Preserving culture of Khmer ethnic community in Soc Trang
WVR - In recent years, the teaching of the Khmer language and script in pagodas of Khmer people in Soc Trang province has received due attention.
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For the Khmer community in Soc Trang, culture and language have always received attention from the Party, State, and various administrative levels within the province, aiming to preserve and promote the value of their cultural identity and language, especially in the current context.
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| A Khmer language class at O Chum Pagoda, Nga Nam town, Soc Trang province. (Photo: VNA) |
As one of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, the Khmer people have developed a rich cultural tradition including clothing, art, architecture, music, dance, festivals, and religion. Soc Trang is the province with the largest Khmer population in the Mekong Delta and in the country, with over 400,000 Khmer people, accounting for about 30% of the province's population.
To enhance education and contribute to the preservation of the Khmer language in Soc Trang, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 196/QD-UBND on January 21, 2015, and Decision No. 399/QD-UBND on January 3, 2017, establishing the Compilation Board, Appraisal Board, and Training Program for Pali language teachers and the Pali Primary Study Program. Simultaneously, comprehensive investment in facilities, equipment, and training of staff and teachers for Khmer language instruction was undertaken to improve the quality of the ethnic boarding school system.
The province currently has 10 ethnic boarding schools with 3,300 students from secondary to high school levels, all teaching Khmer language as part of their curriculum. The Intermediate Pali Cultural Supplementary School in the Southern Region has a curriculum divided into 75% general education and 25% Khmer-Pali language from grades 6 to 12. The school enrolls students from provinces in the Southern and Southeastern regions, contributing to improving the level of Buddhist monks and preserving the Khmer language and script in the province.
Moreover, considering that some officials and civil servants in Khmer communities lack proficiency in the Khmer language, which significantly impacts the quality of leadership, management, and communication, the province launched a project on July 11, 2019, for Khmer language training for officials, civil servants, and public employees in Soc Trang province. Implemented in two phases (2019-2020 and 2021-2025), the project focuses on training in basic Khmer, advanced Khmer, and interpretation and translation skills.
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| Monks from O Chum Pagoda teaching Khmer script to local ethnic children. (Photo: VNA) |
Mr. Lam Nhum, Principal of the Intermediate Pali Cultural Supplementary School in the Southern Region and a member of the project steering committee, revealed that the first phase successfully trained over 500 officials, civil servants, and public employees in the Khmer language. The trainees have since been able to communicate, write, and read in Khmer, markedly improving their effectiveness in their roles. This initiative has been instrumental in facilitating effective communication and the implementation of Party policies and state laws among the Khmer community.
Beneficiary of the project, Mr. Thach Sam Ha, a teacher at Tran De Ethnic Boarding Secondary School, shared his experience: “Teaching at a school with many ethnic students necessitates knowledge of the Khmer language for smoother communication. When the project was announced, I enrolled from the basic to the advanced level. Now, I can speak, read, write, and translate from Vietnamese to Khmer and vice versa, making interactions with students and colleagues much easier, thus enhancing the quality and effectiveness of my teaching.”
In addition to this, the province has also initiated the production and broadcasting of the “Learning Khmer Together” program on Soc Trang Radio and Television, covering basic to advanced levels. This program serves not only the needs of officials, civil servants, and public employees in the province but also caters to the broader societal interest.
By consolidating and preserving the culture and language of the Khmer ethnic minority, Soc Trang has focused on mobilizing all resources to develop comprehensively the socio-economic aspects of areas with a dense Khmer population. This strategy aims to enhance income, improve living standards, and steadily reduce poverty sustainably, thereby elevating the cultural and spiritual life quality of the Khmer community and ensuring the best possible human and civil rights.
