Education moves from 'corrective' to constructive reform

On the morning of September 5, the Ministry of Education and Training solemnly held a ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition and open the 2025-2026 school year.

Attending the ceremony were General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man , Standing member of the Secretariat Tran Cam Tu, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien, along with leaders and former leaders of the Party and State; leaders and former leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training through the periods...

On this occasion, General Secretary To Lam, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, awarded the First Class Labor Medal to the Ministry of Education and Training.

9 major orientations for education and training innovation in the new period

Speaking at the ceremony, General Secretary To Lam affirmed: "Our country is entering a new stage of development, with the goal of becoming a modern industrial country by 2030, and a developed, high-income country by 2045. In the context of globalization, knowledge economy, science and technology and digital transformation developing strongly, education and training must maintain its position as a top national policy, becoming a key driving force for national development."

Đổi mới giáo dục việt nam: Từ cải cách chỉnh sửa đến kiến tạo tương lai - Ảnh 1. — General Secretary To Lam and Party and State leaders attend the anniversary and opening ceremony

Recalling that the Politburo recently issued Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW dated August 22, 2025 on breakthrough development of education and training, the General Secretary said that this month, the Secretariat will organize a national conference to thoroughly grasp and implement the above resolution. This is a resolution of great significance, with a strategic vision, with large, specific goals, tasks, and strong breakthrough solutions, bringing Vietnamese education and training into the flow of world education. The General Secretary also directed specific tasks for each level and each sector to quickly bring the resolution into life.

To successfully implement the cause of education and training innovation in the new period, General Secretary To Lam emphasized 9 major orientations:

First, strongly innovate thinking and action. Shift from "corrective" reform to creative thinking - leading national development through education; taking quality, equity, integration, and efficiency as measures; tightening enforcement discipline.

Second, ensure equal access to education and improve the intellectual level of the people. No child will be left behind; priority will be given to remote, border, island and disadvantaged areas; investment in schools - school nutrition - teachers - digital infrastructure will be increased. Recently, we have exempted tuition fees for all students from kindergarten to high school; some localities have provided free lunch for children who study two sessions. The Politburo has also concluded on the investment policy to build inter-level boarding schools in 248 land border communes. In the immediate future, the pilot investment will complete the construction or renovation of 100 schools in 2025, and will be completed by the time the next school year starts at the latest.

Third, reform general education in a comprehensive direction. Not only imparting knowledge but also nurturing personality - training the body - nurturing the soul, arousing civic spirit, sense of discipline and social responsibility; forming a generation of people who are "both talented, kind and resilient"; striving to soon universalize general education.

Fourth, create breakthroughs in higher education and vocational education. Universities must become centers for knowledge and technology production, and be the core of innovation and entrepreneurship; closely linking training, research and transfer with the country's development needs. It is necessary to form large universities of regional and international stature, modern vocational training facilities, to train high-quality human resources, contributing to the country's breakthrough in science and technology, industrialization and digital transformation.

Fifth, promote international integration in education. Integrate to learn from the best, narrow the gap, and spread standards; encourage joint training, program linkage, credit recognition, teacher-student exchange, and attract international scholars; thereby enhancing the status of Vietnamese education.

Sixth, take care of building a team of teachers and educational administrators. Teachers are the soul of education, the decisive factor in the success or failure of innovation. Teachers not only impart knowledge, but also sow aspirations, foster personality, and light up beliefs in students. Therefore, teachers themselves must constantly study, be creative, and set exemplary examples. The Law on Teachers passed by the National Assembly is the foundation to ensure the improvement of material life, rights, and legitimate interests, while improving professional standards, ethics, responsibilities, and social status of teachers.

Seventh, promote digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Turn technology into a catalyst for fundamental and comprehensive innovation: flexible teaching and learning, open learning materials, safe and humane digital platforms; improve digital capacity for teachers and students; ensure data security and safety.

Eighth, prioritize investment in education. Investing in education is investing in the future of the nation. Master planning, arranging the system (especially public universities) to form training - research - innovation centers on par with the region, reaching international standards; using public spending effectively, not spreading it out; strengthening public-private cooperation, strongly mobilizing social resources to join hands in the cause of cultivating people.

Ninth, building a learning society, lifelong learning. In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, knowledge changes every day, every hour; what is advanced today may be outdated tomorrow. Therefore, learning is not only a personal need, but must first be seen as a political responsibility, a permanent revolutionary action of every citizen. At any age, field or profession, we must learn to avoid falling behind, learn to master knowledge and technology, learn to develop ourselves and contribute to building a strong and prosperous country.

Giáo dục chuyển từ cải cách 'chỉnh sửa' sang kiến tạo - Ảnh 1. — General Secretary To Lam speaks at the conference

Ministry of Education and Training promises to "Fully comprehend and immediately implement"

Accepting the opinions and requests of General Secretary To Lam, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said he will fully understand the direction on innovation in thinking, shifting from reform and editing to creation, development and purpose, striving to carry out universal education at the general level...

"Resolution 71 demonstrates far-sighted vision, action and practicality. The resolution reflects the direction of the Party Central Committee and the Politburo, but first of all, the concern, anxiety, desire and special affection of General Secretary To Lam," Minister Nguyen Kim Son said and affirmed that he will work with the entire industry to implement Resolution 71 of the Politburo as well as the direction of the General Secretary right from the first days of the new school year.

Giáo dục chuyển từ cải cách 'chỉnh sửa' sang kiến tạo - Ảnh 2. — General Secretary To Lam requested that education take quality, fairness, integration, and efficiency as measures.

Mr. Nguyen Kim Son added that the Ministry of Education and Training will urgently complete the assessment of the implementation process of the 2018 General Education Program; develop new plans for textbooks and e-textbooks, e-learning materials; issue and implement a new preschool education program; and promptly implement the construction of boarding and semi-boarding schools in border communes and solidify classrooms.

At the same time, the Ministry also reorganizes the network of universities, colleges and vocational schools, reduces the number; improves quality, restructures within higher education institutions and colleges, deploys smart digital governance models, eliminates intermediaries; builds a national scholarship fund and policies to support learners; strongly implements the AI strategy in education, digital transformation and smart school development, connects and puts into operation the lifelong learning records database of learners from the beginning of 2026.

Overcoming new challenges with the spirit of "I am Vietnamese"

Speaking at the ceremony, Kieu Tuan Dinh, a student of the 67th class of Embedded Systems and IoT, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, shared: "In the coming time, when our generation steps out into the world, we know that with the uncompromising competition in the fields of technology, engineering and world trade, we will face new and equally fierce challenges, and to win, we not only need will and determination, but also intelligence and new capabilities according to the requirements of the times. Looking throughout the length of history and the lessons of our ancestors, we will rely firmly on the cultural traditions, on the identity, on the humanistic spirit of the Vietnamese people, we will be humble, honest and brave to learn from the world, to face and overcome new challenges with the spirit of "I am Vietnamese"".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giao-duc-chuyen-tu-cai-cach-chinh-sua-sang-kien-tao-185250906081912019.htm