PM calls for greater efforts to fulfill tasks of new school year

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a directive requesting the enhancement of coordination among families, schools, and society in the education of children and students, with a particular focus on preventing school violence, crimes, and social evils among students, and ensuring school security and safety.

In the directive, dated September 4, on enhancing conditions to ensure the effective implementation of tasks for the 2024-2025 academic year, PM Chinh noted that current investment in education has not yet met the demands for innovation, while there remains an uneven distribution of teachers in some areas, a shortage of schools and classrooms in major cities, industrial zones, densely populated areas, and regions with ethnic minorities and with exceptionally difficult socio-economic conditions. The percentage of schools meeting standards, and the rate of solid classrooms remain low in some areas, and the basic infrastructure and teaching equipment are still inadequate.

Therefore, to fulfill tasks set for the new school year, the government leader urged the Ministry of Education and Training to focus on reviewing, amending, supplementing, and perfecting mechanisms and policies, and to submit them to relevant authorities for approval or issue them within its jurisdiction, so as to create a legal framework for further improving the quality of education and training, particularly the quality of teachers, at all educational institutions, both public and private.

It is important to enhance state management responsibilities regarding the selection, provision, and use of textbooks and educational materials at the local level, ensure the full and timely supply of textbooks for the new academic year, and carry out measures to support textbook supply for students living in difficult circumstances, stressed PM Chinh.

He also called for increased investments in infrastructure and equipment to ensure the effective implementation of digital transformation in education and training, and thorough preparations for the organisation of the high school graduation exam.

In addition, the PM asked for the efficient implementation of projects to develop high-quality human resources, especially in the fields of semiconductor, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing; as well as the strengthened direction, inspection, and monitoring of the implementation of policies and laws related to education and training to prevent any violations in this field.

The Ministry of Finance should balance central budget spending for education and training, particularly to support localities in implementing the project to ensure facilities for early childhood and general education for the 2017-2025 period, in accordance with legal regulations, he said.

The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities should continue to review, organise, and arrange educational establishments, adjust class sizes appropriately, reduce small, scattered school facilities, and increase the number of boarding and semi-boarding schools combined with the enhancement of the quality of education and training, PM Chinh said.

The PM also requested the Ministry of Education and Training to direct educational institutions to closely coordinate with the health sector and local authorities to prepare all necessary conditions for proactive prevention and effective response to natural disasters, epidemics, and food poisoning; and ensure adequate conditions for boarding and semi-boarding students.

Attention should be paid to further strengthening and effectively implementing digital transformation in state management over education and training; overseeing, inspecting, and auditing state management activities within the scope of authority and responsibility to ensure compliance, effectiveness, and efficiency, he added.