Promoting the role of community learning centers

(Baonghean) - In addition to disseminating and advising the Party's policies and the State's laws to the people, the activities of the Community Learning Center aim to create favorable conditions for everyone to acquire knowledge and experience in production and life. There are still many issues to discuss on how to improve the effectiveness of community learning centers...

Teaching embroidery at Nam Thanh Commune Community Training Center (Nam Dan).

Point models

Coming to Nghi Lien Commune Community Center (Vinh City) when there is a nutrition practice course for mothers and children. The students attentively listen to the staff of the City Health Center presenting knowledge about nutrition, how to organize family meals... Ms. Dau Thi Nga in Hamlet 4, Nghi Lien Commune shared: "I am a farmer who works all year round, I do not have the conditions to read books, learn about nutrition practices, so I find this class very useful. The class not only provides nutritional knowledge but also motivates me to study and learn more about social knowledge".

Established in September 2004, Nghi Lien Commune Community Learning Center is considered one of the most disciplined and effective units in the province. Based on the local political situation and tasks, the Board of Directors of the Community Learning Center has proactively developed a plan to coordinate with relevant organizations to open training courses that meet the needs of the people. On average, each year the center organizes over 60 courses, attracting over 5,000 students to study in 4 thematic groups, focusing on 2 main groups: studying resolutions, guidelines, policies and popularizing science and technology. In 2013, the commune Community Learning Center organized 68 courses, attracting 6,850 students to participate, focusing on popularizing science and technology in growing vegetables, flowers, and caring for ornamental plants. In addition, the Community Learning Center also coordinates with the Health Station to open classes on disease prevention and control; Coordinate with the Elderly Association to organize health care classes; coordinate with the Women's Association to organize nutrition practice classes for mothers and children, educate skills in raising and teaching children under 16 years old; coordinate with the Youth Union to organize dance classes for teenagers...

The activities of the Community Learning Center have contributed to improving the economic, cultural and spiritual life of the people in the commune, contributing to the construction of a new countryside. Mr. Nguyen Huy Lien - Chairman of the Association for Promotion of Education, Permanent Deputy Director of the Community Learning Center of Nghi Lien commune said: "The reason why the Community Learning Center operates effectively is due to the correct awareness of the leaders of the Party Committee, the People's Committee of the commune and departments, branches and organizations about the role and functions of the center, thereby actively coordinating in investigating and surveying the learning needs of the people and organizing classes. In addition to the regular operating expenses of the center paid by the District Education and Training Department, every year, the People's Committee of the commune also allocates a budget of 10 - 15 million VND to support the Center in paying remuneration for reporters, guides, and printing documents"...

To carry out the economic restructuring in agricultural production, enhance vocational training, and create jobs, the Party Committee and People's Committee of Dien Trung Commune (Dien Chau) focus on directing the activities of the Community Training Center (established in 2003) to bring knowledge, science and technology to households, serving the socio-economic development programs of the commune. Every year, the center has deployed dozens of specialized classes on laws, guidelines and policies of the Party and State, specialized topics on transferring science and technology, knowledge, improving the quality of life, especially the Land Law, the Law on Complaints and Denunciations, population policy... and issues related to farming and livestock; organizing experimental production and livestock farming sessions.

In the 2013 school year, Dien Trung Community Learning Center opened 32 classes with more than 3,600 participants, with 4 groups of topics on current events, policies and laws of the Party and State, transfer of science and technology, knowledge to improve the quality of life and topics on education. In addition, in coordination with the VietGAP clean livestock program, officials of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development were invited to open 7 more classes on knowledge of raising chickens and pigs, 1 class on aquaculture, 2 classes on spring and winter crop production. From these classes, many examples of good economic performance have emerged, typically Mr. Ngo Dai's family with an industrial shrimp farming model, Mr. Nguyen Hoang's family with a VAC model earning hundreds of millions of VND/year. For 2 consecutive years (2012, 2013), Dien Trung Community Learning Center was classified as good by the Department of Education and Training and awarded a certificate of merit by the District People's Committee.

