Don't just "act for fun"!

(Baonghean) - Building a learning society and lifelong learning are two strategically important contents of the most important activities of promoting learning. Without creating a learning society, there can be no lifelong learning and vice versa. The goal and ambition of building a lifelong learning society has awakened the seemingly abandoned interest of those who worry about a less prosperous future.

Dear readers, when it comes to learning, we are touching the most sacred and important things of every community and every era. History has recorded in a seamless and respectful way how many wise men quietly laid the foundation for the ideas of encouraging learning so that until today it remains intact with a vitality that is not only strong but also eternal.

The 9th National Congress of the Party (2001) affirmed: We must create conditions for all people to study in the formal or informal system, building the whole country into a learning society. That spirit was expressed more clearly, fully and strongly in the 10th National Congress of the Party: "Gradually shift the current education model to an open education model - a learning society model". The 11th National Congress of the Party continued to point out: "Promote the building of a learning society, create opportunities and conditions for all citizens to study for life". However, in the journey of bringing the resolution's policy into life with many expansions and explorations, in addition to the achievements that have been recognized, there are still things that we could have done better, of which building communal-level community learning centers is an example.

According to UNESCO, a community learning center is a non-formal educational facility of a commune, ward or town, established and managed by the community to improve the quality of life of the people and develop the community through creating opportunities as well as encouraging the spirit and ability of lifelong learning of the people.

After a long period of applying pilot models, in 2005, the Prime Minister signed Decision 112/2005/QD-TTg with the goal that by 2010, 80% of communes, wards and towns would have community learning centers. The strong growth in quantity even pushed this goal two years ahead of schedule with tens of thousands of community learning centers being "sealed"! The Government's efforts in "nurturing" these centers to "grow up" cannot be ignored. According to Circular 96/2008/BTC dated October 27, 2008 of the Ministry of Finance, each established center will be supported from 20 to 30 million VND depending on the area. The regulations on organization and operation of the center issued under Decision 09/2008/QD/BGDDT also clarified the position, functions, tasks, facilities, finance, management... of the community learning center. The document also clearly stated: "The staff of the community learning center are arranged to hold concurrent positions" and especially: "Enjoy allowances from the State's support fund." Not stopping there, in order to increase responsibility, or in a colloquial way of speaking, "increase prestige" for the center, in terms of personnel, the following regulations also "installed" the vice chairman of the commune People's Committee in the position of director! Many models have affirmed their superiority. Many centers have built specific, suitable programs and brought about practical results such as training in production techniques, eliminating illiteracy and universalizing primary education, organizing current affairs talks, consulting on labor export, coordinating vocational training classes, teaching information technology, foreign languages ​​for the community...

The most regrettable thing is still the exhaustion of many centers. The situation of commune authorities "forgetting" community learning centers is no longer "rare". As the deputy director of a center said, it is "quite a lot"! Ten out of ten center staff hold concurrent positions, their professionalism and ability to understand the problem are limited, so they can only devote time and effort to the center when... in the mood or when there is an inspection team, which is also lucky. Regarding the physical facilities, it is also called a center, and has a board of directors like everyone else, but the "headquarters" is called "borrowing the hall". Necessity is the mother of invention, that's why a commune has created a sign printed on both sides, when the "loose side" uses it for a conference, it is turned to "meeting room number 1" but when the "upper side" has "a superior coming back", it is returned to "Community Learning Center"? Up to now, the easy-to-see but hard-to-say reality of these Community Learning Centers is like, how many percent are healthy, how many percent are “just for fun”, and how many percent “the signboard is gone” is probably known by many people. The communes know better than anyone.

At one time, we had a very good and effective "learning promotion gong" that had nothing to do with money... but at that time, it seemed like there were no centers! Building a lifelong learning society is a noble and humane goal. But at this point, perhaps we have to try very hard to imagine a society where everyone goes to school for the rest of their lives. Can we build it? Of course, if we have the right methods and responsibilities.

Looking back, a number of effective Community Learning Centers have been associated with a team of dedicated staff. However, dedication seems to be something that is not unlimited. Once the center has been established, please do not let the center fall into a state of “closure”!

Nguyen Khac An