Major funding for the project will be a US $90 million loan from the Asia Development Bank (ADB).

The projects aims to reform education and develop high-quality human resources for disadvantaged and ethnic minority communities.

It will begin implementation this August and end in December 2018, reaching 25 provinces and cities in difficult financial situations.

The Prime Minister also approved recently the Education Development Plan by 2020 which aims at improving the quality and reach of education at all levels in order to meet the demand for a high-quality workforce.

The plan targets all five-year-old children attending kindergarten by 2020. It also aims to expand primary school attendance to 99 percent, junior high school attendance to 95% and senior high school attendance to 80 percent of students in the relevant age groups.

It also seeks to ensure that 70% of children with disabilities attend school.

The rate of skilled workers in the nation’s labor force will increase to 70% from 40% in 2010.

By 2020, 25 percent of university lecturers and eight percent of college lectures are expected to have PhD degrees.

The plan will reassess textbooks and curricula at all levels and make required changes after 2015. The change will have a stronger focus on ethnics, life skills and career orientation.-VNA