were charged an interesting exercise about social and economic
problem . These are practical problems which needs concernedness of every
one in social .On the occasion of new school year , we want to dicuss about
education subject ,one of the most realistic problems in social .
Though in the past few year the education sector has gianed some initial
successes in raising the quality of teaching and learning standars , we stiil
see qite a lot of problems across the sector.So,we searched and gathered
much informations about education problem.
We worked in group of four member .Each person searched her own
subject and wrote her own summary about that subject.After that , we
worked togerther to dicuss about the realistic problem .It was a really
interesting exercise.
Our group include four girl members . We hope that our assignment
wiilbe got good participation.We are:
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SUMMARIES
1.The Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam Education
builed the campaign to help pupils in disadvantaged areas. The campaign
attracted teacher and students’ participation by collecting in dispensable
things for study .It will last till Octorber, 2008.
2.At ethnic minorities ,writing and speaking Vietnamese are too
difficult for ethnic children to learn .The Ministry of Education and Training
encouraged one method that teachs Vietnamese to ethnic children at
kindergarten school. Childern can understand Vietnamese better after
training course.
3.A new campaign which called “Friendly school , active students” was

built to reduce to the smallest possible number of drop-outs. Besides, to
concern oneself with the student’s living condition will help them to have
chance of studying.
4.Can newly-graduating engineers work as experience staffs? While
business complain that graduates are only good in theory , universities
against that business don’t welcome students to assigned them practical
work . However , one realistic sollution isn’t found by both business and
universities.
5.At “The School Year of Information and Technology Application”,
delegates include experts , educators and officials dicussed about using ICT
in education . The number of internet users have increased in few near
years. Applying ICT in education will bring better educational environment
for students around the country
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6.More and more universities are founded and many problems are
appearing.Universities lacks of good lucturers and facilities .Deputy of
Ministy MOET said that qualification of lecturers must be up graded
Besides increasing the number of universities,rasing the education
quality is also urgent problem.
7.Doctor Pham Thi Kim Anh , from Hanoi University recounted the bad
attitude of students which is from poor education and upbringing.She gave
the solution that needs co-ordination of teachers and parents in teaching life
skills and fostering personalities.However,to improve the quality of teachers
is also one more important problem .
8.Books are so necessary for teachers and students. But now teachers
and students use Internet to search information and time .Because school
library is not enough to server people about quality, quantity and disversity ,
government should invest both books and skills of librarian.One more thing
is that infrastructure in library need to modernise.
9.High tuition fee is a big problem with majority of students .However ,

to increase tuition fee is unavoidable .Opinions of some students showed
that they can’t effort to pay such as high tuition fee. .So, the government
should have solutions to control this staus .Universities also should find
other financial sources to reduce the fee.
10.In this new school year , the Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien
Nhan introduced four new projects : kindergaten , system school , teacher’s
quality and new structure.he also hoped that the number of student drop-outs
will minimising.Besides, the ministry also encouraged teacher to change the
method of teaching .
1 - SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN DISADVANTAGED AREAS
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The Ministry of Education an Training and the Vietnam Education Trade
Union have called for support from the whole education sector to help pupils
in mountainous , remote and poor areas, especially those in provinces hit by
the recent floods.
The campaign aims at to collect clothes , books , textbooks , learning
tools and raise money to help the students in those areas.
Currently, students in muontainous , remote and undeveloped areas , face
many difficuties . Some students in those regions lack warm clothes , books,
textbooks and necessary learning tools . In particular, the floods at the
beginning of August caused great human suffering and property damage in
several Northern Mountainous Provinces .
According to a report by Education Trade Union in Lao Cai , Yen Bai ,
Ha Giang , Phu Tho and Quang Ninh provinces , one teacher and 19 pupils
dided or went missing in the flood , several houses belonging to teachers
were destroyed , 89 teacher’s houses were heavily damaged , many
classrooms were destroyed , hundreds of pupils lost clothes , books ,
textbooks and learning tools.All right before the new school year.
To help pupils in disavantaged regions , especially in flood-hit areas, the
Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam Education Trade Union

