Decision No. 73/2005/QD-TTg Issuing the Action Program of the Government to Implement Resolution No. 37/2004/QH11 of the Eleventh National Assembly, Sixth Session on Education

DECISION OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Issuing the Action Program of the Government to implement Resolution

No. 37/2004/QH11 of the 11th National Assembly, sixth session on education.

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Based on Resolution No. 37/2004/QH11 of the 11th National Assembly, sixth session on education;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Education and Training,

DECISION:

Article 1. This Decision promulgates the Action Program of the Government to implement Resolution No. 37/2004/QH11 of the 11th National Assembly, sixth session on education.

Article 2. The Standard Measurement Quality Control Department shall be responsible for organizing and guiding the implementation of the Regulations adopted herein.

Article 3. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for implementing this Decision./.

PROGRAM OF ACTION OF THE GOVERNMENT

Implementing Resolution No. 37/2004/QH11 of the 11th

National Assembly, sixth session on education

(Annexed to Decision No. 73/2005/QĐ-TTg dated April 6, 2005

of the Prime Minister)

A. OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTION PROGRAM

This Action Program sets out the tasks of the Government in organizing the implementation of Resolution No. 37/2004/QH11 of the 11th National Assembly, sixth session on education for the period from 2005 to 2010.

B. CONTENTS OF THE ACTION PROGRAM

I. REFORMING EDUCATION CONTENT, CURRICULUM, AND METHODS; EXPANDING RATIONAL SCALE, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVING QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

1. Developing preschool education: Continuing to implement Decision No. 161/2002/QĐ-TTg dated December 15, 2002 of the Prime Minister. Building and implementing the Project on Developing Preschool Education for the period from now until 2010 to ensure that all communes have preschool educational facilities; by 2010, most children under six years old will be cared for and educated through appropriate forms; rapidly increasing the enrollment rate and soon achieving the goal that almost all five-year-old children attend kindergarten to prepare for primary school.

2. Developing general education in accordance with continuing to implement and improving the quality and effectiveness of the implementation of Resolution No. 40/2000/QH10 and Resolution No. 41/2000/QH10 of the National Assembly:

a) Completing the General Education Reform Program based on enhancing the quality and effectiveness of activities to implement Resolution No. 40/2000/QH10 of the National Assembly;

- Organizing reviews, revisions, and reasonable reductions in content to perfect curricula and textbooks at the elementary and lower secondary levels.

- Adjusting the division scheme at upper secondary schools towards ensuring a unified standard curriculum with differentiation aimed at channeling students after graduation from upper secondary school.

- Vigorously reforming teaching and learning methods. Strengthening the application of information technology in school activities. Promoting foreign language and computer science programs, mainly English, in educational institutions, particularly from the lower secondary level onwards.

b) Building plans and master plans for developing the general education system to meet the demand for scale expansion; consolidating the results of universal primary education and literacy eradication; implementing channeling after lower secondary and upper secondary schools.

c) Directing the implementation and improving the quality of universal secondary education work, ensuring timely completion according to the spirit of Resolution No. 41/2000/QH10 of the National Assembly, focusing particularly on difficult provinces.

3. Developing higher education based on building and implementing the Higher Education Reform Project focusing on the following issues:

a) Building a plan to increase the scale of higher and college education training with an average annual growth rate of 10% from 2005 to reach 200 students per ten thousand people by 2010.

b) Reforming the content, curriculum, methods, and modes of training and textbook compilation in higher and college education institutions to meet the requirements of improving quality, international integration, and focusing on high-level human resource training, nurturing talents in science, technology, and economic-social management.

c) Adjusting, supplementing, and perfecting mechanisms, policies, and regulations on training and admission towards expanding the credit-based system in higher and college education, vocational training; reforming examination, evaluation, testing, and graduation certification procedures. Specifying the use of bilingualism (Vietnamese and foreign languages) in training at some educational institutions. Institutionalizing research, technology transfer, and practical application requirements linked to teaching tasks of university and college lecturers. Establishing part-time systems and cooperation mechanisms between agencies, research institutes, and training institutions. Amending and perfecting the Regulations on Doctoral and Master's Degree Training to ensure the quality of these levels.

d) Building procedures and standards for assessment and implementing plans to evaluate and certify the quality of higher and college education institutions to assess and classify their capabilities and quality.

4. Developing vocational education based on building and implementing the Vocational Education Reform Project focusing on the following issues:

a) Building a plan to develop the network of vocational training institutions and specialized secondary schools to meet the demand for human resource training, adapt to reality, and attract students after lower secondary and upper secondary schools.

b) Expanding the scale and increasing the number of vocational training and specialized secondary school graduates annually to achieve the target of 40% of the workforce having received training by 2010.

c) Concentrating on building programs, textbooks, and study materials; reforming teaching methods and modes in specialized secondary schools and vocational training institutions. Expanding inter-institutional and inter-level training programs to facilitate learners advancing to higher levels.

II. BUILDING AND PERFECTING PLANS FOR NETWORK DEVELOPMENT, STRENGTHENING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM TO ENSURE CONTINUOUS EDUCATION AND MEET POST-SECONDARY SCHOOL CHANNELING REQUIREMENTS

1. Directing the development of plans for the network of educational institutions at all levels and types (public and private, regular and non-regular, community education institutions) in localities.

2. Continuing to direct the completion and implementation of plans for the network of higher and college education institutions towards strong development of private institutions to achieve 40% of students being trained in such institutions by 2010. Focusing investment on building key universities and 1 to 2 universities at regional and international levels.

