General Secretary To Lam: Do not impose old standards on a modern education system

The ceremony was broadcast live on VTV1, Vietnam Television and digital platforms, connecting from the National Convention Center to educational institutions across the country. This is the first time that all educational institutions nationwide performed the flag-raising ceremony and sang the National Anthem at the same time during the opening ceremony of the new school year.

General Secretary To Lam attended the ceremony, gave a speech and beat the drum to open the new school year 2025 - 2026.

General Secretary To Lam beats the drum to open the new school year 2025 - 2026. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Also attending were Politburo members: President Luong Cuong; Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man; Permanent member of the Secretariat Tran Cam Tu; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien.

Also attending were comrades: Politburo members, Party Central Committee Secretaries, Party Central Committee members, leaders and former leaders of the Party and State, leaders of central departments, ministries, branches and organizations, leaders of localities at the connecting points; leaders and former leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training, Ambassadors, Consuls General, Heads of representative agencies of international organizations in Vietnam; along with 1.6 million teachers and 26 million students attending directly and online at connecting points nationwide.

In his speech commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Education sector's tradition and the opening of the 2025-2026 school year, Party Central Committee member and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son emphasized: 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 eliminating ignorance, but more importantly, he revived people's spirit, encouraged their will, passed on their mission and responsibility, and created great inspiration for generations of young people.

Through many glorious historical periods, 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 policies and institutions; and has perfected the national education system.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son speaks. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Currently, the country has over 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. The country has 243 universities, more than 800 colleges and vocational secondary schools, both public, private and international, although not all of them are of high stature or high 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 products of scientific research and inventions of the whole country. The force of scientists is also large, there are many talented people, who have made many contributions domestically and internationally.

“Our country has the foundation and potential it has today, thanks to the important contribution of education and training. Compared to the world's leading advanced education systems, the education sector still has many things to strive for, to 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, it is truly a great achievement and very proud, if not a miracle", Minister Nguyen Kim Son emphasized.

Entering the new school year, the Minister shared: The sector will start implementing Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW dated August 22, 2025 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development right from the first days of the new school year. At the same time, immediately carry out review, self-examination, self-correction, clearly recognize and resolutely overcome the remaining limitations. In addition, 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.

Representing students nationwide at the ceremony, Vu Bao Duc, a student of the 69th class, majoring in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, shared: “In the coming time, when our generation steps out into the world, we know that, with the uncompromising competition in the fields of technology, engineering and world trade, we will face new and equally fierce challenges, and to win, we not only need will and determination, but also intelligence and new abilities according to the requirements of the times. Looking throughout history and the lessons of our ancestors, we will rely firmly on the cultural traditions, on the identity, on the humanistic spirit of the Vietnamese people, we will be humble, honest and brave to learn from the world, to face and overcome new challenges with the spirit: "I am Vietnamese".

Speaking at the ceremony to celebrate and open the new school year 2025 - 2026, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, General Secretary To Lam sent warm greetings and best wishes to teachers, educational administrators, and all students nationwide; wishing the education sector to continue to have breakthrough developments, worthy of the tradition of studiousness and aspirations of the heroic Vietnamese people.

The General Secretary recalled that our ancestors taught: "learning must go hand in hand with practice", "talents are the vital energy of the nation"; Uncle Ho, in a letter to students on the first day of school in September 1945, wrote: "From this moment on, you will begin to receive a completely Vietnamese education... absorbing an education of an independent country, an education that will train you to become useful citizens of Vietnam, an education that fully develops your inherent abilities"; affirming that these teachings have been, are and will continue to be the goal to strive for, the motto of action of the country's education.

The General Secretary emphasized that over the past 80 years, whether in the midst of war or in the cause of peace building, Vietnam's revolutionary education has always been at the forefront: creating human resources, nurturing talents, and making a decisive contribution to the victory of the cause of national liberation, national unification and development. Especially since the renovation, education and training have continuously expanded their networks, improved their quality, and gradually integrated internationally. In addition to these very proud achievements, we also seriously acknowledge that the quality of education is still uneven, and regional differences are still large.

The Politburo has issued Resolution No. 71 on breakthroughs in education and training development. To quickly put the Resolution into practice, the General Secretary suggested that the entire Party must strongly innovate its leadership thinking on education, not impose old standards on a modern education system, but need to closely and substantially direct, organize and implement resolutely and effectively, and consistently consider education as the top national policy. The National Assembly needs to continue to perfect the legal system, create a smooth, stable and advanced legal corridor for the cause of education and training innovation. The Government increases investment, ensures financial resources, facilities, and staff; at the same time, resolutely removes bottlenecks in mechanisms and policies to unblock and mobilize all social resources for education. The Fatherland Front, unions, and social organizations need to promote the strength of great solidarity, encourage and spread the movement of the entire people to care for the cause of cultivating people.

