Innovation for success

On the occasion of the 96th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 –2026), the Party Central Committee’s Organization Commission selected and honored 96 exemplary Party cell secretaries from across the Party in 2026.

Dong Nai Province’s Party Organization has two outstanding and exemplary Party cell secretaries selected to attend the Party-wide commendation ceremony for exemplary Party cell secretaries. One of them is Phan Thi Nhu Hoa, Party Cell Secretary, Principal of Tam Phuoc Secondary School (Tam Phuoc Ward, Dong Nai Province).

Building a Microsoft incubator school

* In 2023, Tam Phuoc Secondary School was honored to be selected as one of three Microsoft Incubator Schools nationwide. It was also the first public school in Dong Nai to be included on this list. Could you share how the school has carried out its digital transformation journey?

Phan Thi Nhu Hoa, Party Cell Secretary, Principal of Tam Phuoc Secondary School

- Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 on breakthrough development in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation stipulates that digital transformation is a central and critical task of the entire political system. It must be implemented in a coordinated manner across all sectors, with tangible effectiveness as the measure of success.

In response, the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee translated this directive into concrete programs and action plans, requiring implementation to be tied to the political tasks of each locality and sector.

At the grassroots level, the Tam Phuoc Ward Party Committee led and directed Party cells, agencies and units to work toward clearly defined goals, outputs and responsibilities, fostering a results-oriented emulation movement backed by monitoring and evaluation. Against this backdrop, Tam Phuoc Secondary School determined that it should take the lead, given education’s role as a foundational sector for human resources and digital capacity. The Party Cell of Tam Phuoc Secondary School therefore pursued digital transformation not as a campaign-driven effort, but as a systematic process - embedding it in school governance, teaching, testing and assessment, and in links with parents and the community - while treating staff development as the decisive factor.

To advance digital transformation, the school built up its technology infrastructure, upgraded network systems and equipped classrooms with teaching aids such as televisions, sound systems, projectors, interactive boards and learning management software. It also introduced management softwares regarding electronic school–parent communication records, a grading management system, Microsoft Teams for instruction, and online student records, allowing teachers and parents to track students’ learning progress more easily.

The school built a digital learning resource repository, including establishing an e-library and an online lesson repository so students can learn anytime, anywhere.

To support digital transformation, it placed strong emphasis on training digital skills, organizing teacher workshops on online teaching methods and guiding students how to use digital learning tools effectively.

* What results has the school achieved through its digital transformation efforts?

- First, improvements in education quality and school discipline demonstrate that digital transformation has supported the school’s core mission. In the 2024–2025 academic year, the school had 2,307 students and maintained enrolment at 99.8%. The share of students rated “excellent” in conduct reached 98.01%, with no cases below standard. The proportion achieving “excellent” academic results was 38.58%, again with no cases below standard. The lower secondary graduation rate was 100%. These figures show that digital transformation has not diverted attention from education. Instead, it has strengthened school governance, enabled closer tracking of progress, and improved timely coordination between families, the school and the broader community.

In the 2023–2024 academic year, the school was certified as a Microsoft Incubator School. In the 2024–2025 academic year, it was named for the first time to the list of Microsoft Showcase Schools, and in the 2025–2026 academic year, it continued to be recognized in this category for a second consecutive year. In addition, 24 administrators and teachers at the school have been awarded the title of Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert.

Unity creates strength, drives success

* In what ways have the Party Cell Secretary and the School Principal shaped the school’s political direction and the integration of technology?

- In my capacity as Party Cell Secretary, together with the School Management Board, we have made it clear that digital transformation cannot be pursued as a short-term campaign. It must be woven into everyday work - into each lesson, each small teaching habit of teachers, and every step of students’ project work.

Phan Thi Nhu Hoa, Secretary of the Party Cell and Principal of Tam Phuoc Secondary School (right), accompanies students to the 2025 Robotics Innovation Contest organized by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

However, while it is easy to say, the reality of implementation has been fraught with challenges. Some teachers were initially at a loss even when trying to open an online platform. With certain devices, they had to learn through hands-on trial and error. There were afternoons of professional meetings when we remained together until late in the evening, solely to resolve a single feature within the software.

The School Party Cell exercised leadership with clearly defined goals, clearly designated personnel, clearly assigned tasks and clearly articulated responsibilities. There was no mindset that “someone else would take care of it”; rather, every team and every individual was held accountable for specific aspects of the school’s digital transformation.

In line with the Party cell’s direction, the School Management Board has integrated technology into all school activities: managing through data, teaching with digital devices, conducting assessments online, and connecting with parents via digital platforms. All classrooms are equipped with internet-connected televisions and audio systems, so that e-lessons are no longer a “movement” but have become a routine practice.

The Party Cell directed the school to pay close attention to the wellbeing and morale of its administrators and teachers. For a teacher to embrace change, they must first feel understood, encouraged and properly supported. A range of new ideas and refreshed teaching practices emerged from a shared sense of being trusted and backed.

Education quality has been maintained and further improved, with a 100% lower secondary graduation rate. Over successive years, the school has consistently been recognised as an “Outstanding Labour Unit,” earning multiple emulation flags from the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee and the Ministry of Education and Training, along with certificates of merit awarded by the Prime Minister.

Digital transformation is not merely about adopting technology; it is about rethinking mindsets, management practices and teaching methods to raise education quality and meet the demands of the times. With initiative, accountability and creativity across the board, a modern and effective learning environment can take shape—one that is fully aligned with the needs of the era.

Such achievements did not come by chance; they were built through every lesson, every instance in which teachers dared to experiment, dared to change, and dared to overcome the fear of failure in applying technology to drive innovation.

From this journey, we have drawn a straightforward insight: when well-founded policies from the central level are translated into action at the grassroots with real determination, digital transformation is not distant or abstract. It emerges from the most ordinary moments - a teacher’s assured use of software, the focused gaze of students in technology-enabled lessons, and the shared sense of fulfilment within the school community as tangible improvements appear day after day.

* What message would you like to convey to Party Cell secretaries at the grassroots level, particularly those working in the education and training sector?

- As the entire sector accelerates digital transformation, I would like to send a message to grassroots Party Cell Secretaries, as well as to officials and teachers: digital transformation is a central task of the whole political system, and education must be at the forefront. If education does not set the pace, society will struggle to move forward. Party Cell Secretaries must provide clear orientation and foster unity, while teachers should see this as an opportunity for professional growth and contribute to building a modern, transparent and effective learning environment.

By Duong An – Translated by Tam Binh, Thu Ha