have called for all teacher s , educational workers , student in economically
advantaged areas , organizations , businesses and individuals to respone the
campaign.
The campaign will create better conditions for students in these regions in
their material and spiritual lives and help them in their studies , said Nguyen
Thien Nhan , Deputy Mininster and Minister of Education and Training.The
campaign will be carried out from the beginning of this new school year till
Octorber , 2008.
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2- BID TO BOOST ETHNIC PUPILS ‘ LITERACY
The move is expected to facilitate ethnic
minority children’s learning as many of them
still cannot read and write Vietnamese fluently
after completing the first grade, despite the
Ministry of Education and Training’s efforts at
improving education in rural areas.
For the school year 2007-08, 40 rural provinces recorded low rates of
learning the Vietnamese language after the first grade, according to a report
released at a recent conference held by the ministry.
Nearly 22 per cent of students who had completed the first grade in northern
Ha Giang Province could not read or write Vietnamese, with 17 per cent in
Dac Nong Province, 16.8 per cent in Gia Lai Province in the Central
Highlands and 15.3 per cent in central Ninh Thuan.Nguyen Vinh Hien,
deputy education minister, said textbooks, which are all in Vietnamese, and
teaching methods were unsuited to ethnic minority students.Some academic
content of the textbooks are too difficult, he said.Vietnam has 53 ethnic
minorities with a population of 11 million. About 70 per cent of ethnic
Ethnic children at a
primary school in A Pu
Sung Commune, Bat Xat

District, in the northern
mountainous province of
Lao Cai, learn
Vietnamese.
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children cannot understand and speak Vietnamese before they attend
primary school.
The Ministry of Education and Training has told provinces and cities to
use ethnic languages to teach Vietnamese to five-year old ethnic children at
kindergarten schools or offer a two – to three-month Vietnamese training
course for ethnic children before they enter the first grade.Using students’
ethnic languages to teach them in the first grade and both languages at
primary school is one method encouraged by the ministry.
Hoang Thu Huong, an official from the ministry’s pre-school education
department, said the method of teaching Vietnamese to ethnic children in
kindergarten had been successful in Gia Lai Province."Ethnic children who
learn Vietnamese in kindergarten can follow the teaching curriculum of the
first grade," Huong said.But many of the children did not attend school, she
said.
Mong Ky Slay, head of the ministry’s ethnic minority education
department, said there was a shortage of teachers who can master their
students’ ethnic languages.
Using both languages had not been successful in general because
classes can contain children from three to five ethnic minorities.The ministry
would decide on one approach after surveying results in various provinces.
Nguyen Van Dong, head of the Gia Lai Province’s primary education, said
provincial teacher training colleges should offer ethnic minority languages to
teachers.
Only five per cent of primary teachers nationwide are ethnic minorities.
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Tran Thi Tham, deputy director of the Lao Cai Province’s department
of education and training, said teachers needed to learn the ethnic languages
of their students.Lao Cai Province had also sent its teachers to Tay Bac
University to learn the H’mong language, she said.Vietnam has only four
universities – Tay Bac, Tay Nguyen, Quy Nhon and Can Tho – that teach
ethnic minority languages
(Source: Viet Nam News)
3- SCHOOLS BRACE FOR AN EARLY START
While students nationwide are waiting for the first drum beat that
officially starts the new school year, the education and training sector has set
out new targets to improve schooling.
Students and their parents look for necessary
textbooks and stationaries for the new coming school
year.
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The new targets aim to eliminate manipulation of exam results, and to
keep students in school, reducing the number of drop-outs.
Minister of Education and Training, Nguyen Thien Nhan, said the
education sector should focus society's attention on the benefit of learning,
to provide a favourable learning environment for students across the country.
"I once visited Tra Vinh Province, and local authorities told me that
poor families could not produce enough to eat without the help of their
children, if we could provide them 10 kilos of rice a month, the children
would not have to do farm work and could attend school," said Nhan,
adding, "Some children have to travel great distances to go to school, we
should provide transport to help them."
"We must help students in accordance with their own situation and
local conditions," he said.
In the 2008-09 school year, Nhan said the Ministry of Education and
Training would launch a new campaign; "Friendly school, active students".

