Directive No. 4899/CT-BGDĐT on key tasks for Early Childhood Education, General Education, Continuing Education, and Vocational Education for the 2009-2010 academic year.

DIRECTIVE

Regarding the main tasks of preschool education, general education,

continuing education and vocational education for the 2009-2010 academic year

_________________________________

Based on the Decision of the Party regarding the election of Deputies to the National Assembly for the tenth term and Conclusion No. 242-TB/TW dated April 15, 2009 of the Politburo on the continued implementation of Resolution No. 2 of the Central Committee (Eighth Term) on methods of developing education and training until 2020;

Pursuant to the Education Law 2005 and the resolutions of the National Assembly's twelfth term, continue implementing Directive No. 06-CT/TW dated November 7, 2006 of the Politburo on the campaign "Learning and Practicing the Moral Example of President Ho Chi Minh", Directive No. 33/2006/CT-TTg dated September 8, 2006 of the Government Office on education and the tasks set out in the second phase of the Strategy for Educational Development 2001-2010; based on the results achieved in the 2008-2009 academic year and the current situation of educational development;

The 2009-2010 academic year is identified as the "Year of Reforming Management and Improving Educational Quality". The entire Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) will focus on effectively implementing the following key tasks:

1. Continue implementing the three campaigns and the movement "Building Friendly Schools and Proactive Students" throughout the sector to promote educational quality, particularly moral education, personality development, and life skills for students.

1.1. On the campaign "Learning and Practicing the Moral Example of President Ho Chi Minh" according to Directive No. 06-CT/TW of the Politburo

Pilot the implementation of a set of materials guiding the integration of the campaign "Learning and Practicing the Moral Example of President Ho Chi Minh" into teaching core subjects and extracurricular activities at various levels and programs from the 2009-2010 academic year.

Educational institutions will take concrete actions to celebrate the 120th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2010).

Continue implementing the campaign "Each Teacher and Educator is a Model of Morality, Self-Study, and Creativity" with requirements: Adhering well to the Regulations on Teachers' Ethics (Decision No. 16/2008/QĐ-BGDĐT dated April 16, 2008) and during the 2009-2010 academic year, each teacher and educational manager must have one innovation in teaching or management.

1.2. On the implementation of Directive No. 33/2006/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on combating corruption and addressing the disease of achievementism in education through the "Two No's" campaign of the sector

Basically complete the content of "Combating Corruption in Examinations and Addressing the Disease of Achievementism in General and Preschool Education". Focus on eliminating the phenomenon of students sitting in classes and setting unrealistic and unachievable competition targets; reduce the rate of weak students and dropout rates. Draw lessons from the 2009 national high school graduation examination to stabilize the organization of the national high school graduation examination from 2010 onwards. Continue improving the work of competition and addressing the disease of achievementism, rectifying from the central level to localities and educational institutions. Organize a summary of the four-year implementation of Directive No. 33/2006/CT-TTg in the final academic year.

1.3. On the movement "Building Friendly Schools and Proactive Students"

Based on the Plan distributed between the MOET and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Vietnam Women's Union, and the Vietnam Association for Supporting Education, for the period 2008-2013 and the 2009-2010 academic year (signed on August 3, 2009), the Director of the Department of Education and Training shall organize the establishment and planning of reasonable development of the movement "Building Friendly Schools and Proactive Students" with corresponding agencies and organizations at the local level in the 2009-2010 academic year, including the following contents:

(1) Organize "Promotion Month" from September 2 to October 2 (Vietnamese Promotion Day), commend families and communes that have achieved the title of Promoting Family and Promoting Commune, continue organizing the campaign "Donating Clothes, Books, and Learning Tools for Students in Difficulty" initiated by the MOET and the Vietnam Teachers' Union. Strive to achieve the requirement of "Three Sufficient" for students: "Sufficient Food, Clothing, and Writing Materials" by November 15, 2009.

