General Secretary To Lam speaks at a meeting with teachers and education managers in Hanoi on November 18 (Photo: VOV)

Education plays a crucial role in national achievements

From their inception, the Vietnamese Party and State have recognized education as the cornerstone of national development, adopting multiple guidelines and policies on education and considering it the top priority.

In 1945, during the first meeting of the Provisional Government Council, President Ho Chi Minh launched a literacy campaign, declaring, “An ignorant nation is a weak nation.” This initiative led to the establishment of the Popular Education Department on September 8, 1945. The nationwide movement offered free learning of the national system of writing. In two decades illiteracy was largely eradicated across the nation.

The near eradication of illiteracy laid the groundwork for Vietnam’s revolutionary milestones, resulting in national liberation, unification, and significant advancements during 40 years of national renewal (đổi mới).

During national renewal, Vietnam achieved universal preschool education for five-year-olds and primary and secondary education is now nearly universal because of constantly improving standards. Tertiary education has been restructured to align more closely with labor market needs, leading to Vietnamese universities and institutions rising in regional and global rankings. Vietnam’s 240 universities offer a growing number of programs in the latest occupations.

Embracing global educational trends

The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the rise of the knowledge-based economy and knowledge-based society have made educational innovation a global imperative. Vietnam is working to develop a high quality workforce, especially for key scientific and technological fields, cutting-edge industries, and sectors that enhance its international standing and competitiveness.

At a meeting with teachers and education managers in Hanoi on Monday, General Secretary To Lam said: “The highest priority for Vietnam is to complete the reform of education and training, achieving the overarching goal of developing human resources for national construction and defense in the era of national rise during the tenure of the 14th National Party Congress. The first priority in realizing the goal is to cultivate socialist individuals. We need to focus on nurturing personality, ethics, lifestyle, legal knowledge, and civic awareness, as well as the fundamental values of culture, traditions, ethics, the humanistic values of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, and the Party's platform and guidelines.”

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a meeting of the National Committee for Education and Training Reform in November (Photo: VOV)

Vietnam aims to rank among the top three ASEAN countries in international scientific publications and research impact indexes and to have universities ranked among the top 100 globally by 2030. Along with efforts to eradicate illiteracy in remote, ethnic minority regions, Vietnam needs to launch a "popular digital education" movement to ensure that all citizens acquire basic digital skills as part of the Politburo’s national digital transformation strategy. The State has committed to allocating at least 20% of the state budget to education.

Chairing a meeting of the National Committee for Education and Training Reform earlier this month, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chinh emphasized the urgency of advancing Vietnam's education system to the level of developed nations.

"We need to adopt education policies in a fast, feasible, timely, and effective manner. It’s important to rely on education, training, and innovation as engines of progress. For aspiration, we need to advance Vietnam's education system to the level of developed nations by fostering self-reliance and national confidence. For integration, we must align with global trends, combining national strengths with international advancements in education and training," said PM Chinh.

To achieve the strategic goals of the centenary of the Party’s founding and the nation’s establishment and to usher Vietnam into an era of prosperity, reform of education and training is a mission and a strategic solution to be set out at the 14th National Party Congress.

The education sector has achieved extraordinary feats once thought impossible. Now, it carries the profound responsibility of paving the way for new milestones, driving the Vietnam in the new era of national rise.