Foundation for building a learning society

Recognizing the replication of learning models as the "key" to building a sustainable learning society, localities across Dong Nai province are actively promoting the movement for continuous and lifelong learning for all groups, from families and schools to the broader community.

Mobile library model supports lifelong learning at Tan Hung Primary School in Tan Hung commune, Dong Nai province. Photo: Collaborator

Numerous family-, clan-, and community-based learning models have demonstrated strong effectiveness, creating positive ripple effects and contributing to the province’s efforts to build a learning society and promote lifelong learning within communities.

Expanding learning models

The family of Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, a resident of Quarter 3 in the former Tan Bien ward (now Long Binh ward), is among Dong Nai’s exemplary learning families. His passion for reading began during his student years, when he spent long days caring for his father at the hospital. At the time, books not only expanded his knowledge but also served as a source of comfort and encouragement, fueling his lifelong drive for learning and personal growth. Over time, he became a successful entrepreneur who actively spreads the value of knowledge within the community.

Tuan shared: “The reading habit has been deeply rooted in me for decades. It has influenced not only my family and my company but also the broader community. I frequently participate in talks, book introductions, and reading advocacy events, and I donate books to students across the province. In the coming period, I plan to continue working with communes and wards, particularly in the former Binh Phuoc area, to donate newly published titles to students, helping to promote a reading culture and inspire lifelong learning.”

For many years, communes and wards such as Trang Dai, Tan Trieu, Tri An, Tan An, and Phu Ly have maintained and expanded community learning models by establishing “Wisdom houses” at local cultural and sports centers. These Wisdom Houses are equipped with libraries containing thousands of books, computer sets, televisions, projectors with internet connection, and sports training equipment.

Most books and equipment in these Wisdom Houses are donated through social mobilization, reflecting the shared contributions of individuals and businesses across the province. As a result, book clubs, as well as English, football, and volleyball clubs, have regular venues for activities, meeting the cultural and recreational needs of residents in the locality.

Building a learning society is one of the 13 key programs under the Movement for a United, Culturally Rich Community Life. Through this program, family-, clan-, community-, and organizational-level learning models continue to expand, helping to spread the spirit of lifelong learning across all segments of the population.

Spreading the spirit of lifelong learning

In addition to various learning models, commune-level cultural and sports institutions have been actively organizing a wide range of activities, such as training sessions, short-term vocational courses, and classes on legal knowledge and essential skills, to meet the diverse learning needs of residents in the locality. According to the provincial Department of Education and Training, more than 1,000 classes on digital transformation knowledge and skills are held annually across the province, attracting over 30,000 participants. In 2025 alone, Dong Nai is expected to organize more than 170 vocational training courses and maintain 14 literacy classes.

To ensure the program for building a learning society develops in a substantive and sustainable direction, Dong Xoai ward has been working closely with local schools to promote the emulation movement for quality teaching and learning. The ward aims to fulfill all criteria for Level-1 recognition as a commune- or ward-level learning community by the end of 2025, while also completing the requirements for recognition as a learning unit.

According to Do Xuan Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Phu Lam commune People’s Committee, alongside its 2025 targets, the locality will continue to strengthen communication efforts related to the learning society initiative and implement concrete measures that align this effort with the Movement for building a united, cultural community life. Schools are proactively creating a positive educational environment that fosters knowledge, character development, and a healthy cultural lifestyle.

As the lead agency for Program No. 11, the Department of Education and Training is collaborating with relevant departments, sectors, and localities to conduct a midterm review of the first five years of the 2021–2030 Learning Society Development Project. At the same time, it is continuing to implement the national movement to build a learning society and promote lifelong learning for the 2025–2030 period. The department is also stepping up communication, expanding lifelong learning models, increasing the availability of open educational resources, and encouraging businesses and communities to support learning activities for people from all walks of life.

By My Ny – Translated by Hong Van, Minho