Directive

DIRECTIVE

Regarding the tasks of the entire education sector for the 2004-2005 academic year

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During the 2003-2004 academic year, with the efforts of the teaching staff, educational management cadres, and all students, the education sector achieved certain results in implementing the goals and tasks set forth in Resolution IX of the Party Congress, Conclusion of the Sixth Plenary Session of the Ninth Central Committee, the Education Development Strategy 2001-2010, Decisions No. 40/2000/QH10 dated December 9, 2000 and No. 41/2000/QH10 dated December 9, 2000 of the National Assembly, directives, resolutions, and action programs of the Government.

Generally, the scale of education continued to increase at almost all levels from preschool to university and postgraduate, except primary school; the network of schools was gradually improved and completed; illiteracy eradication and universal primary education results were maintained and consolidated; the implementation of universal lower secondary education was strengthened and carried out according to schedule; community education centers continued to develop. The implementation of reforming the general education curriculum and building the framework program for vocational high schools, colleges, and universities initially achieved good results. Management of educational quality and evaluation made new progress with the establishment of examination and quality assurance agencies. Improvements in examination and admission, especially university, college, and vocational high school admissions, have yielded new results, and negative manifestations are being strongly corrected. The Ministry and localities have paid more attention to directing and strengthening conditions to ensure educational quality, particularly in ethnic minority areas, remote and difficult regions. Educational management has continued to be reformed, the legal environment has been completed, mechanisms and policies for planning and developing education have been improved; organizational structures are being improved, while the responsibilities of institutions and education and training departments assisting provincial and district People's Committees in managing the education sector have been defined; inspection and supervision work has been significantly strengthened.

Although the education sector has made many efforts and achieved new results, Vietnam's education system still has some weaknesses that have not been fully addressed and faces many challenges, most notably the requirement to improve the quality of education and training to serve the country's industrialization and modernization as stated in the Conclusion of the Sixth Plenary Session of the Ninth Central Committee of the Party.

Based on the above situation and in accordance with the requirements of implementing the tasks of Resolution of the Ninth Plenary Session of the Ninth Central Committee of the Party and Directive No. 40/CT-TW dated June 15, 2004 of the Politburo on building and improving the quality of the teaching staff and educational management cadres, the Minister of Education and Training requests the entire education sector to focus on implementing the following tasks for the 2004-2005 academic year:

1. Continue to implement reforms in the curriculum, content, and methods of education at all levels.

Urgently implement reforms in the content and curriculum of preschool education; actively prepare five-year-old children to develop their Vietnamese language skills before entering first grade, especially for children of ethnic minorities.

Seriously implement the teaching of new curricula and textbooks for third-grade elementary school, eighth-grade lower secondary school, and supplementary lower secondary school sixth and seventh grades; establish a routine for teaching new curricula and textbooks for first, second, sixth, and seventh grades. Pay close attention to directing to create a stronger shift in the reform of teaching methods. Continue to pilot the teaching of new curricula and textbooks for remaining grades in elementary and lower secondary schools; implement pilot programs for new curricula and textbooks for vocational high school tenth and eleventh grades. Accelerate the progress and ensure the quality of editing, reviewing, revising, publishing, and distributing textbooks for fourth, ninth, and twelfth grades to complete the compilation of the general education textbook series by the end of 2004. Continue to implement teacher training forms during the academic year to meet the requirements of curriculum and textbook reform.

Continue to build the framework curriculum, promote the development of programs and textbooks suitable for the issued framework curriculum to accelerate the reform of content and teaching methods in vocational high schools, colleges, universities, and postgraduate studies towards standardization, modernization, interconnection, and alignment with national realities and international integration. Strictly implement requirements for practical training; combine education with scientific research and technology transfer, production, and business operations in vocational high schools, colleges, universities, and postgraduate studies.

