A Shared Commitment to Supporting Disadvantaged Students
For students facing difficult circumstances, the path to education and a better future is not always easy. To help them stay on that path, teachers, classmates and the wider community are joining hands to provide practical support.
According to the Department of Education and Training, many students at ethnic minority boarding schools and vocational and continuing education centers still face financial difficulties. Providing timely assistance and creating favorable conditions for them to remain in school and study with peace of mind has therefore become increasingly necessary.
Le Thi Bich Lien, Director of the Lam Dong Department of Education and Training, said: “We have developed a plan to establish a Fund to Support Disadvantaged Students and mobilize contributions from officials, teachers, parents, businesses and the community. The fund aims to provide timely support for tuition fees, textbooks, uniforms and school supplies, giving students greater motivation to attend school.”
She added that the initiative is part of a long-term community mobilization effort by the Department of Education and Training.
Turning Community Support into a Lifeline for Students
One of the notable examples of the movement to support disadvantaged students is Nguyen Binh Khiem - Ta Hine High School. For many years, the school has used contributions from teachers and staff, funds raised through student-run “piggy banks,” and support from the Parents’ Association and former students to provide disadvantaged students with monthly scholarships, textbooks at the beginning of the school year, and bicycles.
Do Wang Prong Gio En, a student facing particularly difficult circumstances who travels 10 kilometers to school every day, was deeply moved to receive VND300,000 per month from the school’s support fund. He said the assistance has strengthened his determination to study and prepare for the entrance examination to the police sector, his long-held ambition.
The “Supporting Students to Stay in School” initiative at Nguyen Binh Khiem - Ta Hine High School received a Certificate of Merit from the Lam Dong Provincial Party Committee’s Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilization in 2025.
Beyond Nguyen Binh Khiem - Ta Hine High School, hundreds of schools across Lam Dong, from border areas to coastal and island communities, regard supporting disadvantaged students as an important responsibility.
“The Support Fund for Disadvantaged Students across schools in the province aims to accompany and encourage students facing difficult circumstances to continue their education and reduce dropout rates. It also seeks to foster solidarity and mutual support within the community, society and the education sector. We see this as both a responsibility and an expression of care for our students,” Bich Lien said.
The Support Fund for Disadvantaged Students is financed by contributions from officials, teachers, parents, businesses and the wider community. A small portion also comes from the “piggy bank” movement at schools, through which students voluntarily contribute to help their peers.
The scholarships are intended to provide timely assistance with tuition fees, books, uniforms and school supplies. “We support disadvantaged students in continuing their education, particularly ethnic minority students and those studying at vocational and continuing education centers,” Lien said.
Most importantly, the Support Fund for Disadvantaged Students always ensures transparency. Every contribution, every uniform and every scholarship represents the care of teachers, classmates and the community for these students. We will ensure that every gift and scholarship reaches the right student and is provided appropriately, so that they receive support in the spirit of integrity and compassion, reflecting the values of the education sector.
Le Thi Bich Lien, Director of the Lam Dong Department of Education and Training