Directive No. 14/2001/CT-TTg on reforming the general education program to implement Resolution No. 40/2000/QH10 of the National Assembly.

DIRECTIVE

The objectives of renewing the general education curricula and textbooks are as follows:

The renewal of the general education curricula and textbooks must ensure the following principles:

The Ministry of Education and Training shall develop an overall plan for renewing the general education curriculum to be submitted to the Government for approval by July 2001, which should include issues related to improving foreign language and computer science teaching and learning in general education schools, as well as guiding directions for setting educational goals, curricula, knowledge standards, and teaching plans for technical high schools.

On December 9, 2000, the National Assembly adopted Resolution No. 40/2000/QH10 on renewing the general education curriculum. The report of the Central Committee of the Party at the Ninth National Congress of the Party regarding the Strategy for Economic and Social Development 2001-2010 clearly stated the need to "urgently compile and stabilize the use nationwide of a set of curricula and textbooks for general education that meet new development requirements."

To ensure the effective implementation of Resolution No. 40/2000/QH10 on renewing the general education curriculum, achieving significant improvements in quality and effectiveness of education, meeting the needs of raising people's knowledge, training human resources, and nurturing talents during the period of industrialization and modernization, the Prime Minister instructs:

1. The Ministry of Education and Training shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and provincial and municipal people's committees to promptly implement the renewal of the general education curricula and textbooks, considering this as one of the key tasks in education to improve the quality of general education and the overall education and training system.

2. The objectives of renewing the general education curricula and textbooks are as follows:

a) Enhance comprehensive educational quality, strengthen the cultivation of patriotism, love for homeland and family, national pride, socialist ideals, humanitarian spirit, respect for the law, a love for learning, and a progressive spirit for self-improvement and career establishment among young generations.

b) Reform teaching methods, fostering students' creative thinking and self-study abilities.

c) Align with the level of general education in countries within the region and around the world.

d) Create favorable conditions for organizing分流后的翻译部分：

3. The renewal of general education curricula and textbooks must ensure the following principles:

a) Fully implement the educational goals and requirements regarding content and teaching methods stipulated for each level and grade in the Education Law.

b) Ensure the systematic nature, continuity, and development of the educational curriculum; it should be suitable to practical conditions and traditions in Vietnam; incorporate advanced educational achievements from around the world.

c) Implement standardization, modernization, and socialization. Ensure uniformity in knowledge and skill standards, enhance connectivity with vocational education and post-secondary education, while providing appropriate curricula and textbooks tailored to different regional conditions; select and integrate modern scientific and technological achievements into the curriculum that are suitable for students' capacity to absorb; place great emphasis on practicality, "combining study with practice, integrating education with productive labor, linking schools with society."

d) Synchronize the renewal of curricula, textbooks, teaching methods, and learning methods with the fundamental reform of assessment methods, examinations, teacher training and development programs; reform educational management work, upgrade school facilities towards standardization, ensuring equipment and teaching aids.

4. The Ministry of Education and Training shall develop an overall proposal for renewing the general education curriculum to be submitted to the Government for approval by July 2001; this proposal shall include improvements in organizing foreign language and computer instruction in secondary schools, as well as directions for designing educational goals, curricula, knowledge standards, and teaching plans for technical high schools.

When drafting and implementing the proposal, attention should be paid to:

a) The proposal must clearly outline tasks to be performed, expected results, implementation solutions, deadlines, required and available resources, and assign responsibilities to relevant units and agencies. Propose principles for designing comprehensive goals and common knowledge standards for the entire general education curriculum, distribute programs and teaching plans at various levels and grades to meet scientific requirements, avoid duplication and overlap; establish close connections and continuity between different types of schools: general secondary schools, specialized secondary schools, and vocational schools; prepare adequately for subsequent higher education stages.

b) Regarding the organization of developing new curricula, textbooks, and teachers' books, it is necessary to mobilize and gather scientists, educators, educational managers knowledgeable and experienced in general education, and excellent teachers to participate in compiling, reviewing, testing new curricula and textbooks, and guiding their application in different regions.

