Education is key driving force for country's development: Party General Secretary

Speaking on Sunday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Si Pa Phìn Primary and Junior Secondary School in the mountainous northern province of Điện Biên, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm said that in recent years, despite many difficulties, the Party and State have paid great attention to border areas.

The Party has always identified education as the nation's top policy priority and a key driving force for the country's sustainable development, according to Party General Secretary Tô Lâm.

Speaking on Sunday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Si Pa Phìn Primary and Junior Secondary School in the mountainous northern province of Điện Biên, Lâm said that in recent years, the Party and State have paid great attention to border areas.

However, there is still a shortage of schools, especially inter-level boarding schools in the border communes, resulting in many limitations for students and their learning conditions.

The Si Pa Phìn School is the first project implemented under the Politburo’s new policy on building 248 primary and junior secondary boarding schools in border communes.

Điện Biên is a border province with a particularly important strategic position. With 19 ethnic groups living together, life remains difficult and transportation is limited.

Projects for students’ futures

Construction on the Si Pa Phìn School will take place this year and into next year. The Điện Biên Department of Education and Training is the main investor with a total investment of VNĐ220 billion (US$8.4 million) from the financial support of Hà Nội and contribution from other legal sources.

This is a crucial, large-scale and modern educational project with 31 classrooms, dormitories, a multi-purpose hall, library, sports ground and swimming pool, meeting the learning and living needs of more than 1,000 students who mostly belong to local ethnic groups.

The project will not only improve students' learning conditions, but will also contribute to preserving their cultural identity, creating a source of future workers for the area as well as strengthening national defence and security in border areas.

The Party General Secretary said that the policy of building 248 boarding schools holds profound humanistic significance, demonstrating the special concern of the Party and State for people in remote and disadvantaged areas, particularly near the border.

Building schools is not only meant to provide children with better learning conditions, but also aims to achieve the long-term goals of improving the quality of life for people along the border and preserving the nation's territorial sovereignty by helping the people and the communities in remote border areas.

In order for the Si Pa Phìn School project to be completed quickly, Lâm asked the provincial Party Committee, the People's Committee and Si Pa Phìn Commune to resolutely take action, considering it a particularly important political task which must be done fast and effectively.

Authorities must ensure the construction of infrastructure and capital disbursement take place on schedule, while creating the most favourable conditions for teaching units in the future.

"This is a project of the people's hearts. For the future of our children, it must not be delayed," the Party leader said.

Lâm requested that the design, construction, consulting and supervision units carry out the work with all their heart and with the highest sense of responsibility.

They should consider it not only a construction project, but also a repository to entrust the dreams of local residents.

All involved must ensure the quality of the project, labour safety and aesthetics worthy of being a model school in the border area.

The Si Pa Phìn Commune needs to encourage local residents to send their children to school regularly by creating the right conditions for students to learn well.

Teaching literacy must go hand in hand with teaching morality and love for the homeland, Lâm said.

Relevant units should urgently complete mechanisms and regulations for a comprehensive, green, clean, beautiful and friendly educational environment.

They must also set up a team of long-term, capable and dedicated teachers for the students.

With the determination of the entire political system, the consensus of the people, and especially the affection and responsibility of teachers in the border areas, the Party General Secretary said he believes that the 248 boarding schools will be successfully built so that every child in remote mountainous areas will have the opportunity to study, develop and achieve a bright future.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Secretary of the Điện Biên Provincial Party Committee Trần Quốc Cường said that with the close direction of the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly and the Government, along with the efforts of the entire political system and people from all ethnic groups in the province, Điện Biên has seen many results in socio-economic development, ensuring national defence and security as well as improving people's lives, including in education and training.

He confirmed that the province would closely coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure the project was implemented on schedule safely and to a high standard, and that it would soon open for use.

At the same time, the province will arrange a team of dedicated and responsible managers and teachers so that the school can truly become a place to nurture knowledge and dreams for future generations, especially students from ethnic groups in remote mountainous border areas.