Maintain stability and improve the quality of comprehensive education

(Baonghean) - The 2013-2014 school year ended with many echoes of laurel wreaths, of valedictorians and salutatorians of "village schools", of mountainous classes with university entrance rates of up to 90%.Preparing for the new school year, Nghe An Newspaper interviewed Comrade Nguyen Thi Kim Chi - Provincial Party Committee member, Director of Nghe An Department of Education and Training about improving the quality of comprehensive education.

Students of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted at the school festival of the 2013-2014 school year.

Reporter: Dear comrade, the 2013-2014 school year is considered a pivotal year to implement the goal of fundamental and comprehensive educational innovation according to the Resolution of the 11th Party Congress and the Resolution of the 17th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress. What innovations has the Nghe An Education Sector made in the past year to improve the quality of education in the entire sector?

Comrade Nguyen Thi Kim Chi:In the 2013-2014 school year, with the motto of "maintaining stability to gradually improve the quality of comprehensive education", the Education and Training sector has made many innovations in its direction and management. Specifically, focusing on 4 main issues, which are: Synchronously implementing solutions to improve the quality of all fields and levels of education. In particular, for Preschool Education, along with actively popularizing preschool education for 5-year-old children, schools have implemented the Development Standards for 5-year-old children in preschool education institutions with 518 schools and 1,789 classes participating, reaching a rate of 100%. For General Education, directing schools to implement education plans in a flexible manner suitable to local conditions; Continue to effectively implement the innovation of the program, innovation of teaching methods and testing, student and school assessment, innovation of examinations towards a national exam in 2015. The primary level has shifted from assessment by scores to assessment by comments to encourage and motivate students to excel in their studies and training. Implement teaching Vietnamese for grade 1 using educational technology at 232 primary schools with 23,000 students participating, equal to 1/8 of the whole country, achieving good results. At the secondary and high school levels, effectively implement teaching methods based on integrated topics, applying interdisciplinary knowledge to solve practical situations for high school students...

In addition, the education sector has strengthened the quality assessment of education in all fields and levels. Self-assessment and external assessment of educational institutions have become key tasks in the process of reforming education management. On the basis of the consolidated general quality, schools have actively implemented the work of fostering excellent students, tutoring, supporting and helping weak students right from the beginning of the school year to continue to reduce the rate of weak students, increase the rate of good and excellent students, and improve general quality. Actively advise the Provincial People's Council and People's Committee to issue a number of new mechanisms, policies and solutions to serve the development of the sector.

Reporter: In the 2013-2014 school year, Nghe An Education achieved many outstanding results. Could you please tell us specifically and explain why in the last school year, many Valedictorians and Salutatorians came from schools in mountainous, remote areas. Was that a “temporary” thing?

Comrade Nguyen Thi Kim Chi:In addition to the outstanding results in the national excellent student exams, regional and international Olympic exams, and university entrance exams, another very proud achievement in the 2013-2014 school year, the whole sector has overcome many difficulties and challenges to improve the quality of comprehensive education. That is actively implementing universal preschool education for 5-year-old children, firmly consolidating the quality of universal education at all levels of general education. Education quality assessment activities have begun to be put into practice, contributing to creating changes in school activities. Exams in the sector are implemented seriously, safely, in accordance with regulations, reflecting the quality of education, creating trust in the sector and in society. The work of building a team of teachers and managers has been given attention and investment; the training of staff and teachers (especially foreign language teachers) has been taken care of, the rate of teachers meeting and exceeding training standards has been raised; The organization of assessment and classification of cadres and teachers according to professional standards has been actively and resolutely implemented; policies for teachers and managers have been fully implemented. A number of new mechanisms, policies and solutions have been developed to serve the development of the sector; During the school year, nearly 180 billion VND was mobilized to consolidate and enhance school facilities and equipment...

One thing worth mentioning is that in the past school year, many Valedictorian and Salutatorian students came from schools in mountainous and remote areas. This was not a "temporary" thing but an inevitable result. Because, for many years, schools have implemented synchronous solutions to care for the quality of education, paying due attention to both the general quality and the spearhead of excellent students. With a team of teachers with basic training and dedication, and increasingly spacious school facilities, many schools in remote and mountainous areas have affirmed that the quality of education is on par with schools in favorable areas. On the other hand, many students in remote and mountainous areas, in addition to good qualities, also have strong determination and overcome difficulties, so it is understandable that they won the position of Valedictorian and Salutatorian.

Reporter: The 17th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress is entering the "final" stage. Besides the achievements, the education sector still faces many difficulties and challenges, many congress targets are difficult to complete such as universal education for children under 5 years old, building national standard schools... So, in the coming years, how will the education sector direct to achieve these goals?

Comrade Nguyen Thi Kim Chi:In the 2014-2015 school year, striving to complete the targets of the Resolution of the 17th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress on Education and Training is identified as one of the key tasks of the entire sector. To complete this extremely difficult task, we focus on implementing the following directive measures:

Regarding the task of universalizing preschool education for 5-year-old children: The Departments of Education and Training advise the People's Committees at the district level to focus resources to strive to achieve universalization standards for 5-year-old children: Prioritize funding to eliminate temporary and borrowed classrooms; arrange enough teachers for 5-year-old kindergarten classes. Regarding the task of building schools that meet national standards, school principals develop projects and clearly outline the roadmap to strive for schools to meet standards. Focus on building a team of teachers, improving the quality of education, meeting the requirements of schools that meet national standards. In addition, call on localities to include the task of building schools that meet national standards in the annual socio-economic development targets, as a target in new rural construction, integrate the task of building schools that meet national standards into programs and projects in the area; mobilize resources to build standard school facilities.

The Department of Education and Training will also actively advise the People's Committee to issue stimulus policies specifically for the task of building facilities to achieve the target of 65% of schools meeting national standards by 2015.

Reporter: The 2014-2015 school year is still a year of promise for many innovations in the education sector from the ministry to the local level. Could you please elaborate on the key solutions and tasks of this school year?

Comrade Nguyen Thi Kim Chi:The 2014-2015 school year is a school year associated with a special time. It is the school year to implement Resolution 26 of the Politburo on economic, political and social development of Nghe An province, in which the goal is for Nghe An to become the center of education and training in the North Central region. It is the school year to implement the Action Plan to implement Resolution 29 of the Politburo on fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training. The school year must complete the targets and tasks that the 17th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress has set for the province's education sector and prepare to build targets for the next congress term. This is also the last year of the budget cycle, so it is necessary to review, calculate and advise on resources for the entire cycle with a long-term plan to carry out the province's educational tasks.

With such a heavy task, the Nghe An Education sector will promote the achievements, draw lessons, and be determined to build a united and unanimous leadership, call for the unanimous efforts of all cadres, teachers, and employees of the entire sector, and build the Nghe An Education and Training sector to develop in a stable and sustainable manner. In conjunction with the comprehensive fundamental innovation of education to implement Resolution 29, the leaders of the Nghe An Education sector will direct the innovation process in conjunction with political tasks, the education of all people, along with the participation of scientists and researchers, to have a multi-dimensional view, with critical thinking to perform well the educational tasks in the new period. Continue to focus on 4 key tasks on education and training management, on organizing educational activities, developing the team of teachers and managers, increasing investment resources and educational financial mechanisms. Try to mobilize all resources to complete the targets according to the Resolution of the 17th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress, term 2010 - 2015.

PV: Thank you, comrade!

My Ha(Perform)