Urgently implement the human resource development program in information technology from now until 2010 by the Government and the project on teaching applied information technology and communication in general education schools for the period 2004-2006. Strengthen political and ideological education, morality for students and trainees, strictly implement Directive No. 23/CT-TW dated March 27, 2003 of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on intensifying research and propaganda of Ho Chi Minh's thought. Promote the movement to build a cultural life in schools; closely coordinate between schools, families, and society in educating morals and lifestyles, preventing social evils, HIV/AIDS, and crime among students and trainees.

Continue to implement Directive No. 33/2003/CT-BGD&ĐT dated July 23, 2003 on enhancing vocational guidance and vocational training for general education students, ensuring the quality and effectiveness of vocational guidance and vocational training activities to contribute to分流后的第二部分翻译如下：

2. Building and improving the quality of the teaching staff and educational management cadres.

Organize the dissemination and implementation of Directive No. 40/CT-TW dated June 15, 2004 of the Central Committee's Secretariat and the Project of the Government on building and improving the quality of the teaching staff and educational management cadre. Ensure coordination in all three aspects: evaluation and screening, training and development, utilization and remuneration during the process of organizing and implementing.

Units within the Ministry's agencies need to urgently develop a system of guiding documents to implement the Directive of the Central Committee's Secretariat and the Project on building and improving the quality of the teaching staff and educational management cadre immediately after it is approved by the Prime Minister.

Departments, education and training offices, universities, colleges, and vocational schools need to perform well in advisory work and ensure the leadership of the Party committee, the guidance and facilitation of the People's Council, People's Committee, or the competent ministry in all stages and aspects of the process of building and improving the quality of the teaching staff and educational management cadre at the local level. Organize surveys and investigations of the cadre effectively. Ensure accuracy, fairness, and reasonableness in evaluation, classification, and screening; arrangement, utilization, and remuneration. Urgently develop planning and training programs, retraining, and development to ensure that the teaching staff and educational management cadre are adequate in number, structurally consistent, and have the capacity and qualities suitable for the requirements of reforming educational content and methods at all levels and grades.

Teacher training institutions, teacher education departments, and educational management cadre training institutions need to closely follow the practical reforms in general education, improve the quality of training, and effectively fulfill the task of training primary school teachers, actively help localities overcome shortages of teachers in foreign language, information technology, civic education, music, technical, physical education, and national defense education subjects.

Universities, colleges, and vocational schools need to proactively build teaching staff, quickly address shortages in the cadre; gradually increase the proportion of lecturers who are master's degree holders, doctoral degree holders, associate professors, and professors.

Educational management agencies at all levels need to closely cooperate with the Vietnam General Confederation of Teachers to launch and widely implement the movement of Democracy - Discipline - Affection - Responsibility among the teaching staff and educational management cadre, helping colleagues to cultivate and enhance their professional ethics, pedagogical resilience, maintain a good image of teachers, worthy of the tradition of respecting teachers and valuing education of the nation.

3. Strengthen the construction of school infrastructure.

Localities need to proactively implement the Program of School and Classroom Reinforcement, ensuring compliance with the objectives and quality requirements stipulated in Decision No. 159/2002/QD-TTg dated November 15, 2002 of the Prime Minister. Provinces need to strengthen inspection, appraisal, and acceptance work to ensure the quality of school construction projects.

Educational management agencies at all levels and schools need to effectively utilize financial resources to purchase teaching equipment and school library books. Timely supply sufficient and high-quality textbooks and teaching equipment; properly manage and intensify the use of equipment to meet the requirements of reforming the general education curriculum. Promote the construction of laboratories, encourage teachers and students to make teaching equipment themselves, connect the Internet to middle schools where conditions permit. Increase the ratio of kindergartens and secondary schools meeting national standards in all provinces and centrally-administered cities. Departments of education and training need to coordinate with relevant agencies, advise the People's Council and People's Committee to allocate land for school construction, especially in cities and towns.

