Education sector opens, enters new school year, new period

Students at the 80th Anniversary of Education Tradition and Opening of the 2025-2026 School Year.

On September 5, at the National Convention Center (Hanoi), the Ministry of Education and Training held a ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition and open the 2025-2026 school year.

September 5 has become the traditional day of the education sector, the day the whole country starts the new school year, the day the whole nation takes children to school. On this occasion 80 years ago, the Ministry of National Education, a member of the Provisional Government , was established. Since then, the Ministry of Education and Training has managed and led the entire sector, through 80 years of striving to grow and contribute to the development of the country.

This year's opening ceremony is held in a special form, with connections via online transmission and live television of VTV, all educational institutions and the whole country are attending and witnessing the celebration and opening ceremony, all educational institutions nationwide will salute the flag, sing the National Anthem at the same time in the opening ceremony of the new school year, listen to the General Secretary's instructions and congratulations for the new school year, and listen to the sound of the school opening drum.

"Millions of hearts are sharing the same sacred, excited, and proud emotions. This year's opening ceremony is held with the special attention of the Party and the entire people to education and training," Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son emotionally spoke at the ceremony.

The Minister said that the Politburo has just issued Resolution 71 on breakthroughs in education and training development; the National Assembly has a Resolution on universalizing preschool education for children from 3 to 5 years old; preschool and primary school students are exempted from and supported with tuition fees; 248 boarding schools in border communes are under construction; many subjects are supported with lunch; general schools organize two sessions a day; many new breakthrough policies on developing the teaching staff are codified by the Law on Teachers; ... and many other new policies.

Today's opening ceremony and celebration, more than an event or ritual, is an activity demonstrating unity and national spirit in education.

The Minister expressed his remembrance and gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh, the heroic martyrs, generations of teachers and students who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the nation. Right from the beginning of independence, he not only cared about improving people's knowledge and eliminating illiteracy, but more importantly, he raised people's spirit, encouraged their will, passed on their mission and responsibility, creating great inspiration for generations of young people.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son at the ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition and the opening of the 2025-2026 school year.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son's speech at the ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition and the opening of the 2025-2026 school year said: Over the past 80 years, through many glorious historical periods, the Ministry has evolved from the Ministry of National Education to the Ministry of Education; from the two ministries of Education and the Ministry of Universities and Vocational Secondary Schools to the Ministry of Education and Training today.

The education and training sector has undergone three major educational reforms and two profound and revolutionary reforms. Under the leadership, ideological orientation and educational guidelines of the Party, the entire sector has gradually built and perfected educational institutions and policies; completed the national education system; created educational facilities and infrastructure; gradually developed the team of teachers, scientists and educational managers; developed educational science, teaching and learning methods, testing and evaluation; built a system of textbooks, curricula and learning materials; developed educational management models, and promoted international cooperation.

Over the past 80 years, education and training have developed in a direction that both inherits tradition and integrates internationally, creating Vietnam's own identity and values.

From the context of a country with 95% of the population being illiterate, the intellectual class as sparse as autumn leaves, the number of higher education schools counted on the fingers, and going through decades of war, with many hardships and difficulties,... to today, the whole country has completed universal education from 5-year-old kindergarten to the end of secondary school. The quality of general education has been gradually improved. Vietnam is internationally recognized as a group of countries with good general education in the world. For many consecutive years, Vietnam has been in the group of 10 countries with the best results in Olympic competitions around the world.

Currently, the country has more than 52,000 schools, enough learning space for 26 million students, of which 65% are standard general schools, many of which are spacious and modern. The force of 1.6 million teachers is well-trained, among which there are elite groups that are not inferior to any teaching force in the world.

Among 243 universities, more than 800 colleges and vocational schools, both public, private and international, not all schools are of high stature or quality, but there are fields and higher education institutions in the top 500 schools in the world, training in most fields and professions that the world has, contributing 75% of the country's scientific research products and inventions.

The force of scientists is also large, including many talented people, who have made many contributions domestically and internationally.

"What the country and the education sector have achieved over the past 80 years is truly a great and proud achievement, if not a miracle," said Minister Nguyen Kim Son.

Today, the education sector holds the opening ceremony, entering a new school year, a new era. In the context of profound and comprehensive changes in the world, especially digital technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping education on a global scale, countries are having to redefine their vision and new strategies for developing the education system in the future, introducing new policies to develop, compete and attract talent.

The country is facing a historic opportunity to develop rapidly and successfully achieve the two 100-year goals. The requirements for building people and developing high-quality human resources are very urgent, requiring strong development of education and training.

Resolution 71 on breakthrough in education and training development has just been issued by the Politburo, in which the education and training sector is identified as the top national policy, the decisive factor for the future of the nation , placing education and training development in the mindset of national governance, social governance, making the goals and tasks of education and training development the focus of strategies, planning, policies, programs, and plans for the development of national sectors. Setting a big goal, by 2045: Vietnam will have a modern, equitable, and high-quality national education system, ranked among the top 20 countries in the world.

"This is a special, unprecedented opportunity for the education sector, a great mission, responsibility and honor for the sector. Resolution 71 has the meaning of opening and guiding the new revolution in education," Minister Nguyen Kim Son emphasized.

The Minister affirmed that the Ministry of Education and Training and the entire sector are determined to promote the thousand-year-old fine tradition and 80 years of achievements, to devote all their intelligence, determination, creativity, enthusiasm and noble spirit of the profession to excellently fulfill their responsibilities to the country, and to start implementing Resolution 71 of the Politburo right from the first days of the new school year.

First, the entire industry must thoroughly study and understand the Resolution, unify perceptions and actions, fully understand the requirements, tasks, responsibilities and new ways of doing things, and create new momentum and motivation. It is necessary to immediately review, self-examine, self-correct, clearly recognize and resolutely overcome shortcomings.

Immediately institutionalize the guiding viewpoints of Resolution 71; submit to the National Assembly for approval 3 laws, Resolution on special policy mechanisms to implement Resolution 71, Resolution on the National Target Program on modernization and improvement of education quality; 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; promulgate and implement a new preschool education program;

Implement on schedule the construction of boarding and semi-boarding schools in border communes, solidify classrooms; rearrange the network of universities, colleges and vocational schools, reduce the number; improve quality, restructure within universities and colleges, deploy smart digital governance models, and eliminate intermediaries;

Build a national scholarship fund and policies to support learners; strongly deploy the AI (artificial intelligence) strategy in education, digital transformation and smart school development, connect and put into operation the lifelong learning records database of learners from the beginning of 2026.

"The road ahead is long, the burden on our shoulders is heavy. I hope that all teachers, education staff and students will be creative - need to be more creative, have made efforts - need to make more efforts, act faster and stronger to overcome our own limits, take advantage of all opportunities and conditions, and complete the new glorious mission," said the Minister.

YOUTH - QUYNH NGUYEN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nganh-giao-duc-khai-giang-buoc-vao-nam-hoc-moi-thoi-ky-moi-post906079.html