1. BACKGROUND

Over the past few years, the Vietnamese Educational System has recorded remarkable achievements. From official data from the year 2000, 94% of the Vietnamese population is literate. Compared to the total amount of 8811 hamlets, there are 235 left that have not yet applied the national education standard and compulsory education. However, only 6% of the people at the age of 18 to 24 are studying at the higher education level. There are many reasons for this. One of them is that in the mountainous and remote areas, life is difficult and the studying condition is poor. Thus, pupils have few chances to access higher education.
 
Based on the results of university enrollment exams in recent years, the number of Kinh pupils passing the exam has increased 7 times more than that of ethnic minority pupils. Moreover, the studying performance of urban students is better than students in remote rural areas. To solve this problem, the Government has issued a lot of priority policies for pupils and students in ethnic minority and remote places. In the 8 solutions to achieve educational objectives for the year 2003, educational development for these areas is on the top. In order to promote social equality in education and training, under the approval of Ministry of Education and Training and the support of Ford Foundation, the program “Pathways to Higher Education” has been set up and implemented in Vietnam. Like the title suggests, this program gives disadvantaged pupils and student’s chances to access higher education and achieve better results at this level.

2. WHAT IS PHE?
 
PHE is a program to improve the educational quality for disadvantaged pupils and students at some universities in Vietnam. The phase from 2002-2003 is the pilot phase. The participating members of this phase are 10 universities all over the country. Each university member implements an independent sub-project.

3. DEFINITION OF DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS AND PUPILS

• Ethnic minority students and pupils;
• Students and pupils from Area I (remote areas);
• Students and pupils from Area II (mountainous areas)
• Students, pupils with personal disadvantages (parents of martyrs, orphans)
• Students, pupils whose parents are war-disabled persons, sort 1, 2 (>61%)
• Students, pupils whose parents are war – disable persons, sort 3, 4 (> 61%)
• Students, pupils from poor families (confirmed)

4. THE PARTICIPATING MEMBERS OF THE PILOT PHASE

The participating members of this phase are 10 universities all over the country. Each university member implements an independent sub-project. Among Ha Noi Agriculture University each university member has 2 projects:  an independent sub-project and a project: “Counseling and coordinating in research to increase the educational quality for disadvantaged students and pupils of some universities in Vietnam”.