Full text of the Prime Minister's speech at the meeting on the occasion of Vietnam Teachers' Day November 20

Dear comrades and teachers,

In the exciting atmosphere of the whole country looking towardsVietnamese Teachers' Day November 20With all my affection and deep gratitude, on behalf of the Government, I would like to send my respectful greetings, warm regards and best wishes to generations of teachers across the country.

Today, I am very pleased to welcome 60 outstanding teachers representing the team of educational administrators and teachers across the country. The teachers have many outstanding achievements in the education and training career, are people who converge intellectual qualities, dedication, responsibility and love for the career of cultivating people, are "beautiful flowers in the beautiful flower forest". On behalf of the Party and State leaders and with the personal feelings of a person who used to be a parent, a student and a teacher, I would like to express my deepest and most sincere thanks to generations of teachers across the country, those who shoulder a very important career, in the most noble profession of cultivating people.

Dear teachers!

Since ancient times our fathers have said:

“My child, remember these words.

"Don't forget your father's grace, mother's love, and teacher's work"

good

"If you want to go across, build the Kieu bridge.

If you want your children to be good at reading and writing, you must love their teachers.

That fine tradition has been continued through generations, shining in every era, and is a lasting source that nurtures the spirit of studiousness and respect for education of our people. During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his great and profound understanding, aspiration and vision of education. “I have only one desire, the utmost desire, which is to make sure that... all our people have food to eat, clothes to wear, and education to everyone.” In the petition of the Annamese people in 1919, one of the eight basic contents he raised was: Freedom of study, establishment of technical and professional schools in all provinces for the natives. With that thought, he never stopped studying and training all his life. And he himself was also a great teacher of the Vietnamese Revolution, a world cultural celebrity on the path of national liberation and human liberation. He affirmed: “Without teachers, there is no education. Without education, without cadres, there is no talk of economic and cultural development.”

Over the years, our Party and State have always considered "Education as the top national policy". The State has allocated many resources to prioritize investment in developing the education career. Policies focus on comprehensive education reform, with special attention paid to caring for the development of the teaching staff, especially teachers in remote, border and island areas. Despite facing many difficulties, the education and training sector has made great contributions to fostering moral character for the younger generation, helping to develop people, improve people's knowledge, train human resources, and contribute to the socio-economic development of the country, so that our country can have the foundation, potential, position and prestige as it is today. In recent years, Vietnamese education has achieved more and more positive results, affirming its important position even though there is still much work to do and innovation ahead. The quality of education has been increasingly improved at all levels. Some universities have improved their rankings in regional and international rankings. Our students have won many high prizes in international and regional Olympic competitions, demonstrating the intelligence and creativity of the Vietnamese people. These achievements have great contributions from the team of teachers.

Dear teachers!

For nearly 2 years, the Covid-19 epidemic has seriously affected all aspects of social life. Education and training is one of the sectors heavily affected by this pandemic, but this is also a push for us to change management thinking, promote creativity in each individual, family, school and the entire education sector, improve the ability to adapt to new circumstances and is an opportunity to promote digital transformation and innovation in education. Also in the context of the epidemic, teachers of medical schools are always ready to go anywhere to join the whole country in preventing the epidemic. It can be said that in any circumstance, no matter how difficult, the education sector, in which teachers are the core force, has proactively and flexibly switched to online teaching methods and teaching on television. Many teachers have promoted creativity in finding ways to bring lessons and knowledge to students. Especially in the context of the complicated epidemic situation, the industry has organized the implementation of the national high school exam seriously, safely and ensuring the requirements of epidemic prevention, which has been highly appreciated by public opinion. The whole country has recognized the efforts of the entire industry.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, I acknowledge and commend the achievements and efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges of teachers across the country. Teachers have overcome difficulties and challenges so that students' learning is not interrupted - even when the epidemic is at its most intense. Teachers and the education sector have turned risks and challenges into opportunities and motivation for educational innovation. Once again, I would like to share the difficulties and challenges of teachers in the past time, thank you and express gratitude for the efforts, efforts and dedication of teachers, and congratulate teachers and the education sector for successfully completing the dual task!

Dear comrades and teachers!

The Government is always concerned about the negative impacts of the epidemic on people and society, including the education sector, to direct solutions to overcome them. Millions of teachers, especially preschool and non-public teachers, have had their income affected and their lives made difficult by the epidemic. I even know that many teachers have had to do other jobs to make ends meet. Tens of millions of children have not been able to study in person for a long time, affecting their psychology, learning quality, and disrupting the lives of millions of families. Thousands of children have become orphans due to losing their parents in the epidemic... When working with the Ministry of Education and Training, I also directed the Ministry to closely coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to gradually resolve the difficulties and shortcomings of the education sector. In particular, focusing on solving issues related to policies and regimes for teachers, especially non-public preschool teachers, teachers in remote, border and island areas, improving facilities to improve the quality of teaching and learning, innovating textbooks, innovating exams to ensure science, quality and efficiency, having policies to attract talents, enhancing life skills teaching, focusing on improving the efficiency and quality of history, foreign languages, information technology subjects... All of these are to achieve the ultimate goal of human development, training quality human resources for the country, for the cause of cultivating people, serving the two strategic tasks of building and defending the Fatherland. The Ministry of Education and Training needs to have the highest priority mechanism to have teachers who are the most outstanding students to serve the cause of cultivating people.

