Education and training is the top national policy

Our Party and State have long considered education and training (ET) as the top national policy, one of the pillars for national development, thereby focusing many investment resources on ET, creating quality human resources to serve the cause of national construction and defense.

At the 35th International Biology Olympiad 2025 held in the Philippines in July 2025, the Vietnamese National Team won 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal. Photo: VNA

Along with the socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security, education and training in our country have been constantly innovated and have achieved many important achievements. However, hostile forces and political opportunists have always completely denied the accomplishments of the socialist education and training system in our country, while focusing on some limitations in this field to distort the policies of the Party and the State. The goal of this one-sided information is to undermine people's trust in national education, especially in the context of the new school year 2025-2026 approaching.

Education and training are developing strongly

Our nation has a long-standing tradition of learning. Learning is placed at the forefront of the awareness of each person, each family, the clan, village, and even the nation. Eighty years ago, the August Revolution succeeded, and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born. The young government faced many difficulties and challenges. Among them, our Party and State advocated the eradication of "ignorance" - one of the three types of enemies that the entire nation urgently had to join forces to eliminate at that time.

Our Party and State inherit and develop the spirit of respect for learning and talent in Vietnamese culture and apply President Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on education and training. Looking back on the nearly 40 years of implementing the renovation process, the Party and State have issued many guidelines and policies defining "investment in education is investment for development" and giving priority and going ahead compared to other fields.

It is the policies tailored to each stage of development and grounded in Vietnam's realities that have earned public support and consensus, thereby lifting the country's education and training sector from poverty and backwardness to strong growth, achieving significant progress. Vietnam has completed universal primary education, expanded access to secondary education, and steadily increased the proportion of university and postgraduate students. Notably, Vietnam is among the 21 countries that have already achieved the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on quality education by 2030. Vietnamese students have been recognized at international competitions, awards, and intellectual forums. The education system has expanded in both scale and form, with the establishment of numerous non-public institutions, contributing to the diversification of social investment in education.

However, the Party and State have also candidly acknowledged the challenges and limitations that have prevented education and training from truly becoming a key driver of the country's breakthrough development. Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW dated August 22, 2025, issued by the Politburo on accelerating the development of education and training (Resolution 71), states: Access to education remains low compared to developed countries, with significant disparities across regions and population groups. In many areas, teaching staff, facilities, and school infrastructure do not meet required standards. The higher education and vocational training systems remain fragmented and outdated, falling short of the demands for high-quality human resource development and scientific research, especially in several key sectors and priority fields.

Obviously, the above comments and assessments are extremely objective and comprehensive, clearly demonstrating the viewpoint of "looking straight at the truth, assessing the truth correctly, and stating the truth" to identify solutions to create breakthroughs and develop education and training in the context of the country facing new opportunities. This undertaking confirms that the distorted arguments that our Party and State do not attach importance to education and training, only know how to "glorify" achievements... are completely wrong.

Breakthrough to develop

Human resources are becoming a competitive advantage, deciding the progress or decline of each country in the context of the explosion of science and technology, especially artificial intelligence, which is gradually asserting its position in all fields. With a long-term vision and breakthrough thinking, our Party and State have chosen to move forward, starting with fundamental policies and institutions to improve the quality of human resources.

In Resolution No. 71, the Politburo, in addition to identifying that breakthroughs in education and training development must start from innovation in thinking, awareness, and institutions, also set out many specific goals. In particular, by 2045, Vietnam will have a modern, equitable, and high-quality national education system, ranked among the top 20 countries in the world. To achieve this goal, solutions are also clearly identified. One of these is to focus on building standard school facilities and improving the quality of preschool and general education.

Resolution No. 71 affirms our Party's strong and comprehensive determination in making education a driving force for national development, a strategic milestone, paving the way for Vietnamese education to take off.

Regarding this issue, not long ago, the Politburo proposed a very humane and meaningful policy. Accordingly, Notice No. 81-TB/TW dated July 18, 2025, concluding the Politburo's policy on investing in building schools for border communes, agreed on the policy of investing in building boarding schools for primary and secondary schools in 248 mainland border communes. In the immediate future, the pilot investment will complete the construction or renovation of 100 schools in 2025.

In Dong Nai - a province with 8 border communes, to concretize Notice No. 81 of the Politburo, the Provincial Party Committee directed the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Education and Training to conduct surveys and determine the need for investment and construction of schools in these communes.

Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Council of Bu Gia Map Commune, Dong Nai Province, Le Hoang Nam, said:"The policy of investing in school construction for border communes demonstrates the strong commitment of the Party and the State. It not only brings joy to teachers and students in these remote areas but also lays the groundwork for a comprehensive reform of local education. In response to this major policy, the local government and residents are very excited and optimistic. During the provincial survey on the state of local schools and community needs, we presented the specific conditions in Bu Gia Map Commune, which is a particularly disadvantaged border area where ethnic minorities make up 75 percent of the population. As a result, the demand for schools and semi-boarding classes is very high. The commune hopes to receive investment in school infrastructure and support for students' boarding meals. This is considered one of the key 'levers' to improve education quality and promote sustainable local development."

By: Thuy Trang - Phuong Uyen

Translated by: Quoc Dung - Minho