The new campaign aims to develop clean and green schools, and will help
teachers develop a creative curriculum where students can enjoy healthy
activities in conjunction with school work.
"Through the campaign, we believe that the number of students
dropping out of schools will reduce next year," Nhan said.
He noted that the Ministry would continue the fight against cheating in
examinations by publishing information on localities where cheating is
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widespread.According to Nhan, 2008-09 school year will be a break-through
year in terms of applying IT.
(Source: Viet Nam News)
4- BUSINESSES THINK LITTLE OF TRAINING QUALITY
According to the Ministry of Education and
Training, 45-62% of students can get jobs within
three months after they graduate from university
or college, and 90-100% of students can get jobs
within two years.
Only 60% of polled students said that they could find jobs related to the
branch in which were trained, while 30% said that their jobs are not closely
related to their specialty field, and the remaining 10% said they worked in
completely different fields.
Businesses complain that graduates lack a lot of skills necessary for work,
like foreign language skills, informatics and soft skills.
Vietnamese students are
very good in theory and
bad in practice
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They said that students of the modern age prove to be dynamic and
eager to learn, but they still have a lot of shortcomings. Especially, they lack
professional skills and get confused when applying knowledge in practice.

According to Phan Tri Dung, Chairman of Petech Company, MOET
believes that Vietnamese students are very good in theory and bad in
practice. However, Dung said that he does not agree with the viewpoint.
It is true that Vietnamese graduates are not good in practice, but they
are even worse in theory, Dung said. A lot of companies which employ new
graduates have to retrain students so they can carry out their jobs.
According to statistics, only 20% of newly-graduating engineers can
absorb such training programmes because their theoretic knowledge is far
from sufficient. Currently, at universities, students learn only to pass tests
and write graduate theses.
Dung also said that graduates lack creativeness. In order to prove this,
he cited an example. Vietnamese students always get high prizes at
international competitions, but the number of inventions of Vietnamese
students is 100 times lower than those of foreign students.
5- ONLINE CONFERENCE URGES EDUCATION REFORM
WITH ICT
Participants discussed issues related to strengthening the application of
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on education and
administration management as part of Decree 64, which was issued by the
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Government last year.
Representatives from foreign companies and international organisations
shared the experiences from other parts of the world.Delegates from
education agencies nationwide reported on their progress, methods of
incorporating ICT into the pedagogy, and proposed changes to the project.
How to use open source software for educational purposes was also a hot
topic.
Following recent instructions from the ministry, educational agencies
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Candidates attend the

National Non-professional
Information Technology
(IT) Competition in the
southern province of Can
Tho. The Government
wants stronger IT usage in
education and
administration
management.
and departments will be equipped with ADSL so video conferences, web
conferences and audio conference systems can be used to host online events
for educators.
The ministry also called on its sub-divisions to provide email addresses
with the domain name of their particular departments to facilitate
management and training.
This academic year, priority will go to seniors to be assigned email
addresses with the department’s domain name to get graduation updates and
vocational guidance. Other ways to use open sources in education and e-
learning were also brought up.
The application of new ways of thinking about education in universities
in HCM City and Ha Noi kickstarted a new vitality for education reform
around the country. One expert noted the concept of e-learning is by now
familiar with Vietnamese educators.
Using ICT in education now is fortuitous as the country’s number of
internet users has shot up. Some 15 million people are on line this year,
according to a report from Vu Minh Tri, head of Yahoo! Southeast Asia’s
representative office.
In two years, that number will double. Students account for 37 per cent
of internet users in the country.The conference was transmitted to education
and training departments across the country so that attendees would not need