The education sector needs to be a pioneer in innovation in thinking, methods, and management; building a team of teachers who are both knowledgeable, ethical, and have a desire to contribute. Teachers must be shining examples and sources of inspiration for students. Students must nurture great ambitions and aspirations, study and practice to become global citizens, gradually integrating into international standards while always maintaining Vietnamese identity and soul.

General Secretary To Lam speaks. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

To successfully implement the cause of education and training innovation in the new period, the General Secretary emphasized a number of major orientations, strongly innovating thinking and action. Shifting from "corrective" reform to creative thinking - leading national development through education; taking quality - equity - integration - efficiency as the measure; tightening enforcement discipline. Ensuring equal access to education, improving the intellectual level of the people. Not leaving any child behind; prioritizing remote, isolated, border, island and disadvantaged areas; increasing investment in schools - school nutrition - teachers - digital infrastructure.

The General Secretary pointed out that general education must be reformed in a comprehensive direction; not only imparting knowledge, but also nurturing personality - training the body - nurturing the soul, arousing civic spirit, sense of discipline and social responsibility; forming a generation of people who are "both talented, kind and resilient"; striving to soon universalize general education. Creating breakthroughs in higher education and vocational education. Universities must become centers for producing knowledge and technology, the nucleus of innovation - startups; closely linking training - research - transfer with the needs of national development; needing to form large universities of regional and international stature, modern vocational training facilities to train high-quality human resources, contributing to the country's breakthrough in science - technology, industrialization and digital transformation.

The General Secretary suggested promoting international integration in education. Integration is to learn from the best, narrow the gap, and spread standards; encourage joint training, program linkage, credit recognition, lecturer-student exchange, and attract international scholars; thereby enhancing the status of Vietnamese education.

The General Secretary emphasized the need to pay attention to building a team of teachers and educational administrators. Teachers are the soul of education, the decisive factor in the success or failure of innovation. Teachers not only impart knowledge, but also sow aspirations, foster personality, and light up beliefs in students. Therefore, teachers themselves must constantly study, be creative, and set exemplary examples. The Law on Teachers passed by the National Assembly is the foundation to ensure the improvement of material life, rights, and legitimate interests, while improving professional standards, ethics, responsibilities, and social status of teachers.

The General Secretary requested to promote digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) in education; prioritize investment in education, investment in education is investment in the future of the nation; master plan, arrange the system (especially public universities) to form training - research - innovation centers on par with the region, reaching international level; use public spending effectively, not spread out; strengthen public - private cooperation, strongly mobilize social resources to join hands in the cause of human development.

The General Secretary expressed that building a learning society and encouraging lifelong learning is the most solid foundation for a self-reliant nation. It is not only the luggage of each individual, but also the core value of the nation, ensuring that our nation advances with the times, affirming Vietnam's mettle and intelligence in the international arena.

On the occasion of the opening of the new school year 2025 - 2026, the General Secretary advised: Set clear goals; practice self-discipline in self-study; nurture a passion for discovery; improve capacity, master digital technology and artificial intelligence in a smart, safe and humane way; know how to love, share, and live responsibly for yourself, your family and the community. Every step forward of you is the future of the country. Young students should do well the 5 teachings of Uncle Ho; high school students need to cultivate personality, civic awareness, enrich knowledge and nurture aspirations; students should have great ambitions, dare to think, dare to do, be at the forefront of science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green economy and international integration, study and practice to become useful workers for their families and society.

The General Secretary affirmed that our Party always considers education and training as the top national policy, the key driving force that determines the future of the nation. More than ever, we must consider investment in education as investment in the future, in the sustainable and strong development of the country; calling on the entire Party, the entire people, the entire army; all levels, sectors, localities; each family and each citizen - to join hands to care for the cause of educating people, for the future of our children, for the prosperity of the Fatherland, for the happiness of the people.

General Secretary To Lam presents the First Class Labor Medal to the Ministry of Education and Training. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

On this occasion, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, General Secretary To Lam awarded the First Class Labor Medal to the Ministry of Education and Training for its outstanding achievements in State management of training and nurturing talented students to win high prizes in regional and international Olympic competitions, contributing to improving the effectiveness of training high-quality human resources to serve the country's socio-economic development in the 2023-2025 period.

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Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202509/tong-bi-thu-to-lam-khong-ap-dat-nhung-chuan-muc-cu-cho-mot-nen-giao-duc-hien-dai-4890e59/