General Secretary To Lam suggested four key directions for promoting education.

On the afternoon of September 16th, at the Party Central Headquarters, General Secretary To Lam chaired a meeting with the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning.

Also attending the meeting were members of the Politburo and Secretaries of the Central Committee of the Party: Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien, Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department Nguyen Trong Nghia; and members of the Central Committee of the Party: Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long, Chief of the Central Party Office Pham Gia Tuc, and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son.

Let's work together to build a learning society.

Reporting on the activities of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning in the new situation, Professor, Doctor Nguyen Thi Doan - former Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, former Vice President of Vietnam, and President of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning - stated that, established on October 2, 1996, according to Decision No. 122/QD-TTg dated February 29, 1996, of the Prime Minister, the Association has three main tasks: Encouraging and promoting the movement of continuous learning among the people, creating conditions for all citizens to have fairness and equality in learning; supporting teaching and learning activities in the education system from preschool to university through learning models, creating learning opportunities for poor students, encouraging students with good academic achievements, and assisting teachers in difficult circumstances. The association plays a core role in connecting and coordinating with social forces to jointly build a learning society, in which everyone voluntarily learns, learns throughout their lives, and also has the responsibility to help others learn.

Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Doan emphasized that the Association currently has over 27 million members, which is the core force in implementing the tasks assigned by the Party and the State. Those involved in promoting education are all dedicated individuals who understand the role of education and talent promotion, and therefore demonstrate a high sense of responsibility and passion for the cause of nurturing future generations.

The Association has a relatively wide information and communication network; it promptly implements the Politburo's resolutions on education, science, and technology, as well as articles by the General Secretary. This is a new source of vitality, both reminding and encouraging everyone to engage in lifelong learning to serve the country and develop themselves.

The Vietnam Education Promotion Fund and its branches at all levels are formed entirely from social contributions. These funds have awarded scholarships to millions of adults and children with outstanding academic achievements and those who have excelled in their studies, creating opportunities for thousands of underprivileged students to continue their education.

The Association has developed and replicated many learning models: "Learning Family," "Learning Clan," "Learning Community," "Learning Unit"; established family and clan scholarship funds; developed the "Vietnamese Talent" Award model, "Encouraging Learning - Self-Learning to Succeed" and scholarships named after President Ho Chi Minh's teaching "Learning never ends"... These models have contributed to promoting the building of a learning society and fostering a culture of lifelong learning.

After listening to the exchange of opinions from delegates of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning, General Secretary To Lam, speaking at the meeting, acknowledged, commended, and highly appreciated the activities and achievements of the Association for the Promotion of Learning nationwide in recent years. This reflects the dedication and responsibility of the Central Standing Committee of the Association, the organizational system of the Association in all localities, and over 27 million members nationwide.

In light of the new context and demands, the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning needs to continue innovating its methods of operation, making practical contributions to the goal of building a learning society, fostering a learning culture among the entire population, so that every citizen, especially officials and employees in the political system, "dares to think, dares to speak, dares to act, dares to take responsibility, and dares to sacrifice for the common good."

Innovate working methods and stay close to the grassroots.

Looking ahead, the General Secretary suggested four key directions. The Association must affirm that building a learning society and lifelong learning is the foundation for forming a learning nation and an innovative nation, closely linked to the aspiration for rapid and sustainable development of the country.

Promoting education and talent development must be substantive and practical, aiming to improve labor productivity, elevate intellectual capacity, and create development opportunities for all citizens, especially in border areas, islands, ethnic minority regions, and areas facing many difficulties.

Lifelong learning is not only an intrinsic need of every citizen but also a key to raising the intellectual level of the population, training human resources, fostering innovation and breakthrough development, promoting rapid and sustainable socio-economic development, and helping each citizen become a useful member of society.

The Association must promote the application of digital transformation in promoting education and talent development, in the context of the strong and rapid development of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation; it is necessary to build and pilot a lifelong learning profile for citizens, with a view to implementing it nationwide; and to study and learn from the experience of the National Assembly's "Digital Popular Education - Digital Parliament" program. Each community learning center must be upgraded into a digital learning center, with internet access and open educational resources linked to the learning needs of the people, closely integrated with the national digital transformation program.

The Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning must leverage the combined strength of the entire society, playing a key role in connecting businesses, social organizations, overseas Vietnamese, and the international community to form a sustainable, transparent, and equitable resource for promoting learning and talent; and continue to innovate its operational methods to make a practical contribution to the goal of building a learning society and fostering a learning culture among the entire population.

The Association must strengthen the leadership, guidance, and coordination of Party committees and government agencies at all levels. Each ministry, sector, and locality needs to set targets and plans for building a collective society and annual work programs, considering this a regular political task. Central agencies, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, and the Ministry of Education and Training are responsible for coordinating monitoring, inspection, preliminary and final reviews, and reporting results to the Politburo and the Secretariat.

The General Secretary requested that the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the Ministry of Education and Training include in their plans for summarizing and evaluating regulations related to the Association's activities, especially Directive No. 11-CT/TW, dated April 13, 2007, of the Politburo on "Strengthening the Party's leadership over the work of promoting learning," in order to clearly recognize the achievements, identify limitations and causes, and propose mechanisms and policies appropriate to the practical situation.

During this process, the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning needs to coordinate closely with relevant agencies to advise and propose major goals and feasible, effective solutions. The Vietnam Fatherland Front should soon finalize and issue a plan on the restructuring of associations and guide localities on the organizational model of the Association for the Promotion of Learning.

Associations for the Promotion of Learning at all levels need to be streamlined, operate effectively, avoid formality, ensure substance, and be appropriate to the practical conditions of each locality and institution, while promoting the voluntary and self-governing nature of their members.

The Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning, with its broad scope of activities and close ties to national education policy, needs to be considered for appropriate regulations to create favorable conditions for the Association to operate effectively, in accordance with its role, position, and principles.

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning and its branches at all levels need to pay attention to and innovate their methods of operation, be closely involved with the grassroots, and link the work of promoting learning and talent with the goal of developing comprehensively Vietnamese people, forming a system of values ​​for Vietnamese people in the new era, contributing to building a prosperous and happy country; strongly reviving the tradition of valuing learning and promoting learning and talent, strongly promoting the lifelong learning movement among the people; focusing on promoting learning within families, clans, and communities; encouraging flexible and creative forms of learning, not only domestically but also within Vietnamese communities abroad.

The General Secretary emphasized that our nation has a tradition of valuing learning and talent. He recalled President Ho Chi Minh's statement: "An ignorant nation is a weak nation," and also advised: "Learn to work, to be a good person, to be a good cadre. Learn to serve the Fatherland and the people." He also affirmed: "The more society progresses, the more work there is, and the more sophisticated the machinery becomes. If we don't learn, we will fall behind, and falling behind means being eliminated, we will eliminate ourselves." President Ho Chi Minh's thought serves as a guiding principle for our country's education, training, and promotion of learning and talent.

With the spirit of building a learning society, promoting education and talent development, which is a strategic investment in the future of the nation, the General Secretary hopes that each family will become a learning cell, and each citizen will be a lifelong learner. This is the inevitable path for Vietnam to rise strongly and realize its aspiration for national strength and prosperity.