A representative from VNPT – the provider of the vnEdu system – stated that the provider has actually built a comprehensive digital education ecosystem with many useful features, but due to limited exploitation, many features have not yet been fully utilized.
Many useful features
According to VNPT representatives, over more than 10 years of implementation, the vnEdu 4.0 platform has been perfected with the ability to interlink data between systems such as electronic records, electronic student transcripts, online learning platforms (LMS), and primary school enrollment systems... All of these form a unified digital education solution from management to teaching and learning. However, most schools only use the electronic communication log at a basic level, such as sending messages about grades and notifications, while many other useful features remain untapped.
In fact, the "electronic notebook" provided by VNPT includes a range of features that support connectivity between schools, teachers, and parents. The application allows direct communication between parents and homeroom teachers or subject teachers on the platform without using intermediary channels like Zalo or Messenger, which are prone to message loss. Parents can monitor their child's daily schedule, academic results, attendance, and even view attendance records using facial recognition to update class numbers in real time.
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Additionally, for preschool children, the system allows teachers to update medication schedules, health status, and personal medical records – very useful during a pandemic. Parents can also quickly access this information when needed without having to contact the teacher directly.
For schools offering boarding facilities, the electronic communication log allows parents to view daily menus, register for transportation online, and monitor their children's learning, meals, and rest directly on the app. Teachers can share photos, videos, and moments from extracurricular activities and school events, helping parents keep track of their children's lives in a more vivid and lasting way, without worrying about data loss like when saving on Zalo or Facebook.
Furthermore, within the vnEdu ecosystem, VNPT supported the Nghe An Department of Education and Training in deploying the VNPT E-Learning online learning and testing software to 100% of primary, secondary, and high schools in the province during the Covid-19 period. On this platform, 9th-grade students can review for the 10th-grade entrance exam, 12th-grade students can take mock high school graduation exams, and other grades can use it for periodic tests and online learning.
Starting from the 2021-2022 school year, the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, in collaboration with VNPT, has been developing an LMS system to organize courses, exams, and competitions more frequently without incurring significant infrastructure costs. Furthermore, management agencies can share learning materials, courses, statistics, and conduct visual monitoring, enabling more effective management of teaching and learning in educational institutions.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Ha, Head of Business Operations at VNPT Nghe An, stated: “In essence, the electronic communication book is only a small part of the digital education ecosystem that VNPT has implemented. If fully utilized, this system will provide parents with many benefits in monitoring their children throughout their learning process.”
According to Ms. Ha, reducing costs for the user unit has also been considered, but the unit is currently developing a roadmap. However, the proposed price (100,000 VND/student/year) has already received approval from intermediary units and has been adopted in Resolution 31/2020/NQ-HĐND of Nghe An province, which stipulates the maximum fees for services supporting educational activities of public educational institutions and enrollment services.
Ms. Ha also argued that, according to the fee of 100,000 VND/student/year approved by the Provincial People's Council, if all the useful features are utilized and applied to urban areas, it is not expensive. "If we consider that a text message sent during a storm or flood reaches thousands of students to ensure their safety when the entire 4G system and power grid are down, then it's not expensive anymore," Ms. Ha said.
Why hasn't it been exploited yet?
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, Principal of Hung Dung Secondary School, the school has used the vnEdu platform to store student records and data, allowing parents to access them at any time, even after their children have graduated. During mock exams, the system also helps ensure security, transparency, and fairness in grading and evaluating students.
However, many parents still haven't fully realized the value of the application. According to Ms. Nga, the reason is the deeply ingrained habit of using social media platforms like Zalo and Facebook. Although the school sends messages simultaneously via the electronic communication book and Zalo, most parents only pay attention to messages on social media. Meanwhile, messages on the electronic communication book are sent quickly, don't get lost, and are much more secure and accurate.
Ms. Nga added that in the future, the school will integrate more student data, such as timetables, health check schedules, and periodic check-up results, so that parents can monitor everything centrally in one place, instead of through multiple separate channels.
From the teachers' perspective, many also acknowledge that the two-way messaging feature of the electronic communication log has not been fully utilized. This is partly due to the habit of using familiar tools, and partly because there is no unified regulation requiring all teachers to use this system instead of Zalo. However, schools are aiming to standardize electronic communication to ensure the synchronization and long-term storage of communication data between the school and parents.
According to Mr. Le Van Bang, Principal of Dien Chau 4 High School, besides sending notifications about 4G signal loss and power outages (such as the recent Typhoon No. 10) and storing student records electronically, the biggest benefit the school has received is the transparency in grade management. All grade corrections must be approved by management and clearly recorded in the system, ending the manual editing process of the past. This is a crucial difference that helps improve the accuracy and fairness of student evaluation.
However, in many schools in remote and mountainous areas, implementation still faces difficulties regarding equipment and usage habits. A teacher working in a mountainous area, who wished to remain anonymous, shared: "VNPT's digital ecosystem is truly useful for teaching and learning, but if teachers and parents haven't received specific training and guidance on its use, it's very difficult to fully exploit its potential." This teacher also stated that the school is currently providing additional training on features and requiring teachers to update their knowledge to maximize the applications in the electronic communication log.
According to education experts, the electronic communication log should not be viewed merely as a fee-collecting tool or a means of messaging, but rather as a synchronized learning management system that contributes to the modernization of educational management. To achieve this, all parties need to establish clear mechanisms regarding evaluation criteria, service pricing, data update responsibilities, and user rights.
In terms of pricing, experts also suggest that suppliers should consider a phased price reduction and establish a discount mechanism for schools in remote areas where economic and social conditions are challenging.
In the context of the education sector's accelerated digital transformation, maximizing the effectiveness of the electronic communication log is essential. However, effectiveness only comes when the product is truly user-friendly, convenient, and meets the practical needs of teachers, parents, and students. Only then will the "4.0 logbook" truly become an intelligent bridge between schools, parents, and students, rather than just a mandatory service.
Source: https://baonghean.vn/so-lien-lac-dien-tu-nhieu-tinh-nang-chua-duoc-khai-thac-10308703.html
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