Currently, we are vigorously implementing fundamental and comprehensive solutions to innovate education and training to improve the quality of education at all levels. The motto is: "Taking students as the center", focusing on developing students' moral character and creativity. To do so, we need to continue to take "school as the foundation", "take teachers as the driving force" to successfully implement the motto "taking students as the center". In that process, the requirement is to "study for real, take real exams, and have real talent".

The 2020-2021 school year marks an important milestone in the development of policy mechanisms, removing bottlenecks, and creating a legal corridor for comprehensive fundamental innovation in education and training according to the requirements of Resolution 29 of the Central Committee. Thereby, creating a change in training quality and facilities, while mobilizing social resources and promoting international integration. Today, I only emphasize a number of issues that the Government needs to resolve soon to create conditions for the education sector to adapt safely, flexibly, and effectively control the epidemic.

First, about online learning.The Government is consistent in its view that children cannot be allowed to study online for too long, and has assigned the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Health to coordinate with localities to come up with plans and solutions to overcome this situation in a careful and certain step-by-step roadmap, but must be done urgently, ensuring safety against the epidemic. Pilot research on combining in-person learning with online learning is based on the epidemic situation in each region and the level of vaccine coverage.

Second, for teachers.The Government continues to request relevant ministries and branches to review support policies for teachers, especially preschool and non-public teachers. In fact, support policies have been implemented, but we need to review, propose appropriate solutions and resolve arising problems. In particular, a very important issue that needs more attention is the honoring of teachers in many more profound and widespread forms so that the whole society is more aware of the role and position of the education sector and the people's teachers. Review the teaching staff in the spirit that wherever there are students, there are teachers, but it must be scientific, reasonable and effective according to the Resolution of the Central Committee.

Third, for students.The Government requests the Ministry of Education and Training to coordinate with relevant ministries, branches and localities to pay more attention to children. In fact, many places have reduced tuition fees for children, but some places have not. Regarding this, I request the Ministry of Education and Training to request educational institutions to review and coordinate with competent agencies and localities to support children and their families, especially in provinces and cities heavily affected by the pandemic. Our goal is to not let any child drop out of school due to the pandemic or circumstances, and not let anyone be left behind in exercising the right to education.

I suggest that the Social Policy Bank promote preferential loan programs for students. At the same time, for children orphaned by Covid-19, relevant ministries and branches need to review and propose policies to care for them in a fundamental, systematic and long-term manner. I know that in the recent past, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Vietnam Women's Union have had policies to support them, but we need to continue to review to see if they are appropriate and stable. If there are any problems, we will continue to resolve them to reduce the pain and take better care of the children. I also hope that teachers pay attention to psychological factors to help children overcome the most difficult period. I also suggest that ministries and branches review and adjust policies for orphans and children in social protection centers.

With parents, I would like to share the difficulties and challenges of the past time and hope that parents, together with the government and schools, will be flexible in resolving the difficulties and creating conditions for the career of educating people to achieve the set goals. We all have to join hands, the more difficult and challenging the more we strive to rise up, overcome, affirm and mature, not being defeated by any difficulties or challenges, this is the priceless tradition of our nation.

Fourth, on equipment conditions for online teaching. With the current epidemic situation, we must develop many plans to respond to the epidemic in teaching and learning. To facilitate online learning for children, especially in rural, remote and isolated areas, I propose that the Ministry of Information and Communications and related ministries and branches continue to upgrade telecommunications infrastructure and support free waves and learning equipment for children, and implement the program "Wave and Computer for Children" more effectively so that children do not have to study online due to lack of conditions. This is also something that many National Assembly deputies were concerned about during the last session.

Uncle Ho once said: “A good teacher - a teacher worthy of being a teacher - is the most glorious person. Even though their names are not published in newspapers, and they are not awarded medals, good teachers are unsung heroes. This is a very glorious thing.” All those working in the education sector are carrying out a very glorious and proud mission. I call on all levels, all sectors, all people, all families, all parents... to join hands with the education sector, with teachers in the career of educating people. Educating people is not the sole work of the education sector or of teachers. Each of us should always be a student to learn continuously, learn for life, learn forever and always be an enthusiastic educator participating in this glorious and noble work.

Regarding the proposals and recommendations at today's meeting, there are contents that I have assigned the agencies to review and handle, there are things that are being done, there are things that have not been done yet, I request the Government Office, the Ministry of Education and Training and relevant agencies to synthesize, report and propose to the Prime Minister and the Government to remove difficulties and obstacles in the spirit of "not saying no, not saying difficult, not saying yes but not doing".

On the occasion of November 20, once again, on behalf of the leaders of the Party, State and Government and with my personal feelings, I would like to send my best wishes to teachers, educational administrators across the country, and foreign teachers teaching in Vietnam. I wish you good health and success in implementing Uncle Ho's teachings: "For the benefit of 10 years, plant trees - For the benefit of a hundred years, educate people".

Thank you very much!