Hanoi (VNA) – Although positive achievements have been obtained in the education and training sector over the past seven years, there is still room for improvement, Phan Thanh Binh, head of the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Adolescents has said. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 13th National Party Congress, he said education and training was one of the topics that received many comments and contributions from the delegates at the congress. The 13th Congress’s documents mention both the achievements and shortcomings that need to be settled in the near future. One of the remarkable results achieved in the seven years since the implementation of Resolution 29 of the Party Central Committee on the substantive and comprehensive renewal of education and training was that new viewpoints and concepts have been introduced, Binh said. According to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), despite facing many difficulties and limited resources, positive changes have been made by the sector in terms of quality and effectiveness, which have been appreciated by international organisations. The ministry attributed the result to the Party and State’s attention to the matter and the effective coordination between ministries, agencies and localities, especially the efforts of teachers and educational managers at all levels.

The MoET has strived to develop education capacity and not just focus on knowledge. The quality and autonomy of university and vocational education was also addressed.

As such, the Government has issued the Vietnamese Qualification Framework which comprises eight levels. It was designed to be compatible with the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework, laying a foundation for higher education institutions to prepare appropriate training programmes and ♈help afford Vietnamese labourers more opportunities while seeking jobs in the ASEAN block.

While certain results have been obtained, the fundamental innovation of education and training has not really become a key driving force for socio-economic development as declared in the documents, he said. A draft document of the 13th Congress also stated that there must be a breakthrough in this regard. Specifically, it affirmed that education and training is not only an initiative but must be an actionable part of national policy. Furthermore, education and training must be associated with science and technology so that Vietnamese people can adapt to the rapid development of technology in a global context. This will contribute to the development of the country with aspirations to leave the ranks of lower-middle-income countries by 2025 and develop further still. With regard to the development of education in the future, Binh said, the draft document focused on human resources, emphasising the need to train Vietnamese people to meet the requirements of the new period. To realise this goal, the document suggested some solutions including the renewal of state management and governance. A series of policies must be set forth to promote education, it said. The draft document also raised issues relating to the autonomy and accountability of the education sector as a driving force for its development in the future. The State has the responsibility to continue investing in education and training, he said. Along with economic development and building a humane culture, arousing the aspirations and will of the Vietnamese people was an issue that would be intensified in the future, Binh said. The method to develop, promote and highlight the Vietnamese culture and people is clearly outlined in statements of the Party Secretary and the President, as well as in the aforementioned documents. Several problems have emerged given the current situation. First, the development of culture will go together with the development of an economy. Thus, Binh said, if we want to develop a culture, the economy will have to develop further. This is a common factor connecting economy, culture and society. Second, in times of globalisation, people should be at the centre of all activities. It should be noted that attention should be paid to human issues amid the rapid development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the development of automation, Binh said./.