Students participating in a physical education course at the HCM City Preschool in HCM City’s District 3. — VNS Photo Nguyễn Diệp

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Education and Training has announced its 10 outstanding achievements in 2023.

1. Digital transformation serves as a basic foundation for educational innovation

The city's education sector saw dramatic changes in educational digital transformation in 2023.

It completed the education sector database and authentication with the national population database in the project “Development of application of population data, electronic identification and authentication to serve national digital transformation from 2022 to 2025, vision to 2030”, reaching a rate of 90 per cent.

It implemented a plan of both face-to-face and online teaching and learning for students in areas with difficult conditions to overcome the shortage of teachers teaching the subjects of informatics, foreign languages, music and fine arts following the digital classroom model.

A smart educational ecosystem, smart library, modern practice laboratory, online learning management system, and building and developing digital learning materials in all subjects of the 2018 general education programme were put into practice.

The sector is striving to carry out a project to build 50 digital schools to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification (April 30, 2025).

2. Improving physical strength and stature helps preschool children develop comprehensively

The city's preschool education has promoted activities to build a reasonable nutritional regime in combination with increasing physical activities for children with the aim to prevent epidemics.

In 2023, the city’s Department of Education and Training successfully implemented the “New energy - a whole day of fun” event to improve the stature and physical strength of Vietnamese children from the early stages of life.

3. Innovation of teaching in implementing the 2018 general education programme

The 2018 general education programme has been implemented, focusing on promoting innovation in teaching methods towards developing the quality and capability of learners.

Teachers in primary education facilities have innovated history teaching methods by adopting diverse activities such as organising a historical musical competition in English to help students absorb historical knowledge in a gentle and joyful way.

4. All secondary school students receive tuition support

The city authorities implemented a resolution on a special policy to support tuition for preschool children and students of public and non-public high schools and continuing education students in the 2023-24 school year.

5. Building ‘Happy Schools’

The city is one of the first places in the country to implement the ‘Happy Schools’ criteria set at all educational establishments citywide. The set of criteria includes 18 criteria divided into three groups such as people, teaching and educational activities, and the environment.

"Smart Classroom" model being applied at Đào Sơn Tây High School in Thủ Đức city. — Photo www.sggp.org.vn

6. The education and training sector partners with businesses

The city’s education and training sector has been adopting many solutions to go side by side with businesses to effectively implement administrative reform.

For the first time, the city’s Department of Education and Training organised a dialogue with businesses participating in the field of education and training to listen to their opinions on current difficulties.

7. Building cultural space in educational establishments

In 2023, the city's education and training sector started construction of the Hồ Chí Minh Cultural Space at educational establishments citywide, a milestone for educating patriotic traditions, national pride, and fostering personality and lifestyle amongst city students.

Educational institutions use the special cultural space as a teaching and learning space for the subjects of history, literature, local education, and lessons for citizenship education with extra activities about the late President Hồ Chí Minh’s ideology, ethics, and style for union members and young people in schools.

The students are educated in patriotic traditions, national pride, personality, revolutionary ideals, ethics, and lifestyle.

8. Examination for recruiting civil servants and talent attraction

In the 2023-24 school year, the city’s Department of Education and Training has organised a civil service exam to find competent managers for educational institutions, and excellent graduates and young scientific staff for many different positions within civil service, according to current regulations.

Excellent graduates are encouraged to participate in recruitment. They will enjoy increased compensation and allowances equal to 100 percent of the salary according to the current salary coefficient.

9. Building a learning society

In 2023, the municipal People's Committee issued an implementation plan for the project on building a learning society in the period of 2021-30.

The education sector has spread the study spirit to all levels of government, agencies, departments, and organisations to promote digital transformation and enhance the self-study determination of each city resident for the creation of a good change in awareness of the meaning of lifelong learning.

10. Establishment of Council of University Rectors

The Council of Rectors of Universities, the first of its kind established in HCM City, is responsible for helping the municipal People's Committee implement several tasks on improving the quality of higher education facilities to provide high-quality human resources, serving the city’s socio-economic development. — VNS