From 1 Community Learning Center in Quynh Thanh commune (Quynh Luu) established in December 2002, by 2012 there were 480 communes, wards and towns with Community Learning Centers, reaching 100%. Many Community Learning Centers operate effectively, contributing to improving people's knowledge, improving the quality of life, contributing to the economic and social development in the locality, typically Nghi Lien, Hung Hoa (Vinh City), Hung Tan, Hung Tay (Hung Nguyen), Nghi Lam (Nghi Loc), Nghi Thu, Nghi Hai (Cua Lo Town), Dien Trung, Dien Van (Dien Chau), Ngoc Son, Quynh Dien (Quynh Luu), Hoa Son (Do Luong), Thanh Hung (Thanh Chuong), ...

Difficulties to be resolved

It is undeniable that the establishment of community learning centers in communes, wards and towns has created a learning society. However, in reality, some community learning centers have not yet promoted the effectiveness, benefits and significance of this model. This comes from many difficulties and problems, especially difficulties in funding and facilities.

According to Decision No. 2434/QD.UB – VX dated July 1, 2004, newly established centers are supported with 15 million VND; and from 2008, according to Circular No. 96/2008/TT-BTC dated October 27, 2008 of the Ministry of Finance on state budget support for community learning centers, newly established centers are supported with 30 million VND. Regarding regular operating expenses, according to Circular No. 40/2010/TT-BGDT dated December 30, 2010 of the Ministry of Education and Training, the finances of community learning centers include state budget support and funds mobilized from other sources, including sponsorship from individuals and socio-economic organizations. However, the operating budget of the Community Learning Centers is still limited, mainly relying on the State's support according to Circular 96 of the Ministry of Finance, but only in communes in regions I, II, III (region I is 20 million VND/year, regions II, III is 25 million VND/year); the remaining communes, wards, towns in cities, towns, rural areas, coastal areas are not supported from the state budget, so the province must allocate a support budget for each center from 5 million VND (in 2008) to 10 million VND (in 2012) according to Decision 3779/QD-UBND-VX dated August 3, 2009 of the Provincial People's Committee regulating the level of regular support for Community Learning Centers.

Mr. Bui Van Toan - an expert from the Department of Continuing Education (Department of Education and Training) said: "Currently, most of the community learning centers do not have their own headquarters, so they have to "borrow" functional rooms of the People's Committee of the commune, schools or operate in conjunction with the commune cultural house. According to the criteria for evaluating and classifying community learning centers issued in Decision No. 390/QD-SGD-DT dated March 8, 2007 of the Department of Education and Training, a community learning center must have a hall, tables and chairs, speakers, televisions, computers, projectors, libraries and some other teaching equipment. However, most of the centers lack equipment such as computers, projectors, and lack of documents for training, fostering, and training by topic... On the other hand, the human resources of the community learning centers currently still have many shortcomings. Currently, in all community learning centers in the province, the leaders of the centers are commune officials, and the leaders of the schools work part-time. responsibility, so they are not dedicated and closely follow the activities of the center. According to Circular 40 of the Ministry of Education and Training, each commune, ward, and town must assign a primary or secondary school teacher to work full-time at the community learning center. However, currently, the whole province has only 330/480 (accounting for 69%) of the community learning centers with full-time teachers.

In addition, the awareness of local Party committees and authorities about community learning centers is still limited, leading to loose direction, making it difficult to build a coordination mechanism, integrating with programs and projects in the area to utilize funding sources and organize activities effectively. According to the assessment of the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, up to now, only about 30% of community learning centers are operating effectively, the rest are operating at a low level.

The project “Building a learning society in Nghe An in the period of 2012 - 2020” sets the goal: “Improving the operational efficiency and sustainable development of community learning centers in communes, wards and towns, of which 40% of centers will operate effectively by 2015 and 70% by 2020”. To further improve the efficiency of community learning centers, party committees at all levels need to strengthen the dissemination of Directive No. 20/CT-TU dated February 23, 2003 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on strengthening the leadership, building and developing community learning centers in wards, communes and towns, proposing measures to continue directing in the new situation; including the content of activities of community learning centers in the congress resolutions and the annual leadership and direction tasks of the party committees of communes, wards and towns. Local authorities need to have a mechanism to support operating costs for community learning centers; Strengthen coordination and integration of activities of the Community Learning Centers with programs and projects on agricultural, forestry, and industrial extension... in the area. In which, the Community Learning Center plays the role of a coordinating unit for agencies and units in the area to propagate and transfer knowledge and experience in production... to the right beneficiaries.

Minh Quan