to host other meetings to disseminate information to their staff, said Quach
Tuan Ngoc, head of the Department of Information and Technology under
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the Ministry of Education and Training.
The development and application of ICT was an essential part of
reforming the national education system, he said.The Government wiould
foot the bill to train 30,000 principals and teachers to use ICT. Meetings and
trainings via satellite TV would also save money, he added.
This year, the Ministry of Education and Training will organise contests
for educators applying ICT to their teaching methodologies to encourage
familiarisation with the new technology.
(Source: VNS)
6- MORE UNIVERSTIES , MORE TRAINING PROBLEMS
According to the Ministry of Education and
Training (MOET), the galloping increase in the
number of universities has led to low training
quality at many universities. MOET, for the first
time, held a conference for newly opened
universities and colleges several days ago.

Problems exist
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According to the University and Post-university Department under MOET,
as of August 2008, Vietnam had 160 universities and 209 junior colleges,
gathering 1.6mil students, which meant 188 students per every 10,000
people.

In the period from 1998-2004, Vietnam only saw three new non-state
universities and three junior colleges. During that time, 25 colleges were

upgraded into universities, while 15 vocational schools were upgraded into
colleges.

Meanwhile, in the short period from 2005-2008, Vietnam saw 20 new
universities established, one state-owned and 19 private-run ones. Since
2005, MOET has upgraded 28 colleges into universities and 86 vocational
schools into colleges.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, the network
of universities and colleges has been developing too rapidly while Vietnam
still does not have extensive resources. Meanwhile, Tran Ba Giao, Deputy
Chief Inspector of MOET, said that a lot of problems were found in
universities during recent inspections.

Lecturers are seriously lacking in newly upgraded universities. Phu Yen
and Pham Van Dong universities only have two lecturers with doctorates.

The numbers of permanent lecturers at universities in reality prove to be
much lower than reported numbers. Van Xuan Technology College reported
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that it had 20 doctors, 105 MAs, but the payroll only showed one doctor and
6 MAs. Phu Xuan University enrolls students for finance and banking but it
has only one lecturer in this field – with a bachelor’s degree.

Quality the big problem

According to MOET, Vietnam will need 386 universities and junior
colleges by 2010 and 410 by 2015. The figure will be 600 by 2020: 225
universities and 375 colleges.

As of August 2008, Vietnam had 369 universities and colleges, which
means that Vietnam needs to expand the university network and upgrade
training capacity by three-fold in order to ensure enough room for 4.5mil
students.

Deputy Minister of MOET Banh Tien Long said that the ministry is
now focusing on upgrading training quality by settling the problem of lack
of lecturers. Long said that every year, MOET will send 3% of lecturers at
junior colleges to doctoral training courses, 20% of lecturers to master’s
training courses. The figures will be 10% and 15%, respectively, for
universities.

Deputy Prime Minister Nhan said that the establishment of new
universities and colleges will be slowed down, while new universities will
not be set up in urban areas to avoid land-related problems.

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He added that the state will promulgate policies to support newly set up
universities. For example, in the first five years of operation, universities
will not have to pay tax, while they will pay 5% in tax in the 6-9
th
years,
while the full tax of 10% will be imposed as of the 10
th
year of operation.

MOET will promulgate regulations about the qualifications of lecturers.
Those who cannot meet the requirements set in the regulations will not be
able to teach at universities.

