Digital transformation to innovate education and training more effectively

PV:Dear Comrade, on November 19, 2021, the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 03-NQ/TU on "Improving the quality of comprehensive education in Nghe An province, period 2021 - 2025, orientation to 2030". Could you tell us about the urgency of this Resolution?

Prof. Dr. Thai Van Thanh:The first thing that needs to be affirmed is that the education and training sector has always been of interest to the leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and Provincial People's Committee; education is considered the top national policy, and education has become a "specialty" of Nghe An.

On the other hand, in response to the requirement of fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training in the spirit of Resolution No. 29 of the Party Central Committee and Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, it is necessary to create a breakthrough in educational innovation, create a new step, differentiated innovation, create motivation to promote and improve the quality of human resources; have mechanisms and policies to promote breakthroughs to implement Resolution No. 29 in the new context. The period of the 4th industrial revolution anddigital transformation policyThe current strong development is also changing the goals, content and methods of education. Nghe An has been implementing Resolution No. 26 of the Politburo, which requires leading and leading in education and training. At the same time, the development of the province also requires improving the quality of human resources and the competitiveness of the province in the new context.

Resolution No. 03-NQ/TU on "Improving the quality of comprehensive education in Nghe An province".

The Provincial Party Committee issued this resolution also aiming to create the foundation and opportunities for developing education in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; creating equality in access to modern education for students in mountainous and ethnic minority areas. Nghe An is a province with the top quality of education in the country, however, the overall quality still has limitations that need to be overcome.

PV:Could you please tell us the important and core issues of Resolution No. 03/NQ-TU?

Prof. Dr. Thai Van Thanh:The first core of mechanisms and policies to create motivation and promotioninnovation in education, forming creative startup centers. In particular, the mechanism to promote creative startup ideas of students while still in school; the mechanism to promote the improvement of the quality of education in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, to shorten the educational gap between the three regions: mountainous, plain and city, ensuring the quality of human resources of the province and each locality. That is the mechanism and policy to promote the autonomy and creativity of educational institutions as well as the teaching staff in implementing Resolution No. 29 of the Central Executive Committee of the Party, Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress on education and training.

Students practice at Thanh Mai Secondary School (Thanh Chuong). Photo: Mai Hoa

Along with the mechanism is the policy and orientation to strongly promote digital transformation closely associated with administrative reform to promote democracy, publicity and transparency in education and training activities. Digital transformation changes the way education and training operate, helping educational institutions innovate school management, innovate teaching and learning, innovate testing and student assessment according to the qualities and abilities of learners; ensure supervision of the actual teaching and learning process, towards real learning, real testing and real quality; create a close connection between schools, families and communities in educating students.

Another core and central issue is to build and improve the quality of teachers and managers through training and fostering of theoretical knowledge, ethics, expertise and professional skills, meeting the requirements of fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training. Promote the responsibility of heads of educational institutions, create strong changes in innovation in educational management and school governance; promote the exemplary role of teachers.

Resolution No. 03 of the Provincial Party Committee also requires strengthening the role of Party committees, authorities, and organizations in the political system. Based on the orientation and direction of the province, Party committees and organizations need to issue resolutions and plans to implement educational strategies in their localities to direct educational institutions to implement synchronously, and at the same time, direct political and social agencies and organizations based on their functions and tasks to coordinate with the Education and Training sector to effectively implement the resolution in their localities.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long and Director of the Department of Education and Training Thai Van Thanh visit an English class of ethnic minority students in Ky Son district. Photo: My Ha

PV:Up to now, it has been almost 1 year since the implementation of Resolution No. 03 of the Provincial Party Committee. Can you share how the resolution has been put into practice?

Prof. Dr. Thai Van Thanh:Implementing Resolution No. 03 of the Provincial Party Committee, on the basis of proactiveness and positivity, the Department of Education and Training has advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue a Decision approving the strategy for sustainable development of education and training in Nghe An to 2030 and vision to 2045; advised the Provincial People's Committee to develop a project on developing education in mountainous areas of Nghe An province to 2025, vision to 2030; deploying the construction of new models of boarding primary and secondary schools; piloting boarding high schools in Que Phong and Ky Son districts. The Department has advised the province to have mechanisms and policies to continue to vigorously implement the Project "Improving the quality of teaching and learning Foreign Languages ​​and Information Technology", thereby accelerating the improvement of the quality of Foreign Languages ​​and Information Technology for Nghe An high school students to meet international standards.

To ensure the comprehensive and sustainable development of the quality of education in Nghe An, the Department of Education and Training has also advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue a plan for physical education in general education institutions in the province. The Party Committee of the Department of Education and Training issued two thematic resolutions to focus on leadership and direction, including a resolution on ensuring the quality of general education in Nghe An province, period 2021 - 2025 and vision to 2030 and a resolution on digital transformation in the Education - Training sector to 2025, orientation to 2030.

Application of information technology in online teaching at Bach Lieu Secondary School (Yen Thanh). Photo: Mai Hoa

Along with advising and proactively issuing decisions, projects, and plans, the Department has also drastically implemented many solutions to improve the quality of comprehensive education. In the 2022 graduation exam results, Nghe An ranked 20th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide, up 14 places compared to the 2021 exam.

PV:Currently, public opinion is wondering whether Nghe An is still a “land of learning” when in recent years, the province has had the highest rate of exported labor and the highest number of unregistered university candidates in the country. What do you think about this issue?

Prof. Dr. Thai Van Thanh:It must be affirmed that Nghe An is still a province withtradition of learning. Nghe An children always have the desire to contribute and strive to become talented in all areas of social life and rely on learning to establish themselves, build a career, and make worthy contributions to the development of the country and their homeland. That desire to learn is always promoted. This is shown in national and international competitions that always rank first in the country; one must be studious, diligent, and study hard to achieve this. On the other hand, in all creative startup competitions among students, the Road to Olympia competitions, "Youth learning and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and style", Traffic school competitions, etc., Nghe An students always win prizes, demonstrating their studiousness, research, and understanding in all aspects.

Prof. Dr. Thai Van Thanh - Director of Department of Education and Training.

Nowadays, the love of learning is nurtured and developed in a new form, suitable for the new context. Studying is not only to enter university, but now the path to self-development and career development for young people is wide open; learning a trade to gain skills, change, improve, apply technology and explore, create in labor, production, create wealth and material for family and society also shows the love of learning. The current problem for general education is to create a good foundation and quality so that young people can participate in all fields of social work, promote their intelligence and creativity, contributing to improving the quality of human resources for society.

PV:Thank you comrade!