History of November 20th - Vietnamese Teachers' Day

The history of November 20th - Vietnamese Teachers' Day - spans 32 years. November 20th, 1982, marked the first solemn celebration of Vietnamese Teachers' Day throughout the country.

In January 1946, an international organization of progressive teachers was founded in Paris (the capital of France) under the name FISE (Féderation International Syndicale des Enseignants - International Federation of Teachers' Unions). In 1949, at the Warsaw International Conference (Varsovie - the capital of Poland), FISE drafted a "Charter of Teachers" consisting of 15 chapters. Its main content focused on fighting against bourgeois and feudal education; building a progressive education system; and protecting the legitimate material and spiritual rights of the teaching profession and teachers.

During the years of resistance against French colonial aggression, the Vietnam Education Union maintained relations with FISE with the aim of leveraging international forums to denounce the criminal schemes of the imperialist aggressors against our people, as well as against teachers and students. At the same time, it aimed to showcase the achievements of revolutionary education and garner the sympathy and support of teachers worldwide for our people's just resistance struggle.

In the spring of 1953, the Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Minister of National Education Nguyen Khanh Toan, attended an important conference in Vienna (the capital of Austria) to admit the education trade unions of several countries into the FISE organization, including the Vietnam Education Trade Union. Shortly after its establishment (July 22, 1951), the Vietnam Education Trade Union was admitted as a member of FISE.

From August 26th to 30th, 1957, in Warsaw, the FISE Conference, attended by 57 countries including the Vietnam Education Union, decided to designate November 20th as the International Day of the Charter of Teachers.

The first "International Teachers' Charter Day" was celebrated throughout North Vietnam on November 20, 1958. In subsequent years, the November 20th holiday was also celebrated in liberated areas of South Vietnam.

This is a traditional day in the education sector to honor those who work in the field of nurturing future generations. (Illustrative image)

Every year, to commemorate the historic day of November 20th, the education subcommittee publishes and distributes special journals to encourage the fighting spirit of teachers in the temporarily occupied areas in particular, and to motivate the spirit of enduring hardship and sacrifice of resistance teachers in general.

On April 30, 1975, after the reunification of the country, the national education system was unified. The Vietnamese education community united in building an education system oriented towards socialism as envisioned by the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Following a proposal from the Ministry of Education, on September 28, 1982, the Council of Ministers (now the Government) issued Decision No. 167-HĐBT on Vietnamese Teachers' Day. This decision included a provision designating November 20th as Vietnamese Teachers' Day.

November 20, 1982, marked the first solemn celebration of Vietnamese Teachers' Day throughout the country. Since then, this has been a traditional day for the education sector to honor those who dedicate themselves to nurturing future generations.

According to nguoiduatin.vn