Universities, colleges, vocational schools, comprehensive technical centers - vocational guidance centers, community learning centers need to intensify resource exploitation, strengthen the construction of school infrastructure towards standardization and modernization; prioritize laboratory construction, workshop practice, libraries, and electronic libraries, network computer connections, to meet the requirements of reforming content, programs, textbooks, and educational methods.

Localities and universities assigned the task of building national defense education centers need to accelerate project implementation progress, ensure quality and effectiveness, and put the facilities into use as soon as possible.

4. Consolidate the school network, promote universal primary education and junior secondary education, meeting the learning needs of the people.

Continue to develop and consolidate the school network and educational facilities. Consolidate boarding schools for ethnic minority students, half-day boarding schools in counties and clusters of villages, preparatory departments for university admission, to meet the training needs of ethnic minority cadres. Strictly implement the planning of university and college networks. Consolidate and develop vocational schools, community colleges, comprehensive technical centers - vocational guidance centers, regular education centers, and community learning centers in localities to satisfy the learning needs of the people.

Develop public kindergarten education in rural areas, mountainous regions, and ethnic minority groups, mobilize the maximum number of five-year-olds to attend school, striving to eliminate white communes regarding kindergarten education by 2005 according to the spirit of Decision No. 161/2002/QD-TTg dated November 15, 2002 of the Prime Minister. Consolidate the results of literacy campaigns, promote universal primary education and junior secondary education, implement universal secondary education (general or vocational) appropriate to the requirements and conditions of each locality.

5. Promote socialization in education and build a learning society.

Further intensify propaganda on the policies and strategies for developing education by the Party and State, contributing to creating unity and consensus throughout society in participating in the development of education.

Educational management agencies at all levels and schools need to pay more attention to the working relationship with various departments, sectors, and mass organizations, especially the Association for Promoting Education, scientific research associations, and public media organizations; regularly organize to gather opinions from scientists, teachers, parents of students, and students on the policies for educational reform; seek support and participation from the entire society to truly integrate education and schools with each family, community, and the whole society.

Develop plans to convert some state-owned higher education institutions to non-state forms to contribute to promoting the socialization of education.

Strictly implement the recruitment system, preparatory university programs, and other policies for ethnic minority students, children from families benefiting from social welfare policies, and children from poor families.

Implement the National Action Plan for Education for All 2003-2015; expand networks of community learning centers, develop distance education, and launch the Education Television Channel to facilitate easy access to education and training for all social strata, contributing to building a learning society.

6. Strengthen international cooperation and gradually integrate into the international and regional communities.

Depending on specific conditions, educational management agencies at all levels and schools should further promote international cooperation; particularly, it is necessary to focus on summarizing, evaluating, and drawing lessons from, and improving the effectiveness of implementing loan projects, bilateral and multilateral aid projects, and high-level scientific and technical cadre training projects abroad funded by the State budget.

Encourage foreign investment initiatives with experience, potential, and advanced technology to establish educational institutions in Vietnam to train vocational secondary, university, and postgraduate students; actively prepare to successfully host the 40th Meeting of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education in 2005.

Strengthen the management of overseas students, encourage students to return to work and serve the country after studying abroad.

7. Implement administrative reforms and improve state management work in the field of education.

Seriously implement the goals and tasks under the Government's overall program for administrative reform; further strengthen the construction and consolidation of the educational management apparatus at all levels towards efficiency and simplicity; clearly define the functions, responsibilities, and authorities of each unit and level of management to enhance the effectiveness of state management in education; emphasize the responsibility of heads, ensure Party leadership, value coordination among mass organizations, and promote democracy in the implementation of tasks at all levels of educational management.

Complete the drafting and submission to the National Assembly of the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Education Law; organize dissemination, propaganda, and strict implementation after the National Assembly approves it. Strengthen inspection and review of the legal regulatory documents on education, based on which issue revised and supplemented documents to perfect the legal environment for educational activities.

