Decision No. 206/1999/QĐ-TTg Regarding the Approval of the Plan for the Development of Education and Training in the Mekong Delta Region until 2000 and the Period 2001-2005

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the approval of the Plan for the Development of Education and Training in the Mekong Delta Region until 2000 and the period 2001-2005

On the Approval of the Plan for the Development of Education and Training in the Mekong Delta Region until 2000 and the Period 2001-2005

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PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law dated September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to Decision No. 01/1998/QĐ-TTg dated January 5, 1998 of the Prime Minister approving the Master Plan for Overall Economic and Social Development in the Mekong Delta Region from now until 2010;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Education and Training at Report No. 5485/VP, June 15, 1999 regarding the approval of the Plan for the Development of Education and Training in the Mekong Delta Region until 2000 and the period 2001-2005,

DECISION:

Article 1. Approve the Plan for the Development of Education and Training in the Mekong Delta Region until 2000 and the period 2001-2005 with the main contents as follows:

1. Name of the plan: The Plan for the Development of Education and Training in the Mekong Delta Region until 2000 and the period 2001-2005.

2. Management agency of the plan: Ministry of Education and Training.

3. Objectives of the plan:

From 1999 to 2000 and during the period 2001-2005, the objectives for the development of education and training in the Mekong Delta Region are:

1. Attracting children within the age range who have needs to attend kindergarten/preschool. Ensuring that children aged 5 years old enter preschool before primary school reaches a rate of 60-75% in 2000 and approximately 80-95% in 2005.

2. By 2000, all provinces in the Mekong Delta Region will meet the standard for universal primary education and illiteracy eradication, and on this basis, continue to consolidate and strengthen the results of illiteracy eradication and improve the quality of universal primary education.

3. Gradually implement universal secondary education in areas where conditions permit.

4. Vigorously develop various forms of vocational education. Strive to increase the proportion of trained labor in the region to 13-14.5% by 2000 and 20-25% by 2005. In 2000, each province will have at least one vocational training school, 30% of districts and counties will have vocational training centers, Continuing Education Centers, Vocational Guidance Centers. Provinces with sufficient conditions will establish Health Secondary Schools, Cultural and Sports Secondary Schools.

5. Develop the scale and improve the quality of higher and college education. Increase the number of students per ten thousand people to 40 by 2000 and approximately 60-70 by 2005.

6. Consolidate the network of schools and classes. Gradually build schools according to national standards. Basically eliminate the third shift of study by 2001, construct solid and semi-solid general education schools reaching a minimum ratio of 60% by 2000, 80% by 2005.

7. Basically resolve the demand for primary school teachers by 2002; middle school and high school teachers by 2005. Increase the scale of teacher training for the Faculty of Education at Can Tho University, technical teacher training schools, and local teacher training schools. Strive to have at least 1-3 postgraduate staff in each subject of teacher training schools by 2003. Improve the qualifications of teachers in teacher training schools and vocational training schools to reach national standards by 2005.

Article 2. Implementation organization:

Assign the following agencies to develop specific plans and organize their implementation to achieve the objectives of the development of education and training in the Mekong Delta Region until 2000 and the period 2001-2005.

1. Regarding the development of planning for education and training in the Mekong Delta Region.

Based on the educational and training development goals stated in Article 1 of this Decision, the overall master plan for economic and social development in the Mekong Delta Region until 2010, the People's Committees of the provinces in the Mekong Delta Region shall develop provincial education and training development plans for the period 2001-2005.

The Ministry of Education and Training shall take the lead and coordinate with localities, propaganda agencies, and mass media at central and local levels to regularly provide information, promote, and mobilize to raise awareness about the role and impact of education and training among the people in localities and mobilize all social forces to participate in the development of education and training.

2. Regarding the implementation of universal primary education and illiteracy eradication:

- The Ministry of Education and Training shall direct and financially support the provinces of Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, and Kien Giang through the target program so that these provinces will meet the standard for universal primary education and illiteracy eradication at the latest by 2000.