(Source: TBKTV
7- POOR EDUCATION BLAMED FOR HIGH CHEATING RATE
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Many teachers had not placed much importance
on improving the bad attitude of students, Kim
Anh told the conference which attracted many
domestic education experts and teachers
nationwide.
However, Kim Anh said the first mistake concerning the problem was made
by families, many of whom gave their children a poor upbringing."Many
parents, after finishing work, simply turn on the television set or computer
for their children in stead of talking to them or playing with them."
Kim Anh said this had led to many children being detached from the real
world, opting for thrills from violent games, leading to the fact that they
don’t do all their studies.The doctor also blamed the problem on a lack of
education on morality from primary to university level and less attention to
teaching life skills and fostering good personalities among students.
A poor education system and a lack of discipline have been blamed for
the high rate of students cheating during examinations, said Kim Anh,
The survey revealed that
85 per cent of students did
not study and in stead
copied from other
students, 36 per cent tried
to bribe teachers to get
higher marks and 21 per
cent broke exam rules by
helping their friends.
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highlighting a survey made by Education and Training Ministry inspectors

that included 1,830 students in 2006.
The survey revealed that 85 per cent of students did not study and in
stead copied from other students, 36 per cent tried to bribe teachers to get
higher marks and 21 per cent broke exam rules by helping their
friends.Principal of Dinh Tien Hoang Private Senior Secondary School in
Hanoi, Nguyen Tung Lam, said students should actually be observed more
by teachers rather than educated en masse by imposing and filling their
heads with boring and hard lessons.
To make lessons on morality, civil education and law effective,
Director of Dong Nai Education and Training Department Le Minh Hoang
suggested teachers put practical examples on the issue in lessons and pose
ethical and moral problems for students to solve themselves. This would
help them learn about the value of honesty and orient their behaviour in a
better way.
(Source: Viet Nam News)
8- BARE SHELVES HAUNT SCHOOL LIBARIES
Participants at a conference on promoting school library operations in
anticipation of the up-coming school year said they looked more and more
like deserted book warehouses
According to Le Duc Ke, deputy director of the HCM City Book and
School Equipment Co., the number of people using libraries is diminishing,
even though studying there improves teaching quality and students’ self-
education.
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A lack of books and poor facilities are to blame for low turnout from
both students and teachers.The annual budget for a school library’s book
collection, newspapers and equipment was only VND6-10 million (US$364-
606), said Nguyen Thi Kim Nhung, an officer at the City’s District 1
Education and Training Office.
Conference participants said such a small budget cannot support many

library activities, let alone upgrade infrastructure.According to Ke, the
service at libraries is poor as most librarians are simply bookkeepers,
untrained in the skills and knowledge needed to help people find what they
are looking for.
Moreover, people now just access the internet for information to save
time and effort.Several ways to improve libraries and turnout were discussed
at the conference.Nhung advocated for boosting the quantity, quality and
diversity of books to bring people in.
Increased Government funding for libraries is badly needed to
modernise infrastructure and train library workers.
For their part, libraries should make finding information easier by
having book titles and locations readily available.Schools in Cu Chi and Thu
Duc districts reported more foot traffic when they applied those measures.
(Source: Viet Nam News)
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9- NON – STATE UNION BURDENED BY HIGHER TUITION FEES
The HCM city Technical and Technology People – founded University
has released an anouncement about tutionfor the first se mes ter of the 2008-
2009 academic year , according to which , the lowest rate is
VND4mil/semester, while the rates for ‘hot’ study branches like interior
design and fashion design are VND.25mil/semester, an increase of
VND1mil over last year.
A studen of the Information Technology Faculty of the university
related that three years ago , when he entered the university, he had to pay
VND 1.9 mil/semester . The tuition has been increasing steadily since then ,
and now he has to pay VND 4.1mil/ semester .
Hong Bang People – founded University on August 22 posted a notice
about new fees . Students of technology study branches have to pay VND
6.98 mil/ year , while those whole study multimedia communications have to
pay VND 8.98 mil/ year .