(2) Organize the Opening Ceremony of the New Academic Year with both "Ceremony" and "Festival" components: solemnly organize the "Ceremony" component, organize the "Festival" component with cultural, artistic activities, folk games, lively and dynamic, creating a joyful atmosphere for students entering the new academic year. Organize the welcoming of students to higher grades (Grade 1, Grade 6, and Grade 10), mobilizing parents to participate.

(3) Organize the "Gratitude and Graduation Ceremony" for Grade 12 students at all secondary schools nationwide.

(4) Each locality (province, district) shall commend and reward one male teacher and one female teacher who are most beloved by students, recognized by students and social organizations, and former students.

(5) By the end of the academic year, 100% of kindergartens and primary schools will have sanitary facilities meeting requirements and maintained clean regularly.

(6) Continue developing the movement of planting green trees suitable and effective for the environment.

(7) 100% of historical and cultural sites and cemeteries listed will be cared for and their values promoted by secondary schools.

(8) Organize folk song singing contests and singing about the education sector at the provincial level and towards the national level, involving students and teachers.

(9) Implement materials guiding the education of life skills for secondary school students inside and outside schools. Develop guidelines for handling documents within schools.

(10) Organize inspections, evaluations, and recognition of schools that have registered and strive to achieve the title "Friendly School and Proactive Student" according to established criteria. Develop digital materials on schools achieving the title "Friendly School and Proactive Student" for excellent reference by localities and educational institutions. Establish criteria and assess recognition of schools that have completed the task of caring for and promoting the value of historical and cultural sites. Evaluate, draw lessons, and replicate successful models at the local level.

(11) Organize "Return to Origin Day" (November 23), build digital databases of Departments of Education and Training on "1000 Years of Thang Long" and "Vietnam in the 20th Century", upload them to websites for common use across the country, serving to reform content and teaching methods.

(12) Strengthen school work to protect health and prevent diseases among officials, teachers, students, and trainees in educational institutions; in the short term, implement effectively the Action Plan for Preventing the Influenza A(H1N1) Pandemic in Educational Institutions (Decision No. 4631/QD-BGDĐT dated July 16, 2009).

2. Reform education management

2.1. Develop a Government Decree on reasonable decentralization and distribution of education management responsibilities among ministries, sectors, and localities; create coordinated cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Training and other specialized sectors and localities in managing universities, colleges, and vocational secondary schools.

2.2. Complete the implementation of Circular Joint No. 35/2008/TTLT-BGDĐT-BNV dated July 14, 2008 of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the functions, tasks, authorities, and organizational structure of provincial Departments of Education and Training and district Education and Training offices for all 63 provinces and cities.

2.3. Focus on developing Circular Joint No. 07/2009/TTLT-BGDĐT-BNV dated April 15, 2009 guiding the implementation of autonomy and self-responsibility rights concerning organizational structures and staffing for educational and training public service units to implement Government Decree No. 43/2006/ND-CP dated April 25, 2006.

2.4. Implement and apply occupational standards for kindergarten and primary school teachers according to Decision No. 02/2008/QĐ-BGDĐT dated January 22, 2008 and No. 14/2007/QĐ-BGDĐT dated May 4, 2007. Issue and apply teacher standards, principal standards for junior high and senior high schools, director standards for education centers, and vocational secondary teacher standards. Implement regulations on the qualifications of Department of Education and Training Directors and Deputy Directors.

2.5. Complete the conversion of all private kindergartens and schools to public or private status according to Circular No. 11/2009/TT-BGDĐT dated May 8, 2009.

2.6. Implement Circular No. 09/2009/TT-BGDĐT dated July 5, 2009 on the Regulation on Public Disclosure for Ethnic Education Institutions.

2.7. Implement Decision No. 35/2009/QH12 of the National Assembly on financial mechanisms for education and training from the 2010-2011 academic year to the 2014-2015 academic year. Develop the Government's financial mechanism for education and training from 2009 to 2014, and the Prime Minister's Decision on adjusting tuition fee ceilings for training programs. Based on guidelines from the Ministry, provincial Departments of Education and Training will develop tuition fee schedules, which have been decided by provincial People's Councils.

