A total of 122 outstanding students from ethnic minority groups in 47 localities were honored at a ceremony in Hanoi on December 29. Addressing the event, Do Van Chien, Minister-Chairman of the Government Committee of Ethnic Minority Affairs, said the Party and State have paid special attention to socio-economic development and education services in mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas. A conclusion of the Politburo clarified the significance of the improvement of education-training quality for mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas, along with the maintenance of achievements in illiteracy elimination and the universalization of pre-school, primary and secondary education, he said. The document also underlined the need to enhance the quality and expand the network of boarding schools for ethnic minority students, while supporting those from areas facing extreme difficulties, he added. He said that thanks to the proper investment in education services and support policies in the field, the number of ethnic minority students showing strong academic, art and sports performance as well as the number of students attending university have increased through years. Among the honored students, 13 won first and second prizes in the national contest for outstanding students in 2020, and seven bagged high prizes at art and sports tournaments. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh underscored the important role of mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas in the socio-economic, defense-security and environmental protection strategy of the country. He suggested ministries, sectors and localities, especially the Government Committee of Ethnic Minority Affairs, work with relevant agencies to effectively implement projects under the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas while giving more support to education officials. The Deputy PM called on the whole political system and the business community to join hands in assisting students in the areas to study. At the ceremony, Deputy PM Binh presented scholarships worth a total of VND500 million ($21,647) to the outstanding ethnic minority students. Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm also presented each student with a tablet. (VietnamNews [1])