3. Regarding higher education and vocational training:

- The Ministry of Education and Training, together with relevant ministries and provincial people's committees in the region, shall develop a plan for the network of universities and colleges in the region, to be submitted to the Prime Minister in the fourth quarter of 1999; direct the establishment of the An Giang University, the private Vinh Long University, and community colleges in Tien Giang and Dong Thap.

- The Ministry of Education and Training shall plan to increase enrollment quotas for provinces in the Mekong Delta Region; increase teaching staff positions and staff with postgraduate qualifications; invest in infrastructure and other conditions for Can Tho University, prioritizing the Medical Faculty and the Faculty of Education to meet training needs.

- The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall coordinate with relevant ministries and provincial people's committees to direct the establishment of new vocational training schools in the provinces of Ca Mau, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, and Kien Giang. For existing vocational training schools and specialized secondary schools, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Training shall direct the expansion of training scale and scope of professions, focusing on trades linked to local economic development such as agriculture, aquaculture, food processing, rural electricity, agricultural machinery, shipbuilding, fishing vessels, transportation, construction, and transportation.

- The Ministry of Education and Training shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to develop a plan for the development of non-formal education and training institutions such as vocational training centers, continuing education centers, and vocational guidance centers.

4. Regarding the construction of school facilities:

The People's Committees of provinces in the region shall be responsible for allocating land to construct schools according to planning, directing the implementation of socialization in education and training, mobilizing the people's financial and labor contributions to school construction work, and using state funds from target programs, foreign loan programs, and other sources within the local budget balance to build material infrastructure for schools. The People's Committees of provinces must allocate approximately 30-40% of the revenue retained by the locality as stipulated by the State Budget Law (agricultural use tax, land transfer rights tax, lottery proceeds, etc.) to invest in school construction projects and eliminate third-shift classes.

- The People's Committees of provinces in the region shall establish mechanisms and policies to mobilize the people's contributions and other sources of capital to invest in developing education and training, particularly to upgrade the school system at the provincial level.

5. Regarding teachers and teacher training institutions:

- The People's Committees of provinces shall direct relevant sectors to continue strengthening the material infrastructure of Teacher Training Schools. Coordinate with the Government Organizational and Cadre Department, the Ministry of Education and Training to conduct surveys and assess the situation of teachers, develop and implement plans for recruitment to strengthen the teaching staff of these schools to meet training needs.

- The People's Committees of provinces of Ca Mau, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh shall focus on investing in provincial Secondary Teacher Training Schools to quickly upgrade these schools to become College Teacher Training Schools, taking on the task of training primary and lower secondary school teachers for the locality.

- The Ministry of Education and Training shall direct the implementation of local training methods for some advanced courses to improve the qualifications of teachers at teacher training schools in the Mekong Delta region. Develop plans to organize and mobilize teacher training schools nationwide, especially Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University and Thu Duc Technical Pedagogical University to support regional schools in training lower secondary and high school teachers, vocational teachers.

- The Government Organizational and Cadre Department shall take the lead, coordinating with the Ministry of Education and Training, related agencies, and the People's Committees of provinces to develop measures to continue the reasonable utilization of teachers who have reached retirement age but still have working capacity, health, and willingness to continue working.

6. On investment in education and training in the Mekong Delta region.

- The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead, coordinating with the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Finance to continue prioritizing investment in education and training in the Mekong Delta region in national key investment programs on education and training, other economic and social development programs; develop plans to gradually increase the proportion of investment in education and training in the Mekong Delta region from 18% (1998) to 20% in 2000 and about 22% of the total education and training budget during the period 2001-2005.

7. On preferential policies

The Government Organizational and Cadre Department shall take the lead, coordinating with the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas, the Ministry of Finance, and the People's Committees of provinces to propose preferential policies for disadvantaged groups in the region.

Article 3. Assign the Ministry of Education and Training to monitor and direct the implementation of this plan, regularly report to the Prime Minister on the implementation status.

Article 4. This Decision shall take effect fifteen days from the date of signature.

Article 5. The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces in the Mekong Delta region shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.