III. STRENGTHENING THE MOBILIZATION OF EDUCATION INVESTMENT RESOURCES, PROMOTING SOCIALIZATION, REFORMING MANAGEMENT MECHANISMS AND BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR EDUCATION

1. Building and adjusting the structure of state budget investment in education towards prioritizing universal education, developing education in difficult areas, ensuring social policies, caring for the poor, implementing key programs, linking education development programs with economic and social development programs, poverty reduction programs... of the Government to enhance the effectiveness of investment.

2. Building a roadmap to increase the proportion of the state budget invested annually in education to reach the target of 20% of total state budget expenditure before 2010.

3. Building and implementing mechanisms and policies to promote the socialization of education:

a) Issuing mechanisms and regulations on conditions and procedures for converting between types of schools. Developing plans and implementing the conversion of some universities and colleges from semi-public and public types to non-public types. Supplementing and perfecting organizational and operational regulations for non-public educational institutions.

b) Issuing mechanisms and policies to support non-public institutions in land, infrastructure, preferential loans.

c) Reforming tuition fees, scholarships, and social allowances in educational and training institutions under the national education system.

d) Implementing the project to build a learning society; the project to develop distance education. Establishing a dedicated television channel for education, training, and vocational training.

4. Adjusting, supplementing, and perfecting regulations to attract, utilize, and manage effectively international investment, cooperation, and joint training; strengthening management of Vietnamese students studying abroad and foreign students studying in Vietnam.

IV. BUILDING TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT STAFF

1. Concentrating on directing and effectively implementing the work of building and improving the quality of teachers and educational management staff according to the requirements and tasks set out in Decision No. 09/2005/QD-TTg dated January 11, 2005 of the Prime Minister.

2. Supplementing and perfecting mechanisms and policies for teacher training, capacity building, and utilization.

V. REFORMING MANAGEMENT MECHANISMS TO ENHANCE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY

1. Organizing the evaluation of the implementation of the Education Development Strategy 2001-2010 to determine, adjust, and supplement tasks, targets, and solutions for phase 2 (2006-2010). On this basis, developing a long-term education development strategy until 2020 and subsequent years.

2. Perfecting the draft Law on Education (amended) to be submitted to the National Assembly. Drafting guiding documents for the implementation of the amended Education Law to be implemented immediately after its approval. Continuing to review the system of regulatory documents to complete, supplement, and adjust contents to suit practical needs, especially provisions on investment management, personnel, land, finance, and operational regulations of educational institutions.

3. Effectively performing state management responsibilities in accordance with the spirit of Decree No. 166/2004/NĐ-CP dated September 16, 2004 of the Government. Supplementing and issuing specific regulations and guidelines to strengthen decentralization to localities; enhancing autonomy and self-responsibility of educational institutions.

4. Continuously improving examination and assessment work to ensure objectivity, effectiveness, seriousness, and practicality. Preventing negative manifestations and the pursuit of achievements. Reducing unnecessary examinations, increasing the application of admission forms for primary and secondary school classes. Enhancing the quality of commendation and reporting work.

5. Promoting administrative reform in educational management agencies at all levels.

VI. REFORMING AND STRENGTHENING EDUCATION INSPECTION WORK. REMEDYING LIMITATIONS AND WEAKNESSES

1. Consolidating organization, enhancing responsibility and authority of all levels of education inspection. Strengthening inspection work to ensure the objectivity, independence, and effectiveness of education inspection.

2. Focusing on establishing discipline and order in teaching and learning. Implementing comprehensive and resolute measures to prevent and strictly handle negative phenomena in education, training, and management. Strengthening management and implementing effective measures to curb profit-driven supplementary teaching inside and outside schools. Preventing and severely handling fraudulent behaviors in education and training. Paying attention to comprehensive education for students and trainees.

VII. IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL JUSTICE IN EDUCATION, PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN AREAS WITH ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS

1. Concentrating investment to implement target programs to consolidate and improve the network of boarding schools for ethnic minorities. Building and implementing policies to support the development of boarding classes in difficult areas, mountainous regions, remote areas, islands, and areas with ethnic minority populations.

2. Adjusting and supplementing regulations, standards, and policies for the recruitment and preparatory university training of students from ethnic minorities in economically disadvantaged and particularly disadvantaged areas, with special emphasis on priority for ethnic groups without university or college graduates.

3. Adjusting scholarship systems for recruited students, preparatory university students, and students in boarding schools for ethnic minorities. Caring for the policies and benefits of staff and teachers working in boarding schools for ethnic minorities.

4. Building a program for educating disabled children.

C. IMPLEMENTATION

I. IDEOLOGICAL WORK, INFORMATION, AND PROPAGANDA

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, People's Committees of provinces and cities, and relevant agencies to implement propaganda and dissemination of the contents of Resolution No. 37/2004/QH11 of the 11th National Assembly's sixth session on education and this Government's action program.

II. ORGANIZATION AND MONITORING OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall base themselves on the Government's Action Program and the accompanying list of tasks to concretize, direct, and organize the implementation according to their assigned functions and responsibilities.

2. The Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall be responsible for monitoring, urging, inspecting the implementation of this Action Program, reporting every six months, compiling the situation, and submitting it to the Prime Minister.

3. The Government requests that central agencies of social organizations actively respond and participate in implementing this Action Program of the Government./.