Organize broad consultations with all social strata, from teachers directly implementing the program, educational managers, scientists to parents of students, seriously draw lessons and make timely adjustments before large-scale implementation. Combine wide public opinion polls with specialized seminars on the education program. Ensure that the drafting, review, solicitation of contributions, acceptance, and completion processes are truly rigorous, scientific, objective, and open-minded.

Design appropriate programs for each level of study suitable for organizing a single daily class session during the transitional period when conditions for organizing two daily sessions have not yet been met for general secondary school students.

c) Regarding the construction of the teaching staff, it is necessary to develop very specific plans for training teachers to implement the new program. It is necessary to consider measures to reform teacher training programs at teacher training schools to meet the requirements of reforming the general secondary education curriculum and gradually reform teaching methods, overcoming outdated teaching methods that are still widely prevalent today.

d) Regarding material and technical infrastructure and teaching aids: it is necessary to develop specific plans to ensure sufficient equipment and teaching aids to implement the new program and teaching methods, including promptly organizing subject classrooms and laboratories at junior high schools and high schools. There must be mechanisms for classroom teachers to assess teaching aids and trial teach using these aids before mass production and use.

Particularly prioritize providing teaching aids for mountainous, rural, remote, and difficult areas. At the same time, organize the mobilization of various social resources to contribute to building and upgrading the material and technical infrastructure of schools.

đ) Regarding other supporting solutions.

Strengthen educational inspection work to ensure strict, quality, and effective implementation of the new program and the requirement to reform teaching methods.

Strengthen propaganda and mobilization throughout society to help parents understand the goals and superiority of the new program and participate in assisting students' learning.

e) Regarding progress:

Urgently complete preparatory work well to implement the new teaching program nationwide, starting with grade 1 and grade 6 from the 2002-2003 academic year, and grade 10 from the 2004-2005 academic year. Strive to have all final grades implement the new program and textbooks by the 2006-2007 academic year.

5. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead, coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training to prepare the budget plan, mobilize loans and non-refundable foreign aid, social fundraising, and other sources of funds to meet the requirements of reforming the general secondary education curriculum.

6. The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead, coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Education and Training to prioritize state budget allocation and timely disbursement to ensure funding for the reform of the general secondary education curriculum.

7. The Government's Organization and Cadre Affairs Commission shall take the lead, coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training to re-determine staffing levels and establish policies for teachers to meet the requirements of reforming the general secondary education curriculum.

8. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall take the lead, coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training to organize the development and improvement of vocational training programs, ensuring close links and connectivity between vocational schools and general secondary schools and post-secondary education, effectively implementing分流后的第一部分，请继续处理剩余的部分并最终合并结果。

9. Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities:

- Focus on directing and creating conditions for local education sectors to ensure the timely and quality implementation of the general education curriculum renewal according to the Ministry of Education and Training's plan.

- Pay attention to building a sufficient number of teachers with a balanced subject structure, meeting the training standards set forth in the Education Law, encouraging and creating conditions for teachers to continue improving their qualifications after reaching the standard;

- Balance local budgets, exploit and mobilize additional non-budgetary sources, ensure funding for upgrading and constructing classrooms, address the situation of three-shift schooling, solidify school buildings, gradually transition to two daily sessions, initially for primary schools; simultaneously increase the provision of equipment and teaching aids to schools according to standards set by the Ministry of Education and Training.

- Strengthen and enhance the educational management apparatus at both local and grassroots levels, strengthen discipline in education, while promoting the dynamism and creativity of the cadre and teacher workforce, ensuring the effective implementation of the general education curriculum renewal.

10. It is recommended that the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations, social organizations, and occupational associations participate and support the process of organizing and implementing the general education curriculum renewal.

11. The Minister of Education and Training is responsible for monitoring and urging the implementation of this directive and regularly reporting results to the Prime Minister.

12. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities are responsible for implementing this Directive./.