Summarize the three-year implementation of Decree No. 10/2002/NĐ-CP dated January 16, 2002, of the Government on financial systems applicable to revenue-generating units in the national education system; continue to reform the management mechanism of training institutions towards increased autonomy and self-responsibility regarding organization, staffing, and finance; create a healthy competitive environment to improve training quality.

Promote democracy, maintain discipline and order, strengthen legal systems according to the spirit of Decree No. 122/2004/NĐ-CP dated May 18, 2004, of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of legal departments in Ministries, agencies equivalent to Ministries, government agencies, specialized agencies under provincial and municipal People's Committees directly under the Central Government, and state-owned enterprises.

Seriously implement Resolution No. 08/2004/NQ-CP dated June 30, 2004, on continuing to intensify decentralization in state management between the Government and provincial and municipal People's Committees directly under the Central Government, and Circular Joint No. 21/2004/TTLT-BGD&ĐT-BNV dated July 23, 2004, of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Training on guiding the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of specialized agencies assisting People's Committees in managing state affairs in education and training at local levels.

Strengthen quality management of educational and training activities. Urgently build and complete the organizational structure and operational activities of the examination and quality assessment system at all levels of educational management, universities, and colleges. Continue to improve and gradually standardize examination, admission, testing, and evaluation processes in teaching and learning at all educational levels. Ensure strictness, accuracy, fairness, and resolutely overcome superficiality and achievement-seeking in assessing student academic performance and discipline. Promote quality assessment activities and gradually leverage the role of the assessment system in enhancing educational and training quality.

Continue to consolidate and strengthen the educational inspection apparatus at all levels, attaching importance to building capacity both in quantity and quality, enhancing authority and responsibility, and innovating methods of operation. Ensure that inspection activities are conducted regularly and focused; prevent, address, and promptly handle negative manifestations in the implementation of educational programs; in financial and asset usage; in admissions, examinations, and assessment of academic results; in issuing and using certificates. Resolutely prevent and strictly deal with teachers and school administrators who engage in negative behaviors in additional tutoring for profit; limit and reduce the widespread practice of additional tutoring and learning.

Officials, civil servants, and employees in the education sector, teachers, and students must strictly implement the Party's policies and State laws, industry regulations, and internal rules of their agencies and schools; combat and prevent negative phenomena; strengthen discipline and routines; build a healthy educational environment; promote the "two excellences" movement to achieve outstanding results in celebration of the Education Sector's Patriotic Struggle Congress and the Seventh National Patriotic Struggle Congress and major national holidays in 2005.

This Directive shall be disseminated to all officials and civil servants in educational agencies, teachers in schools and other educational institutions of all types of public and private sectors for thorough understanding and implementation.

Directors of Departments of Education and Training are responsible for organizing, directing, inspecting, and urging the departments of education and training, schools, and other educational institutions in their localities to fulfill the academic year tasks; advising the Provincial Party Committees, Municipal Party Committees, People's Councils, and People's Committees, and seeking cooperation, coordination, and assistance from various committees, departments, and social organizations to ensure favorable conditions for the education sector to carry out its academic year tasks.

Presidents of universities, rectors of colleges, and principals of vocational high schools are responsible for concretizing and implementing within their assigned responsibilities, while participating in resolving difficulties in the education sector, contributing to promoting the development of the education cause.

Heads of units within the Ministry of Education and Training are responsible for guiding, inspecting, and urging local educational management levels and subordinate schools to fulfill the academic year tasks; promptly reporting and reflecting the situation, proposing solutions for guidance to address issues arising during the implementation process.

The Ministry of Education and Training requests that Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, People's Councils, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities direct, inspect, and urge subordinate agencies and departments to resolve difficulties in implementing education policies, creating favorable conditions for educational management agencies and schools within their management scope to effectively perform the aforementioned tasks so that the 2004-2005 academic year achieves good results./.