From July 15, students and staff from 80 high schools across Hanoi will study ASEAN and its Charter to improve their knowledge about the grouping.

The programme was launched by the municipal Service of Education and Training as a step towards a united and prosperous Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

From now until the end of July, the pilot schools will focus on making plans and conducting information campaigns about the 10-member grouping.

Five students of best knowledge about the issue in each school will represent their schools at a contest of speakers on ASEAN scheduled for late August.

Teachers will also attend relevant training courses, including measures to study documents.

ASEAN groups Brunei , Cambodia , Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar , the Philippines , Singapore and Thailand plus Vietnam which this year holds the presidency./.