Pali-Khmer High School in Tra Vinh city (photo: VOV)

Pali-Khmer High School sits inside Ong Met pagoda in Tra Vinh city. Its classrooms and dormitory can accommodate 150 students. The school has 24 teachers and 105 students attending the 2022-2023 academic year. 

Vice Principal and teacher Lam So Rone said: “Establishing the Pali-Khmer High School was the biggest wish of the monks in Tra Vinh province. This is a special school supported by the State like other boarding schools for ethnic students nationwide. The school has good accommodations for ordinary and monk students. Our curriculum follows the program of the Ministry of Education and Training and has some textbooks approved by the provincial People's Committee. Since its establishment, the school had organized 6 courses and 176 students and monks have graduated. Of those 75 have gone on to tertiary education and 29 teach at pagodas.”

A class at Pali-Khmer High School (photo: VOV)

The Pali-Khmer school has specialized programs in Pali language, Khmer literature, and Buddhist teachings in addition to other subjects.

The Pali program teaches basic Buddhism, Pali grammar, and Pali to Khmer translation. The Khmer program teaches Khmer grammar, Khmer literature, and writing Khmer poetry.

Math teacher Nguyen Thanh Chi said: “After secondary school, Khmer pupils have to learn Khmer language to enter Pali-Khmer High school. The common education curriculum is the same as at other schools. The special curriculum studies are in the Pali-Khmer language.”

Monk Kim Phắt Cà Đi, a former student of Pali-Khmer High School, said: “Since the school was established monks can pursue higher education. After graduation, we can continue to study at college, university, and higher.”