2.8. Gradually adjust the state budget allocation for different levels of education towards prioritizing the budget for universal primary education, combating illiteracy, supporting universal preschool education at age five, ensuring funding for education in particularly difficult communes, securing salaries for educators, and providing support for policy student groups and poor students.

2.9. Continue to perfect the evaluation of teachers and staff within the sector, piloting evaluations of the guidance work of Departments and Bureaus and leadership work of Ministry leaders (as guided by the Ministry).

2.10. In 2010, provincial Departments of Education and Training participate in drafting the "Education Development Plan for the Province for the 2011-2015 period with a vision to 2020" for approval by the Provincial People's Council and People's Committee.

2.11. Create a strong shift in information work for society, listening to public opinions through the Ministry's website (www.moet.gov.vn; www.moet.edu.vn), the online newspaper of the sector (www.giaoducthoidai.vn or www.gdtd.vn; www.edunews.vn), and mass media. Provincial Departments of Education and Training proactively report to the Delegation of National Assembly Members and Provincial People's Councils about the local education situation and seek guidance on educational activities before the National Assembly and Provincial People's Council sessions.

2.12. Promote the application of information technology in education management. Unify state management over the application of IT in education and training. Actively apply forms of online conferences, seminars, training, and work exchanges via the Internet, video, websites, especially in training and development, inspection, and education management.

Recruit and provide free educational management software, teacher management software, scheduling support software, school library management software, universal education management software, and guide the purchase or provision of application software.

2.13. Continue to improve and strengthen inspection work. Enhance political and professional training for inspection staff. Increase administrative and specialized inspections at various educational levels and sectors; inspect and check the implementation of the "Sea Air" campaign. Strengthen supervision and management of non-public education and training institutions with foreign investment.

2.14. Enhance and improve the effectiveness of operational systems. Develop and perfect the legal system for education. Improve the quality of legislative drafting, prohibit illegal actions. Consolidate and develop specialized legal organizations from the central level to localities; enhance and improve the quality of operational systems; promote and disseminate legal education to managers, educators, and learners.

3. Synchronize the implementation of measures to improve education quality

3.1. Maintain achievements and improve the quality of universal education and literacy campaigns, striving to achieve the goal of universal lower secondary education by the end of 2010 as planned.

3.2. Proactively and creatively coordinate between the education sector, the Vietnam Women's Union, and the Learning Promotion Association to increase family and societal attention to children's learning, implementing the "3 sufficiencies," gradually implementing the "3 knowledges." Implement the handover of students between elementary and lower secondary schools, survey, and evaluate the quality of new students at the beginning of the academic year and plan remedial education from the start of the academic year.

3.3. Continue organizing dialogues and introducing models of innovative teaching methods in schools and provinces. Develop materials guiding the adoption of new teaching methods.

3.4. Continue to build a library of examination questions and subject exercises for students to refer to and use in teaching and learning, self-assessment, and evaluation.

3.5. Vigorously implement the application of information technology in the reform of teaching methods at each educational level. Departments of Education and Training, universities, and colleges of education shall develop teaching materials to support instruction and learning in Literature, History, Geography, and Civic Education subjects, uploading them onto the websites of their departments and the Ministry of Education and Training for educators and students nationwide to refer to (each locality shall develop materials on its own culture, history, geography, and prominent figures). Strengthen training and upgrading through online means. Organize a competition for designing electronic lessons.

3.6. Promote within the education sector, starting from the 2009-2010 academic year, the cessation of teaching mainly through "reading - copying" at junior high schools and high schools. Each teacher may implement a new change in teaching and management methods. Each school has a tool that can change new teaching methods. Each province has a program to reform teaching methods.

3.7. Intensify environmental protection education and energy-saving and efficient use education in educational institutions. Develop a list of research topics on educational science by the Ministry of Education and Training and provinces.

3.8. Enhance the capacity of laboratories and quality management at Departments of Education and Training. Continue to perfect the system of regulatory legal documents and guidelines on the work of assessing and inspecting educational quality.

