General Secretary and President Nguyễn Phú Trọng delivers a speech at the beginning of the 2019-2020 academic year. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary and President Nguyễn Phú Trọng has praised the nation's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic while sustaining teaching and studying in schools nationwide.

He noted that the pandemic situation might be complex in this academic year so schools needed to do both tasks effectively and safely.

In a letter sent to teachers and students nationwide on Friday ahead of the beginning of the new school year (September 5), Trọng mentioned the semester of the previous school year when students were forced to study at home due to the closure of schools earlier in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That was the time when the education sector had to make efforts to implement measures to complete the school year and hold the high school graduation exam.

In the 2020-2021 school year, Trọng asked the education sector to thoroughly implement the Party and State's guidelines and policies on education and training.

The sector needed to focus on gathering resources to improve the quality of education, especially the training of high-quality human resources to meet the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

He sent his best wishes to teachers and students, and expressed his hope that educators, teachers and students would have enthusiasm and creativity in teaching and studying. — VNS