Nghe An: Efforts to eliminate illiteracy to help people change their thinking and way of doing things

Literacy class held in Na Ngoi commune, Ky Son district

Difficulties and shortcomings

Ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Nghe An account for 83% of the province's total area. The large and isolated area, along with a high poverty rate and limited awareness of a segment of the population, has led to illiteracy and re-illiteracy still occurring in the province. Notably, the rate of illiterates is scattered in remote villages, leading to difficulties in organizing literacy education.

Due to poverty, backwardness and limited awareness, it is very difficult to mobilize students to attend classes and maintain the number of students attending regularly in literacy classes. Part of the reason is that most of the students are female, all of whom are in the main working age of their families, and do not have time to attend classes regularly. On the other hand, during the farming season, many people often work far from home and their villages; not to mention some people, due to their age, are hesitant and embarrassed to go to school...

In addition to the above reasons, the effectiveness of the illiteracy eradication work is not high, the results are not sustainable, the phenomenon of re-illiteracy continues and increases. The number of people attending literacy classes is very small compared to the number of illiterate people. The system of facilities serving teaching and learning in some mountainous communes is still difficult and lacking.

Meanwhile, a particular difficulty has also greatly affected the work of eliminating illiteracy. That is, the mountainous districts are large, transportation is difficult, ethnic minorities live scattered along the border villages, and their accommodation is unstable, so it is difficult to investigate the number of illiterate people to open classes, mobilize them to attend classes and manage classes. Not to mention, the coordination with agencies, organizations and unions in the work of eliminating illiteracy is sometimes not tight and regular...

Most of the people attending literacy classes are ethnic minority women.

The above difficulties, limitations and shortcomings are making the work of eliminating illiteracy in the ethnic minority areas of Nghe An very difficult. Because illiteracy still exists, there are still many consequences, negatively affecting all aspects of economic and social life. Illiteracy makes a part of the people not fully aware of the policies and guidelines of the Party and the State. Ignorance also makes people unable to acquire new scientific and technical knowledge, making labor productivity, crop and livestock productivity low... leading to always hidden poverty.

The goal of eliminating illiteracy and improving people's knowledge

Over the years, organizing and maintaining literacy classes in ethnic minority areas has always been an important task, with the goal of improving people's knowledge, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty, and developing culture and society. In particular, since implementing Content No. 2 on Literacy Eradication for Ethnic Minority People under Sub-Project 1, Project 5, National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2025 period (National Target Program 1719), the content of literacy eradication has been further promoted.

Ms. Lo Thi Hoa (born in 1969) in Huu Khuong commune, Tuong Duong district said: Due to difficult family circumstances, when I got married I did not have the conditions to go to school, so I was illiterate. At first, getting familiar with letters, spelling and writing was very difficult. Thanks to the guidance of the teachers, I and many other women in the class learned to read and write. Now, I can watch TV, read books and newspapers.

During the lessons, along with illiteracy eradication, teachers also incorporate propaganda of the Party's guidelines, policies and laws of the State focusing on contents such as: not storing or illegally using drugs, weapons, explosives; issues of national border sovereignty , migration, free migration; marriage and family; health care, environmental sanitation, disease prevention and control, and effective farming and livestock techniques... Thanks to that, not only does it create a comfortable atmosphere but it also helps people change their thinking and ways of doing things in life for the goal of hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

Nghe An has mobilized the participation of all levels and sectors in the effort to eliminate illiteracy in ethnic minority areas.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district Lo Thanh Nhat shared more: Implementing the National Target Program 1719, the work of eliminating illiteracy has been promoted by the district. What is special is that, in the process of opening illiteracy eradication classes, we have cleverly propagated and mobilized people to access knowledge of animal husbandry and production skills to both improve people's knowledge, raise awareness and action for each person.

In order to facilitate the work of eliminating illiteracy, the People's Council of Nghe An province issued Resolution No. 10/2023/NQ-HDND, dated July 7, 2023, on the Regulation of a number of contents and expenditure levels for implementing the work of eliminating illiteracy and universalizing education according to the project "Building a learning society for the period 2021 - 2030".

Accordingly, the province supports people to participate in literacy training, with a maximum expenditure of 1.8 million VND/person/program. Localities also have additional levels of support for lighting at night, buying books to track the learning process and supporting teachers to buy stationery, propaganda, mobilizing illiterate and re-illiterate people to attend literacy classes... At the same time, the Provincial People's Council has stipulated the level of support for people working in literacy with a period of 12 months/year.

From those efforts, in 2022, Nghe An was recognized as having achieved level 2 literacy standards; recognized as having achieved universal preschool education standards for 5-year-old children; recognized as having achieved level 3 universal education standards and achieved level 1 universal secondary education standards.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Ha, Head of the Department of Political Ideology - Continuing Education, Nghe An Department of Education and Training, shared: In 2024, the province aims to increase the rate of people aged 15 - 60 meeting level 2 literacy standards to 99.35% (minimum 90%).

Therefore, in the coming time, the Education sector will continue to coordinate with relevant units to survey and continue opening literacy classes to improve the knowledge of ethnic minorities in the highland border villages of Nghe An province.

Happiness-Centered Education: A Trend That's Making Positive Change in Schools

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/nghe-an-no-luc-cho-cong-tac-xoa-mu-chu-de-dong-bao-thay-doi-nep-nghi-cach-lam-1732070698319.htm