Face the reality and create the future

The highlight of Resolution No. 71/NQ-TW dated August 22, 2025 of the Politburo on breakthrough in education and training development (Resolution 71) is to look directly at the reality of limited human resource quality, widespread achievement disease, large regional differentiation, university autonomy not yet in place, and teachers' lives still difficult.

Pointing out the shortcomings shows the determination to fundamentally innovate, putting education in the top national policy position, the future, destiny of the nation and the foundation of national competitiveness.

From there, Resolution 71 identifies clear quantitative goals, demonstrating the country's aspirations to rise. By 2030, universal preschool education for 3-5 year olds and compulsory education for all lower secondary schools will be completed; digital transformation in management and teaching will be basically completed; 8 universities will be ranked in the top 200 in Asia, of which at least 1 university will be ranked in the world's top 100 in some fields. Further, by 2045, a modern, equitable and quality education system will be built, bringing Vietnam into the top 20 countries, with at least 5 universities in the world's top 100, and forming a team of intellectuals and elite human resources capable of playing a key role in the knowledge economy . In addition, there are many other targets that require strong and persistent efforts from the entire education system.

To realize the goal, the resolution proposes synchronous solutions on three axes: institutions and staff; digital transformation, program and technology innovation; equity and integration. In particular, the resolution considers financial policies, socialization and teacher remuneration as important new points, creating a foundation for other solutions to come into reality. Another key point of the resolution is to continue promoting university autonomy. The State still ensures basic investment, but schools have the right to be proactive in academics, organization, personnel, and international cooperation. This is an important shift in thinking, avoiding the situation of equating autonomy with "self-financing" which has caused many misunderstandings in the past...

Along with autonomy comes the need for management innovation. Resolution 71 emphasizes the shift from administrative thinking to development creation, from command to modern management, from stagnation to decisive action. Long-debated issues such as “one program - one set of textbooks” or the public university governance model are raised with a view to stability, ensuring consistency, and creating conditions for effective implementation.

In addition to strong orientations, the implementation process certainly faces many challenges. University autonomy without independent governance and monitoring institutions such as the university council can lead to a situation of centralized power, distorting the nature of autonomy. Limited financial resources, uneven socialization, and difficult lives of teachers are also major obstacles. Digital transformation and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) require technical infrastructure, digital skills of teachers, and readiness of learners, which are currently having large differences between regions. Therefore, the resolution needs to be specified with a transparent mechanism, effective monitoring, and a feasible roadmap, to turn major policies into sustainable results.

The consistent spirit of the resolution is to affirm the leading role of the State in orientation, key investment and fair supervision, while encouraging the participation of society and businesses to create a combined strength. Technology and AI are considered new driving forces. Putting AI and digital transformation into the main solution group shows strategic vision, but to truly make a breakthrough, it is necessary to soon have an AI strategy in education at the national level. Putting AI into general education programs, training teachers, developing key research centers and perfecting the legal framework on data security and academic ethics will be the push to create a new competitive advantage for Vietnam's human resources.

Looking back from Resolution 29 in 2013 to Resolution 71 this time, we can see the movement from open innovation thinking to effective and efficient thinking. Innovation to pave the way, effectiveness to achieve results. The right path is to smoothly combine innovation and modern management, both stimulating creativity and ensuring discipline and quality. With that spirit, Resolution 71 is not only an orientation for the education sector but also a declaration affirming the role of people in national development. When education becomes the fifth pillar, the foundation for a new stage of development is complete, opening up the basis for believing in a future where knowledge and people determine the position of the nation in the 21st century.

Associate Professor, Dr. PHAN THANH BINH - Former Chairman of the National Assembly 's Committee on Culture - Education - Youth - Adolescents and Children

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nhin-thang-thuc-te-va-kien-tao-tuong-lai-post811153.html