Party leader wants to lift ‘low rate' of education

HA NOI — More than two million poor and disadvantaged students have received financial assistance during the past four years.

However, despite the successes, shortcomings remain in education, a meeting between the Party General Secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong, and the Ministry of Education and Training heard yesterday.

An information technology lesson at Quynh Mai Primary School in Ha Noi's Hai Ba Trung District. The education sector has developed and diversified to meet the demands of 22 million students. — VNA/VNS Photo Quy Trung

Up for discussion was the implementation of the 11th National Party Congress' Resolution on education reform and raising human-resource training to meet the country's needs in the 21st century.

Delegates to the meeting spoke of the need to thoroughly reform education management as well as the methodology of teaching and learning.

Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan said that policies enhancing efficiency and quality of the sector had been incorporated to meet the Party's goals.

The sector had also focused on implementing a national curriculum for pre-school education as well as providing support to ensure disadvantaged children can go to school.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said the Government had made considerable achievements on the establishment of permanent schools and provision of accommodation for teachers.

He said the rate of permanent schools had been raised from 52 per cent to 72 per cent, adding that despite low financial resources and many organisational difficulties, the education sector had developed and diversified to meet the demands of 22 million students.

Considerable investment had also been spent on the ethnic community in remote and mountainous areas to ensure social equality in education.

However, the Deputy Prime Minister said that despite all endeavours, education and training quality and efficiency remained low.

In addition, curricula and exams were outdated with little bearing on the realities faced by students.

Party leader Trong underlined the need for long-term strategic vision in education.

In the short term, he called for a focus on teaching ethics and management quality. — VNS