Speaking with a reporter from the Government Online Newspaper, Minister Nguyen Kim Son stated that 2026 is a special time for education : it marks the end of a term marked by fundamental changes and the beginning of a new institutional framework for the entire sector. It also signifies a transition from the preparation phase to the implementation of major policies that have been issued.
2025: Laying the foundation for a new journey.
Following the review of Resolution 29-NQ/TW and the issuance of Conclusion 91-KL/TW, the Politburo issued Resolution 71-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in education and training development. The resolution redefines the position and role of education in the new context, emphasizing that education is a decisive factor in the nation's future, while also setting forth the requirement for a renewed mindset regarding the role of the State, moving towards a leading and guiding role, alongside mobilizing social resources and strengthening international cooperation.
Based on that orientation, the most prominent achievement of the final year of the term was the completion of the institutional system for education and training. In 2025, based on the Party's orientation, especially Resolution 71, the National Assembly simultaneously passed four laws and four resolutions directly related to the field of education.
Four laws were enacted: the Law on Teachers; the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Law on Education; the Law on Higher Education (amended); and the Law on Vocational Education (amended). Along with these were resolutions on universal preschool education for children aged 3 to 5; tuition fee exemption and support; specific mechanisms and policies for the development of education and training; and the investment plan for the National Target Program on modernization and improvement of the quality of education and training for the period 2026–2035.
Along with institutional improvements, 2025 will also be a year to test the organizational and implementation capacity of the entire sector in the context of significant changes in the management structure and methods. Organizing the 2025 High School Graduation Examination – the first examination under the 2018 General Education Program – is considered a crucial test of the management and coordination capacity throughout the entire system.
Ensuring equitable access to education continues to be a cornerstone of the sector's policies, ranging from tuition waivers and support for disadvantaged students to credit and support policies for university learners.
2026: Entering the implementation phase
From January 1, 2026, when the laws and resolutions officially come into effect, the entire education system will enter a phase of implementation on a new institutional foundation. According to Minister Nguyen Kim Son, the biggest challenge of this phase lies not in policy formulation, but in the capacity for synchronized and effective implementation in practice.
2026 also marks the first year of implementing the new five-year plan, coinciding with the term of the 14th National Congress of the Party. The education sector must simultaneously finalize the system of sub-legal documents; organize guidance and training to ensure uniformity throughout the sector; reorganize educational institutions according to the two-tiered local government model; and implement major investment programs approved by the National Assembly. According to the Minister, this is a period requiring proactiveness and decisiveness, but also caution, avoiding mechanical application, especially in the arrangement of the school network and organizational structure.
Education in the face of new opportunities and great challenges.
From a strategic perspective, Minister Nguyen Kim Son believes that education is facing a "new opportunity," with fundamental and long-term favorable conditions. The role of education is more clearly defined; its responsibilities and mission are placed at a higher level; and there is increasing attention from the Party, the State, the National Assembly, the Government, and the entire society. These are important prerequisites for implementing major reforms in the coming period.
However, according to the Minister, the period ahead also presents very high development demands, with ambitious goals and rapid pace, while the inertia of old thinking, old habits, and old ways of doing things still persists. Therefore, implementing Resolution 71 requires a strong renewal of thinking and methods of action, while proactively identifying and overcoming obstacles in the implementation process.
Furthermore, education faces intertwined challenges stemming from disparities in socio-economic conditions between regions and population groups; the demands of international integration; the digital transformation process; and the rapid development of the internet and artificial intelligence. While urban areas and key economic zones face increasing pressure regarding scale and quality, many remote and disadvantaged areas still struggle to ensure adequate learning conditions. According to the Minister, improving the quality of education comprehensively and ensuring equity is a long-term challenge requiring sustained investment and an appropriate approach.
Along with the impact of technology, the mobilization of social resources for education also increases the influence of market factors. The challenge is to maintain a healthy and transparent educational environment, preventing market factors from commercializing the teacher-student relationship or negatively impacting school culture. Educating students' character and ethics, controlling and minimizing negative behaviors, including school violence, becomes more complex in the context of the strong influence of social media.
In this context, the teaching staff has received much attention, encouragement, and support in recent times, creating a new mindset and momentum throughout the sector. According to the Minister, this is an important condition for the reform policies and initiatives to be put into practice, instead of remaining merely on paper.
Regarding higher education, the Minister pointed out that the most prominent challenge is the increasingly fierce global competition in technology, human resources, and especially talent. The challenge is to both train and effectively utilize domestic human resources while creating an academic and working environment attractive enough to international experts in the context of deep integration.
According to the Minister, as early as 2026, the restructuring of the system towards streamlining the apparatus and reforming governance will directly impact the habits, psychology, and interests of the relevant stakeholders. These are significant challenges on the path to educational reform in the coming years.
New Year's message
As we enter 2026, Minister Nguyen Kim Son conveys a message about the spirit of responsibility in the new phase to teachers, students, and the entire society.
For educators, it means continuous innovation, practicing the profession with a full sense of mission and honor. For learners, it means being proactive and creative in their studies and training. For society as a whole, it means working together to ensure that education both meets the demands of rapid development and preserves fundamental values.
The new year marks not just a date, but a time when education enters a phase of implementing major policy decisions that have been prepared for many years – a phase where the effectiveness of implementation will be the clearest measure of the success of the reforms.
Source: https://baolangson.vn/xuan-moi-2026-van-hoi-moi-voi-nganh-giao-duc-5078171.html
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