Implement the assessment of educational quality in general secondary schools and vocational colleges, including private schools, foreign-invested schools, or those following foreign curricula; establish appropriate standards and criteria to assess kindergartens. Implement preparatory steps for Vietnam's participation in the international student assessment program (PISA).

3.9. Continue to vigorously develop training according to social needs at vocational colleges, implement the three public commitments, and strengthen the management of vocational colleges by Departments of Education and Training.

4. Continue to develop the network of schools and classes and enhance educational facilities and equipment.

4.1. Accelerate the implementation of the Project to Solidify Schools, Classes, and Teachers' Housing for the period 2008-2012 pursuant to Decision No. 20/2008/QĐ-TTg dated January 2, 2008, of the Government. Strive to complete over 50% of the national targets of the School and Class Solidification Program by June 2010. Develop and implement projects to build housing for ethnic minority students.

4.2. Conduct a nationwide comprehensive inspection and evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of the utilization of teaching equipment, perfect mechanisms and policies related to the provision and utilization of teaching equipment.

4.3. Implement the Educational Sector Project on developing education in the 61 most difficult districts.

4.4. Continue to invest and develop primary, junior high, and high schools meeting national standards. Adjust national standard school criteria to suit the characteristics of cities. Implement the Project to Develop the High School Specialization System for the period 2010-2015.

4.5. Pay attention to investing in infrastructure for vocational colleges, continuing education centers, and comprehensive technical training centers.

4.6. Strengthen international cooperation, effectively develop ODA projects in education and training, attract funding support, and foreign loans to develop infrastructure and teaching equipment.

4.7. Complete the development and exploitation of broadband internet connections to all schools in areas with electricity by June 2010.

5. Carefully nurture and invest in the development of the teaching staff and educational management team.

5.1. Enhance the capacity and improve the quality of teacher training.

Continue to implement Resolution No. 08/NQ-BCSĐ dated April 4, 2007, of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Education and Training on the development of the teacher training sector and teacher training institutions from 2007 to 2015.

Organize a national seminar on "General Education Technology at the Beginning of the 21st Century" and the second national conference of teacher training institutions and departments in late 2009.

Continue to reform teacher training methods at teacher training institutions and departments. Invest in upgrading teacher training institutions and departments. Improve the quality of the faculty of teacher training institutions and departments, particularly in training doctoral and pharmacist candidates. Assign universities of education to support the development of the teaching workforce and improve educational quality in certain provinces and cities to effectively implement the reform of teacher training methods and programs according to the needs of the education sector and society.

5.2. Firmly resolve the shortage of teachers in some provinces and improve the quality of newly recruited teachers.

All Departments of Education and Training must determine the demand for teachers at various levels and subjects for the period 2009-2015, plan teacher training according to provincial needs, commission universities and colleges of education both inside and outside the province to train teachers, combine preferential policies for teachers working in localities, ensuring that there will be no shortage of qualified teachers in all subjects after 2012.

Based on government regulations and guidance from the Ministry of Education and Training, all Departments of Education and Training shall control the recruitment process of new teachers at all levels, amend necessary regulations to ensure the recruitment of teachers with moral integrity and professional qualifications suitable for the development of education in each school, place, and province. Publicize the criteria, procedures, and results of teacher recruitment at schools, Districts, and Departments of Education and Training.

5.3. Standardize teacher training, upgrading, selection, and utilization in educational management.

Organize training courses for 15,000 secondary school principals during the period from 2008 to 2010 under the cooperation project with Singapore. Continue the process of training and professional development for intermediate vocational educators. Organize training sessions on the content "Building friendly schools, proactive students" (Plan number 307/KH-BGDĐT dated July 22, 2008, by the Minister of Education and Training).

Implement the evaluation of secondary schools through the concept of general school design.

Implement planning work throughout the main guidance directive number 22-HD/BTCTW dated October 21, 2008, by the Central Organization Board regarding the implementation of Resolution 42-NQ/TW of the Political Bureau on the planning of professionalization of the country.

