More than 110 ethnic minority students were honoured at a ceremony in Hanoi on Nov. 1 for the outstanding achievements they recorded at national academic contests and the university entrance exams in 2014.

The ceremony was co-organised by the Government’s Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs and the Vietnam News Agency in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam Television and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Central Committee.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised the great efforts of the students themselves as well as the dedication of their teachers so that the students from disadvantaged areas could have made the accomplishments.

He took the occasion to stress the importance of education in sustainable poverty reduction, especially in ethnic-inhabited and mountainous areas.

Deputy Minister and Vice Chairman of the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs Nong Quoc Tuan, who is also head of the ceremony’s organising board, said the education and training sector in ethnic and mountainous areas has reaped significant fruits in improving people’s knowledge, training human resources and nurturing talents over the past years.

He reported that the country has a total of 304 ethnic boarding schools, which have cultivated many outstanding ethnic students.

He said the committee will continue partnering with ministries, branches and social organisations to mobilise all resources for investment in education and training in ethnic and mountainous areas in a bid to narrow the gap of education.-VNA