Speech of the Minister of Education and Training at the 80th anniversary of the tradition of the education sector

Dear Comrade To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam ;

Dear Comrade Luong Cuong, Politburo member, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

Dear Comrade Pham Minh Chinh , Politburo member, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

Dear Comrade Tran Thanh Man, Politburo member, Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

Dear Comrade Tran Cam Tu, Politburo member, Standing member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat.

Dear leaders, former leaders of the Party and State, leaders of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, unions, central ministries and branches, and leaders of localities, organizations, agencies and units;

Dear all Vietnamese and international guests, teachers and students.

Today, in harmony with the heroic atmosphere of the activities celebrating the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and National Day September 2, we are here together, at educational institutions and everywhere, in every part of the country to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Tradition of the Education and Training Sector and the Opening of the new school year.

On this day 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 opening day of school in the new Vietnam.

The letter is a manifesto on education and training, expressing a vision of the future development of the country by and in association with education.

September 5th has become the traditional day of the sector, the day the whole country starts the new school year, the day the whole nation sends children to school. Also 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 whole sector, gone 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 the connection via online transmission and live television of VTV, all educational institutions and the whole country are attending and witnessing the celebration and opening ceremony, listening to the General Secretary's advice and congratulations for the new school year, listening to the sound of the school drum. Millions of hearts are sharing the same sacred, excited, and proud emotions.

This year's opening ceremony was held with the special attention of the Party and the entire people to education and training: 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 being built; Many subjects are supported with lunch; General schools organize two sessions a day; Many new policies with breakthroughs in 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 a ritual, is a special educational activity with great meaning.

At this sacred moment, let us remember President Ho Chi Minh, with infinite gratitude, remember and pay tribute to the heroic martyrs, generations of teachers and students who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the nation. The 80-year journey of the education sector has been guided by the vision and educational ideology of President Ho Chi Minh. Right from the beginning of independence, he not only cared about improving people's knowledge and eradicating illiteracy, but more importantly, he revived the people's spirit, encouraged their will, passed on his mission and responsibility, and created great inspiration for generations of young people. Every time we recall his teachings, we are filled with emotion, excitement, and a sense of responsibility, feeling ourselves renewed, stronger and greater.

He said: “After 80 years of slavery that weakened our country, today we need to rebuild the foundation that our ancestors left us, so that we can catch up with other countries around the world. In that construction, our country expects a lot from you. Whether Vietnam becomes beautiful or not, whether the Vietnamese people can step up to the stage of glory to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents or not, depends largely on your studies”. President Ho Chi Minh - leader of the Party, national liberation hero, world cultural celebrity, a great educator, a great teacher.

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 present-day Ministry of Education and Training. The Education and Training sector has undergone three major educational reforms and two profound and revolutionary innovations. Under the leadership, ideological orientation and educational guidelines of the Party, the entire sector has gradually built and perfected educational institutions and policies; perfected 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 governance models, and promoted international cooperation. Over the past 80 years, education and training have developed in the direction of both inheriting tradition and integrating internationally, creating Vietnam's own identity and values.

Over the past 80 years, like a miracle, 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, ... today, the whole country has completed universal education from 5-year-old kindergarten to the end of junior high 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 over 52,000 schools, enough learning space for 24 million students, of which 65% are standard general schools, many of which are spacious and modern. We have a force of 1.6 million well-trained teachers, among which there are elite groups that are not inferior to any teaching force in the world. We have 243 universities, more than 800 colleges and vocational secondary schools, both public, private and international, although not all of them are of high stature and quality, but there are industries and higher education institutions in the group of 500 best 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 to the country and internationally. Our country has the foundation and potential it has today, thanks in part to the important contribution of education and training.

Compared to the world's leading advanced education systems, the education sector still has a lot to strive for and do better... But with such a starting point, such circumstances, such conditions and costs... what the whole country and the education sector have done in the past 80 years is truly a great and very proud achievement, if not a miracle.

Looking back over the past 80 years of development, there are no words to express the gratitude of the education sector for the attention and leadership of the Party, the State, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, organizations, agencies, departments, ministries and branches. There are no numbers to count the attention, care, investment and support of the whole society, the help of friends from all over the world, and international organizations for education and training in Vietnam. 80 years, there is no stele to record the sacrifice, dedication, effort, intelligence and affection of millions of teachers for generations of students. This merit and gratitude can only be engraved in eternal time and in the memories of millions of students.

Thank you for thousands of years of our ancestors who have left behind the ethics of learning, the tradition of loving learning, respecting teachers, and the profound spirit of education and educational culture. Thank you for the hard work and progress of all generations of learners. Thank you to our predecessors, generations of leaders, cadres and employees of the Ministry of Education and Training through the ages.

Today, the Education sector held the opening ceremony, entering a new school year, a new period. 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 the development of the education system in the future, introducing new policies to develop, compete and attract talent. Our country is facing a historic opportunity to develop breakthroughs, successfully achieve two 100-year goals, the requirements of building people, 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 honored to be 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 and social governance, making the goals and tasks of education and training development the focus of strategies, planning, policies, programs, and development plans of all sectors of the country.

Set 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 and unprecedented opportunity for the education sector, a great mission, responsibility and honor for the sector. Resolution 71 has the meaning of guiding the new revolution in education.

Resolution 71 demonstrates a far-sighted vision, high action and practicality. The Resolution demonstrates the direction of the Party Central Committee and the Politburo, but first of all, the special concern, concern, expectation and affection of the General Secretary of the Party Central Committee. The entire education sector deeply remembers and expresses its infinite gratitude to the Party, headed by General Secretary To Lam, and to the State, the National Assembly, the Government, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who has always paid attention to direct, close, timely and effective direction.

The Ministry of Education and Training and the entire sector vow 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 responsibility 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 the remaining limitations. Overcoming cannot be done overnight, but must be done immediately and every morning and every afternoon.

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 electronic textbooks, electronic learning materials; promulgate and implement the new preschool education program; timely implement the construction of boarding and semi-boarding schools in border communes, solidify classrooms; rearrange the network of universities, colleges and vocational training schools, reduce the number; improve quality, restructure within universities and colleges, deploy smart digital governance models, eliminate intermediaries; build a national scholarship fund and policies to support learners; Strongly deploy AI strategy in education, digital transformation and smart school development, connect and exploit the lifelong learning records database of learners from the beginning of 2026.

The road ahead is very long, the burden on our shoulders is very heavy. I hope that all teachers, education staff and students, we have been creative and need to be more creative, have worked hard and need to work harder, act faster and stronger to overcome our own limits, take advantage of every opportunity and condition, and complete the new glorious mission.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to General Secretary To Lam, Party and State leaders, leaders at the central and local levels; to distinguished guests, international organizations and partners; to the press agencies for their support of the education sector during the past time; to VTV, businesses, agencies and units for accompanying and supporting today's event.

With special meaning, I respectfully declare the opening of the new school year 2025-2026. I sincerely thank you and wish you all health, happiness and success.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/dien-van-ky-niem-80-nam-truyen-thong-nganh-giao-duc-khai-giang-nam-hoc-2025-2026-post747191.html