The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) pledged to further help Vietnam improve the quality of education and training, said officials of the UN agency.

Peter Smith, Assistant to the UNESCO General Director, and Sheldon Shaeffer, Asia-Pacific Regional Director, made the affirmation while meeting with Vietnamese Education and Training Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan in Hanoi on March 6.

They said UNESCO highly appreciated the ministry's efforts and will continue to assist the country in developing commune-based education centres. The organisation will also help the ministry coordinate projects in the area till 2010, especially projects on pre-education, vocational and graduate training.

Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan informed the UNESCO officials of the country's educational sector targets to raise the number of teachers, improve the teaching methods and encourage the establishment of private universities.