5.4. Policies and systems for education and educational management.

Implement the rotation of teachers and long-term educational management staff from difficult areas, mountainous regions, remote areas, and far-flung areas to more favorable locations.

Review, unify standards, and honor educators and educational managers. Establish and announce standards for teachers who have achieved the best titles at all levels. Organize conferences to commend exemplary collectives and individuals, outstanding national teachers, to mark Teachers' Day.

Participate in technical support for the government to issue regulations on granting seniority allowances for educators and educational institution managers; implement classes to maintain the system of time-limited allowances for educators and those who can manage educational institutions when transferred to work at state administrative agencies responsible for education.

6. Comprehensive assessment of the results of implementing the Education Development Strategy 2001-2010. Develop the Education Development Strategy 2011-2020. Implement research topics on education development.

Implement the Notice number 242-TB/TW dated April 15, 2009, regarding the conclusions of the Political Bureau and the Action Program of the education sector to continue implementing Resolution No. 2 (Session VIII) and the direction of education development until 2020.

Continue to implement the goals and comprehensive assessment results organized to implement the Education Development Strategy 2001-2010. Complete and submit to the Prime Minister for approval the Education Development Strategy 2011-2020.

Implement the National Assembly's resolution on the main account, guiding the reform of some financial mechanisms in education and training from the 2010-2011 academic year to the 2014-2015 academic year.

Organize the implementation of development projects and plans for education that have been approved by the Prime Minister: The Project on Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System from 2008 to 2020 (Decision number 1400/QĐ-TTg dated September 30, 2008, by the Government); The Overall Plan for Developing Information Technology Human Resources until 2015 and the Direction until 2020 (Decision number 698/QĐ-TTg dated June 1, 2009, by the Government).

Develop and submit to the Prime Minister for approval and implementation: The Program for Universalizing Kindergarten Education for Five-Year-Olds and Implementing Decision number 149/2006/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister; The Project on Developing and Modernizing the System of High School Specialized Schools from 2010 to 2015; The Project on Consolidating and Developing the System of Ethnic Minority Boarding Schools from 2010 to 2015; The Project on Building Dormitories for Students in Ethnic Minority Boarding Schools to Implement Quality Primary and Junior Secondary Education from 2010 to 2015.

7. Some special tasks in education at various levels.

7.1. Early Childhood Education (ECE).

Continue to implement Decision number 149/2006/QĐ-TTg dated May 23, 2006, by the Prime Minister; develop the scale and network of kindergarten schools and classes suitable to local requirements and actual conditions; implement the program for universalizing kindergarten education for five-year-olds, focusing on preparing Vietnamese language skills for ethnic minority children to enter primary school; develop a widespread new early childhood education curriculum, innovate teaching methods, improve the quality of childcare and education, reduce malnutrition rates below 10%. Reform management work, strengthen inspections and supervision, especially for private early childhood education institutions. Promote publicity and socialization of education to mobilize resources and parental involvement in early childhood education.

7.2. General Secondary Education (GSE).

For primary education: Issue guidelines for inclusive education for children with special circumstances; Circular defining the standard for universalizing primary education for the appropriate age; Circular defining the criteria for evaluating the learning outcomes of primary school students. Direct teaching according to the program standards. Integrate moral education and Vietnamese language into subjects and educational activities. Implement Vietnamese language instruction for primary school students from ethnic minorities who do not speak Vietnamese (Guidance Document number 7679/BGDĐT-GDTH dated August 22, 2008). Direct teaching of Handicraft and Technology subjects according to adjusted content and teaching plans suitable for the student population. Transfer learning outcomes from lower grades to higher grades. Upgrade the quality of the teaching staff and educational management. Focus on training the management team's energy for directing and managing teaching work based on knowledge and skill standards of the program. Promote the application of information technology in management and teaching. Prepare to implement English language teaching in primary schools.

