Minister Nguyen Kim Son: The 80-year journey of education is like a miracle

TPO - Speaking at the ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition and the opening ceremony of the new school year, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that the road ahead is very long, the burden on the shoulders is very heavy, hoping that teachers and students will be more creative, make more efforts, act faster and stronger to overcome their own limits to achieve good results in teaching and learning.

Speaking at the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition and the opening of the new school year, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son recalled that 80 years ago, just a few days after reading the Declaration of Independence, President Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter to students on the first day of school in the new Vietnam. The letter was a declaration on education and training, reflecting a vision for the future development of the country through and closely linked to education.

September 5th has become a traditional day for the education sector, marking the start of the school year nationwide and a day of celebration for all citizens sending their children to school.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son stated that the past 80 years have been "like a miracle," from a context where 95% of the population was illiterate, the intellectual class was sparse, and the number of higher education institutions could be counted on the fingers of one hand… to today, the whole country has completed universal education from kindergarten (ages 5) to the end of lower secondary school.

The quality of general education has been gradually improving. Vietnam is internationally recognized as one of the countries with the best general education systems in the world .

Currently, the country has over 52,000 schools, providing sufficient learning space for 26 million students. We have a workforce of 1.6 million well-trained teachers; 243 universities, more than 800 colleges and vocational schools, including some higher education institutions ranked among the top 500 in the world, training in almost all fields and professions available globally, contributing 75% of the country's scientific research, inventions, and patents.

According to the head of the education sector, compared to the world's leading advanced education systems, the education sector still has much to strive for and improve upon... But given the starting point, the circumstances, the conditions and costs, what the whole country and the education sector have achieved over the past 80 years is truly a source of pride, if not a miracle.

The Politburo has just issued Resolution 71 on breakthroughs in education and training development; the National Assembly has passed a Resolution on implementing universal preschool education for children aged 3 to 5; preschool children and primary and secondary school students are exempt from or receive tuition fee support; 248 boarding and semi-boarding schools in border communes are being built; many groups are receiving lunch support…

He emphasized that the opening ceremony of the new school year is taking place in a context of profound and comprehensive changes in the world, especially with digital technology and artificial intelligence reshaping education globally. Countries are having to redefine their vision and strategies for developing their education systems, and introduce new policies to develop, compete with, and attract talent.

Singer Tung Duong and students performed a welcoming act at the event.

Our country is facing a historical opportunity for breakthrough development, and the need to build human resources and develop high-quality human capital is extremely urgent, requiring strong development of education and training.

Resolution 71 on breakthroughs in education and training development, recently issued by the Politburo, honorably identifies education and training as a top national priority and a decisive factor in the nation's future. It places education and training development within the framework of national and social governance, making the goals and tasks of education and training development central to strategies, plans, policies, programs, and development plans for all sectors of the nation. The ambitious goal is that by 2045, Vietnam will have a modern, equitable, and high-quality national education system, ranking among the top 20 countries in the world.

An unprecedented opportunity

"This is a special, unprecedented opportunity for the education sector; it is a great mission, responsibility, and honor for the sector. Resolution 71 signifies the beginning and direction of a new revolution in education," Minister Nguyen Kim Son affirmed.

According to the Minister, the Ministry of Education and Training, along with the entire sector, is committed to dedicating all its intellect, determination, creativity, enthusiasm, and noble professional qualities to excellently fulfill its responsibilities to the nation, and to begin implementing Resolution 71 of the Politburo from the very first days of the new school year.

First, we must immediately conduct a review, self-reflection, and self-correction, clearly identifying and resolutely addressing our shortcomings. This correction cannot happen overnight, but it must be done immediately and consistently.

Immediately implement the institutionalization of the guiding principles of Resolution 71; submit to the National Assembly for approval three laws, a Resolution on special mechanisms and policies to implement Resolution 71, and a Resolution on the National Target Program for modernization and improvement of education quality; urgently complete the evaluation of the implementation process of the 2018 general education program; develop new plans for textbooks and electronic textbooks, reorganize the network of universities, colleges and vocational schools, and reduce their number…

Addressing the teaching staff and students, Minister Nguyen Kim Son stated that the road ahead is long and the burden on their shoulders is heavy. He hoped that teachers and students would be more creative, more diligent, and act more quickly and decisively to overcome their own limitations, seize every opportunity and condition, and fulfill their glorious new mission.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/bo-truong-nguyen-kim-son-chang-duong-80-nam-giao-duc-nhu-phep-mau-post1775605.tpo