Education
Industrial zones lack kindergartens
  • | VNS | May 27, 2015 11:21 AM

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a plan to speed up the construction of kindergartens in industrial zones.

 

Child caretakers look after children at Dong Xanh Kindergarten in the Hiep Phuoc industrial zone in HCM City's Nha Be District. PM Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a plan to speed up the construction of kindergartens in industrial zones.— VNA/VNS Photo An Hieu

Demand is rising for kindergartens in industrial zones, but neither public nor private schools have been able to meet their needs.

As a result, parents have opted for small, private kindergartens that may not meet necessary safety and health requirements.

Dung on Friday ordered local authorities to include kindergartens when designing future industrial zones as part of worker accommodation areas.

The plan also called for mechanisms to encourage the private sector to invest in building kindergartens in areas where public ones weren't feasible.

It also demanded stricter quality control on public and private kindergartens to ensure the children's safety, health and proper development.

The Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour were charged with the task of building a framework to increase the number of kindergartens in industrial zones.

They were also ordered to supervise localities as they reinforced regulations and checked in on privately owned kindergartens' activities once per year.

Dung ordered the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to step up their efforts to ensure the health and safety of children across the country – especially those residing in industrial zones.

The Ministry of Construction will provide a set of technical standards and housing models in accordance with industrial zones' designs and regulations. Localities will use them as guidelines as they implement the plan.

An estimated 2.2 million people work in industrial zones in Vietnam. This number was projected to rise to 7.2 million by 2020 under a December 2014 plan for developing Vietnam's industrial zones.

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