Organizing a National Workshop on developing a system of community learning centers in Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of December 15, in Nghe An, the Committee on Education and Human Resources Development, under the National Council for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Enhancement, organized a workshop on "Developing a system of community learning centers: Current status and innovation orientation".
Attending the workshop were Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong, representatives of relevant ministries, departments, branches and universities and colleges across the country.
On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrade Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Thai Van Thanh - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee - Director of the Department of Education and Training.
In his welcoming speech at the workshop, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long gave an overview of the economic, cultural, social situation and the tradition of studiousness of Nghe An province. In recent years, the province has persistently implemented innovation in management, improved the quality of education and training, nurtured young talents, focused on implementing the new general education program, and innovated the content, programs and methods of education towards modernity and integration.
Through this workshop, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee Bui Dinh Long hopes to make important contributions to help provinces across the country orient community learning centers to operate effectively, contributing to building a learning society, successfully implementing Resolution 29 of the Central Committee on fundamental innovation in education and training; Education Law 2019 contributes to developing learners' qualities and capacities to meet the requirements of economic and social development, the fourth industrial revolution and international integration.
Previously, Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW, dated November 4, 2013 of the 11th Party Central Committee on “fundamental and comprehensive innovation of education to meet the requirements of industrialization, modernization and international integration” clearly stated the goal of continuing education to ensure opportunities for everyone, especially in rural areas, disadvantaged areas, and policy beneficiaries to study and improve their knowledge, qualifications, professional skills and quality of life; create favorable conditions for workers to change jobs; ensure sustainable illiteracy eradication; perfect the network of continuing education facilities and diverse and flexible forms of learning and practice, focusing on self-study and distance education. These goals have been achieved, meaning that Vietnam has achieved the Sustainable Development Goals that it has registered and committed to internationally.
Currently, the whole country has more than 10,000community learning center. The system of centers is a network of continuing education facilities, contributing to promoting a learning society from the grassroots. Through the form of continuing education, hundreds of millions of people have studied in the form of continuing education without aiming to obtain diplomas or certificates of the national education system.
With the important role of community learning centers, at the workshop, representatives of the units shared their experiences in the process of practical implementation from the grassroots level. In addition, they analyzed the difficulties and limitations. Opinions also revolved around the issue of mechanisms, development policies, training and human resource development for the operation and implementation of the centers in the locality.
Concluding the workshop, Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong once again affirmed the important role of community learning centers. Therefore, in the coming time, policies on investment and development of the community learning center system need to be issued to ensure sufficient resources in terms of facilities, human resources and funding for regular activities...
The Deputy Minister of Education and Training also requested the Department of Continuing Education to continue to proactively advise on raising awareness of the position, role, mission, and nature of community learning centers at all levels from the central to local levels; advise the Ministry to submit to the Government and participate in promulgating a system of legal documents as a basis for building a new model and developing a system of centers nationwide to operate effectively.
After this workshop, it is also necessary to study and absorb the opinions of experts and delegates to advise on the development of a system of centers with the orientation of improving capacity and operational efficiency to provide continuing education programs to meet the lifelong learning needs of the people, contributing to building a learning society from the grassroots.
In December 2002, the first Community Learning Center in Nghe An was established in Quynh Thanh commune, Quynh Luu district.
Up to now, after more than 20 years, the whole province has 439 community learning centers/460 communes, wards and towns. In particular, Ky Son district has 21 centers/21 communes and towns that were dissolved in 2019 due to ineffective operations.
In recent years, the province has developed a number of pilot models of community learning centers and has brought about clear results such as: the "Intellectual House" model in Thanh Chuong and Yen Thanh districts; the "Community Foreign Language Club" model in Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district; the model of mobilizing foreign language centers and life skills centers to support educational institutions in remote, isolated and disadvantaged areas in terms of facilities, teacher training and free teaching for students; the "Multi-purpose Community House" model (with people voluntarily building facilities, or calling on a number of retired officials, civil servants and artisans to support).
