Party General Secretary Tô Lâm meets educators at the event celebrating Vietnamese Teacher’s Day in Hà Nội on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — The ultimate goal for the education sector is training reforms to ensure human resources for a new era of national development and protection, said Party General Secretary Tô Lâm at a ceremony commemorating Vietnamese Teacher’s Day (November 20) in Hà Nội on Monday.

The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and Training, the Việt Nam National University-Hà Nội and its University of Economics and Business.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Education and Training Nguyễn Kim Sơn said that after nearly 40 years of national Đổi Mới (Renewal) and 10 years of fundamental and comprehensive educational renovation, the sector has witnessed significant changes and achieved important results.

Việt Nam has ensured universal education for children aged five to 14, covering the completion of lower secondary school.

Learning and teaching methods in general education have transformed from imparting knowledge to developing students' comprehensive qualities, capacities and skills. Progress has also been made in continuous education and higher education in alignment with labour market demands.

Higher levels of autonomy and international integration have generated new momentum for education institutions, leading to significant improvements in training quality, efficiency in human resource development and scientific research.

Việt Nam’s general education ranks 53rd in the world, and the country has been consistently included in the top 10 of international academic competitions for high school students.

Nearly seven million people in the country have a university degree, while 24 million others are enrolled in various levels of education across over 52,000 educational institutions nationwide.

Praising the sector’s achievements and sending his congratulations to educators across the country for Vietnamese Teacher’s Day, Party leader Tô Lâm noted that developing high-quality human resources is a strategy in the country’s new era of growth.

Education reforms to achieve this objective are a challenging mission, but it is achievable with clear goals, precise policies and innovative approaches, he said.

The top priority is to nurture socialist citizens, with an emphasis on traditional and humanistic values, personal development, ethics, way of life, legal knowledge, and civil responsibility.

The Party General Secretary noted that the education sector should align with the national development directions and the labour market.

In addition to strengthening teaching and scientific research at the higher education level, pedagogical methods must be streamlined and practical to improve learners’ qualities, skills and knowledge for real-life application.

He noted that urgent tasks include illiteracy eradication, particularly in remote areas and among ethnic minority populations, as well as increasing digital literacy among the general public.

Meanwhile, relevant agencies should address the lack of schools and classrooms in cities, industrial zones, densely-populated areas and mountainous regions, notably ensuring proper infrastructure for teaching and housing for educators in remote areas.

State agencies and local authorities must ensure that the budget allocated for education meets at least 20 per cent of total national spending, in line with the Party’s directions.

It is necessary to employ mechanisms and policies to attract investments in education and training from the public to maximise their efficiency, said the Party leader.

He also stressed the importance of building a balanced workforce of virtuous, highly-skilled, dedicated, knowledgeable and capable educators and education managers, who are eager to learn, innovate and serve as role models for students.

Noting the tremendous efforts, determination and solidarity needed for education reforms, Party General Secretary Lâm expressed confidence that the education sector and the entire political system will overcome every challenge with their earnest dedication.

On this occasion, the Party leader also awarded the Third-Class Labour Order to the University of Economics and Business (under Việt Nam National University-Hà Nội) for its contributions to education, scientific research and technology transfer, which have contributed to Việt Nam’s development of a socialist state and national protection. — VNS