For secondary education: Consolidate achievements in implementing the new curriculum and textbooks. Develop high-quality professional environments and nurture talent, shifting many schools to a two-session daily schedule to achieve comprehensive educational goals. Directively promote innovation in assessment and teaching methods. Accelerate the process of building national standard schools. Standardize educational facilities, education, and management according to the Ministry of Education and Training's action standards. Strictly direct nationwide completion of the standard for universalizing junior secondary education by 2010 as per Resolution number 41/2000/QH10 of the Tenth National Assembly. Summarize three years of widespread implementation of the new science curriculum and textbooks for secondary schools. Train management and teaching work according to knowledge and skill standards.

7.3. Continuing Education (CE)

Strengthening and developing the network of CE centers according to a comprehensive model combining supplementary teaching tasks, vocational guidance, and skill training; continuing to develop both quantity and quality and effectiveness of community learning centers. Diversifying the content, programs, and methods of regular education, especially popular action architecture programs, technology transfer, etc., to meet the lifelong learning needs of all citizens, contributing to enhancing labor capacity and improving the quality of community life. Effectively implementing the Project "Building a Learning Society for the period 2005-2010" pursuant to Decision No. 112/QĐ-TTg dated May 18, 2005 of the Prime Minister. Implementing the project to eliminate illiteracy and subsequent education during the period 2011-2020. Reviewing the network and strengthening management of training quality, short-term computer and foreign language courses, part-time and distance education; researching and developing online training models for short-term knowledge and skill updating programs.

7.4. Secondary Vocational Education (SVE)

Continuing to expand scale and improve training quality; synchronously implementing solutions for分流后的第二段翻译如下：

7.5. Ethnic Education

Studying adjustments and supplements to policies supporting education and students in ethnic areas; strengthening and developing ethnic minority boarding schools to ensure that students have safe accommodation, sufficient food, clothing, and textbooks; developing the system of ethnic minority boarding schools according to strategy, improving the quality of teaching at ethnic minority boarding schools. Continuing measures to strengthen Vietnamese language for ethnic minority students in preschool and primary school; teaching ethnic languages in general schools and teacher training institutions; reinforcing ethnic languages for teachers in ethnic regions.

The 2009-2010 academic year is the fourth year of the entire sector's determination to implement Directive 33/2006/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on combating corruption and rectifying achievements in education, the third year of the campaign "Learning and following the example of President Ho Chi Minh," and the second year of the movement "Building friendly schools and proactive students." The year 2010 marks significant anniversaries: 80 years since the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam; 65 years since the founding of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; 1,000 years since the establishment of Thang Long - Hanoi; 40 years since the implementation of President Ho Chi Minh's Testament; preparing for the Eleventh National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country will complete the socio-economic development plan for the 2006-2010 period and begin the new development phase from 2011 to 2015.

With the attention of the Party and State, the reasonable distribution of resources among levels, sectors, mass organizations, and localities, the entire academic year with the theme "Year of Reforming Management and Improving Educational Quality" creates a foundation to better meet the requirements of forming a new generation of capable citizens, developing high-quality human resources, and nurturing talents for the country in the context of industrialization, modernization, and international integration.

To organize and implement the key tasks mentioned above, the Minister of Education and Training requests:

Directors of provincial education and training departments to base on practical situations to build plans and organize development, direct, inspect, and supervise education and training rooms, schools, and educational facilities in their localities to fulfill the academic year tasks; actively participate in provincial party committees, municipal party committees, people's councils, and municipal people's committees' resolutions on education and directives on the 2009-2010 academic year tasks in their localities; proactively promote cooperation and reasonably distribute assistance from various sectors and groups to create favorable conditions for the education and training sector to fulfill the academic year tasks. Heads of units under the Ministry of Education and Training to guide, inspect, and supervise local educational management levels in fulfilling the academic year tasks; timely report, reflect the situation, and propose solutions for directing to resolve issues calmly during the implementation process.

This shall be disseminated to all officials, civil servants, and functional staff at all levels of educational administration, educators at educational institutions from preschool education, general education, continuing education, and vocational education for their awareness and implementation.