Hung Vuong , Van Hieu , Ton Duc Thang people – founded
universities all have announced considerable increases in tuition fees.
However , the above increases are insignificant compared with the
tuition increases announced by the HCM City Finance Economics
University. A lot of students were shocked when they heared that the tuition
for the first year would be $ 2,500 / year , and would increase by
20
$100/year .Moreover ,an official from the Training Division of the
university said that students have to pay $2000 for learning English during
four years of studying . As such ,students have to pay $3000 a year on
average , or VND 50 mil, for their studies at the university .
Explaining about the required VND 10 mil/year tuition , Dang Kim
Nhung , Deputy Headmaster of Thang Long University , said that the level is
not high if noting that students can study in very good conditions . Nhung
said that from this academic year , Students will study in a new building
with good material facilities .
Hoang, a third- year student at the HCM City Technique and
Technology People – founded University , has to rush the cafộ near the
university every afternoon after lessons.Hoang receives VND 50,000 after
working at the cafe from 5 pm to 10 pm . Hoever ,he said , the money is not
enough for him to pay his tuition , which has increased by VND 1mil per
semester.
10- HIGH HOPES FOR NEW SCHOOL YEAR
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Four new projects will be implemented this
school year. The first will bring all five-year-old
children into kindergarten. During the project’s
duration, until 2010, the focus will be on
improving school facilities, teacher quality and
children’s meals.

The second will be to create a system of specialised kindergartens and a
system of boarding schools for ethnic students.
The third is to organise refreshment courses for 10,000 school head masters
and to increase the number of qualified teachers across the nation.
And finally, the fifth project will reform the existing financial structure of
the sector, including tuition fees to make them more in line with reality.
In this school year, the Ministry of Education and Training will
introduce new measures in an effort to reduce the number of student
dropouts.
Last school year, the number of dropouts was lower than that of the
previous school year. But for this school year, the measures will be varied
from one locality to another, in order to meet their individual needs. For
example, if they don’t have rice to eat, we shall provide them with rice. If
In this school year, the
Ministry of Education and
Training will introduce
new measures in an effort
to reduce the number of
student dropouts.
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they live far away from the school, we call provide them with bicycles. For
students in the mountainous regions who cannot ride bikes to school, we
should build classes closer to their homes.
In the long run, we should create a healthy study environment for the
students and good facilities for them.
Also this school year, the ministry will continue campaigning against
examination cheats. If untoward behaviour is found in any locality, the
cheaters will be publicised nationwide.
In addition, we’ll encourage teachers to apply the student-centred
teaching methodology. This new approach should make students more active

in their studies.
Source: Vietnamnet.bridge
DICUSSION
In our assignment, we brought 10 education news.Each new showed
one educational problem which is needed to sovle.All of news are interesting
and realistic but we choosed the most important piece of news to dicuss.It’s
“Poor education blamed for high chesting rate” new.
In this new ,we were known about doctor Kim Anh’s opinon.She is
from Hanoi Teachers’ Training University.At a recent conference titled
Moral Education for students , she gave her opinion about bad attitude of
students . It is the most important so it influnces on each students’ life.He
can become a good person or not ,which depens on his skill life .However ,
many parents don’t concern enough to their children .One happy meal is
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better than sum of money which children can get from their parent
.Besides ,Educayion in school also plays important role in developing a
person’s characteristic .But poor education isn’t effective .With boring and
hard lessons , students are future of the country and they need concernedness
of both government and family. We are agree with Kim Anh’s opinion and
hope that there will have solutions to improve educational qualify.
Now, country’s development is estimated by educational
development.Through that new, we hope that we showed important problem
of education.When the education has concernedness of all members in social
, our country will develop all-sidedly and firmly ./.
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CONCLUSION
Education quality is one of the decisive factors for the advancement and
development of the society.So,student need have healthy life , including
building a healthy education environment in every school and tightening co-
ordination among families , local authorities , schools .

In our assignment ,we showed many education problems must be
solved.With the assignment , we improved skills like analysing,
synthetizing, working in group .When we were researching this detail, we
knew much more information about the education and social.Government
need to have real education reform in order to improve educational quality at
all levels , from kindergarten to tertiary schooling.
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