Deputy Prime Minister Lê Tiến Châu chairs a nationwide online conference on digital transformation in education and training on Friday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Tiến Châu has urged the education sector to accelerate the rollout of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital teaching models, emphasising better use of data to upgrade school operations. Chairing a nationwide online conference on digital transformation in education on Friday, the Deputy Prime Minister called for swift action to review past results and fix lingering bottlenecks.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, digital transformation in the education sector has moved beyond the initial stage of applying information technology and carrying out isolated digitisation efforts, towards gradually establishing the foundations for an education system operating in the digital environment.

Institutional frameworks, digital architecture, databases, digital platforms and tools serving management and teaching are gradually being developed in a coordinated manner, laying the groundwork for changes in education management, governance and service delivery.

Notably, the sector has basically established a nationwide digital data repository covering the core entities of the education system. However, the development, connection, verification and exploitation of databases remain slower than required.

Of the total 66.6 million diplomas and certificates that have been digitised, 44 million have yet to be linked to personal identification numbers. Among the 12 million qualifications linked to personal identification numbers and synchronised with the VNeID platform, only around 1.2 million have been verified by their holders.

Meanwhile, the national digital education management platform has so far been rolled out in only six localities.

Infrastructure, personnel and funding remain inadequate, while the conditions needed to ensure the safe and responsible application of AI in the sector's professional activities require further improvement to keep pace with practical demands.

According to the HCM City Department of Education and Training, promoting AI applications and introducing AI education into general schools serve two purposes: providing tools to innovate management and teaching and equipping students with knowledge of this emerging technology.

The city has issued several plans to develop AI applications, setting a target for 100 per cent of educational institutions to operate AI-powered smart education support systems by 2030.

Meanwhile, Hà Nội has completed the digitisation and standardisation of 2.9 million records of diplomas and certificates, uploading them to the Ministry of Education and Training's system, equivalent to 75 per cent of the target.

Regarding digital school records, Hà Nội has completed 1.76 million digital school reports, reaching 99.5 per cent. All educational institutions in the city have also implemented digital signatures across their electronic education records systems.

In his concluding remarks, the deputy PM identified five bottlenecks that need to be addressed.

These include the rapid pace of data digitisation but slow progress in data verification and exploitation; the failure of the vocational education database to meet information security requirements for connection with the National Database; and inadequate infrastructure for expanding the national digital education management platform nationwide.

In addition, the use of data to reduce document requirements and administrative procedures remains ineffective, with citizens still being asked to submit paper documents when completing administrative procedures in the education sector. Resources, infrastructure and personnel for digital transformation also remain major challenges.

The deputy PM asked ministries, sectors and localities to regard data digitisation and connectivity as particularly important tasks that will determine the value and effectiveness of the education sector's database.

The Ministry of Education and Training was instructed to work with the Ministry of Public Security and relevant agencies to urgently review and digitise historical qualification records for more than 44 million diplomas and certificates that have not yet been linked to personal identification numbers.

The ministry was also asked to co-ordinate with the Ministry of Justice to finalise a plan for using digital school records and digital diplomas to replace paper documents required for administrative procedures, in line with the Government leadership's directives. — VNS