Improving literacy with technology application and management innovation

Many difficulties arise

Thanh Hoa has been recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training as having achieved level 2 literacy standards since December 31, 2021 and has maintained this standard until now.

According to Mr. Ta Hong Luu, Acting Director of the Department of Education and Training of Thanh Hoa, the Party and State identify universal education and illiteracy eradication as important tasks; the system of Directives and Resolutions of the Party, the National Assembly and Decrees of the Government create a solid legal foundation for the organization to carry out this work.

In Thanh Hoa , this is also the content that has received the attention and direction of the Party committees and local authorities. The task of universalizing education and eliminating illiteracy has been included in the Resolutions of Party committees at all levels, with specific programs and implementation plans, which are an important basis for realizing the goals of universalizing education and eliminating illiteracy.

Attention is paid to investment in facilities and teaching equipment. The number of managers and teachers is increased every year and their quality is improved, increasingly meeting the practical requirements of universal education and illiteracy eradication.

The majority of people's awareness of the significance of universal education and illiteracy eradication has been raised, creating conditions to maintain, sustain and improve the quality of results.

However, with a large area, a large and scattered population, difficulties in terrain, transportation, climate, difficult socio-economic conditions, low educational level, the mountainous area alone has more than 1 million people with many ethnic groups..., implementing universal education and illiteracy eradication work in Thanh Hoa still faces many challenges.

According to Mr. Ta Hong Luu, although the facilities and teaching equipment of schools have been enhanced and supplemented, they are only at an average level compared to the requirements. Funding for upgrading, replacing, and building new classrooms and equipment still faces many difficulties. Mobilizing resources and investing in building facilities and equipment for schools, especially in mountainous areas with low educational levels, difficult socio-economic conditions, and communes with especially difficult socio-economic conditions, is still limited and does not meet the requirements.

Before 2025, the team of managers and teachers still has shortcomings in structure and uneven quality; the rotation and transfer of staff and teachers causes changes in the core team doing universal education and illiteracy eradication work in units, which has more or less affected the work of universal education and illiteracy eradication. The situation of local surplus and shortage still exists in places including towns and cities... The secondment of teachers to community learning centers also faces many difficulties, the staffing of schools is not redundant.

Funding for education and literacy activities is still very limited, almost non-existent. Mobilizing illiterate people to attend literacy classes in some units is still difficult due to the large mountainous areas, many places still have many isolated villages and hamlets. The number of people aged 15-60 who are still illiterate at level 2 accounts for 0.67%, mainly people over 50 years old living scattered in especially difficult areas, so organizing classes is not convenient. People of this age are very reluctant to go to school, difficult to mobilize, and limited knowledge absorption...

From July 1, 2025, implementing the two-level local government, administrative units have changed, administrative boundaries have fluctuated. The whole province has changed from 27 districts, towns, and cities with 559 communes, wards, and towns to 166 communes/wards (the number of working units has increased from 27 to 166). The members directing and implementing the work of universalizing education and eliminating illiteracy have changed greatly.

Mr. Ta Hong Luu also mentioned the difficulty of uneven resources between mountainous and plain areas. In mountainous areas and ethnic minority areas, opening combined classes and flexible classes for adults after relocating areas is even more difficult: longer distances, scattered class locations, and a lack of part-time literacy reporters. The group of adults who have just been re-educated without maintenance activities (Reading Club, basic digital skills) is likely to relapse into illiteracy. In 2025, community activity locations will also have to be re-arranged according to new areas, disrupting maintenance.

In addition, there are also difficulties due to large fluctuations in aggregate data and records of universal education and literacy; changing the aggregation tool from 3 levels to 2 levels (data is arranged and updated completely). Practical requirements require the construction or use of a new system in synthesizing data on universal education and literacy from 2025.

At the commune and ward levels, there are very few officers in the Department of Culture and Society working in education, or have not yet worked in universal education and literacy... At all levels, it is necessary to establish new Steering Committees, operating regulations, and plans for the 2025-2030 period. Records and inspection, supervision, and recognition work must be adjusted according to documents of all levels according to the 2-level government organization...

Delegates attend a training session on universalizing education and eliminating illiteracy by 2025 at Quan Son commune (Thanh Hoa). Photo: https://quanson.thanhhoa.gov.vn.

Strengthen management and promote initiatives to overcome difficulties

Faced with this situation, Mr. Ta Hong Luu said that the Thanh Hoa Education sector has had synchronous solutions to more effectively implement the work of universalizing education and eliminating illiteracy in the area.

The Department of Education and Training - the standing agency for universal education and illiteracy eradication - promptly sent documents to agencies and units asking for opinions on sending people to participate in the provincial Steering Committee; advising the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province on the establishment of the Steering Committee for universal education and illiteracy eradication in Thanh Hoa province, period 2025-2030.

The Department of Education and Training also advised the Provincial Steering Committee to promulgate the Working Regulations of the Steering Committee for Universal Education and Literacy Eradication in Thanh Hoa Province, 2025-2030 period; Plan for implementing universal education and illiteracy eradication in Thanh Hoa Province, 2025-2030 period; Plan for implementing universal education and illiteracy eradication in Thanh Hoa Province in 2025, and official dispatches guiding the implementation of universal education and illiteracy eradication in 2025.

In particular, the initiative "System of synthesizing data on universal education and illiteracy eradication" according to the 2-level government (by Mr. Nguyen Sy Thuan - Principal of Quang Tien Secondary School, Sam Son Ward); the initiative "Printing survey forms for each household from data on universal education and illiteracy eradication" and "Printing books on universal education and illiteracy eradication" (by Mr. Nguyen Minh Giang - Vice Principal of Yen Lac Secondary School, Yen Ninh Commune) helps to initially and basically solve one of the four major problems of Thanh Hoa province's education that needs to be implemented by 2025.

On the scale of the entire Thanh Hoa province and products on the market, Mr. Nguyen Sy Thuan's initiative has helped save at least 3-4 billion VND/year; Mr. Nguyen Minh Giang's initiative saves educational institutions about 3 billion VND/year and reduces 80% of the time spent making universal certificates and books for teachers.

Another solution is to create a zalo group to exchange and support communes, wards and educational institutions. When issuing documents, an additional word version will be sent to the group for commune and ward officials to access; at the same time, provide forms and documents issued at the grassroots level; and provide implementation instructions for commune and ward officials according to the order of steps and tasks...

Finally, organize online training for commune officials, leaders of educational institutions, and teachers on universal education, illiteracy eradication, and the use of data synthesis programs, printing of universal education vouchers and books.

Creative and practical solutions are helping Thanh Hoa's education sector gradually overcome difficulties, ensuring the maintenance and improvement of the quality of universal education, eliminating illiteracy, and moving towards the goal of sustainable development and equity in education for all people.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/nang-cao-hieu-qua-xoa-mu-chu-voi-ung-dung-cong-nghe-doi-moi-quan-ly-post753611.html