Vietnam Lawmakers Support Education Institutions Established by Religious Sects

The Committee for Culture, Education, Adolescents, and Children of Vietnam’s legislative body National Assembly (NA) has supported the establishment of education institutions which are run by religious sects. The move will help religious sects participate in education sector equally with other organizations, Head of the committee Phan Thanh Binh said at a meeting of the NA’s Standing Committee on Sept 19. Statistics by the Vietnam Fatherland Front, religious sects across Vietnam have established nearly 270 schools and 900 classes for nearly 126,000 kids and schoolchildren from primary to high schools. They have also offered vocational courses to youth in 39 cities and provinces nationwide. The facilities meet requirements on teaching programs and quality, the agency said. So far, Vietnam has yet allowed religious sects to set up education institutions and the proposal is aimed to get legality for the move. The government-run Committee for Religious Affairs said that Vietnam has 24 million religious followers, including more than 10 million following Buddhism, more than seven million pursuing Christianity. Doing charity is part of the religious sects’ activities. (Congluan.vn Sept 19)