General Secretary's message on education in the new era of the nation

The 2025-2026 opening ceremony is not only a national festival to send children to school, but also has a special meaning: commemorating the 80th anniversary of Uncle Ho sending his first letter to students nationwide and the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of National Education - the predecessor of today's Ministry of Education and Training .

In that sacred space, General Secretary To Lam's speech became a guiding compass, shaping a new vision for Vietnamese education in the era of development, while at the same time evoking the great aspiration of a powerful nation, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers.

The General Secretary began by recalling the tradition of studiousness and the difficult beginning of Vietnam's revolutionary education. Immediately after the success of the August Revolution, the Provisional Government decided to establish the Ministry of National Education, considering it a strategic decision to lay the foundation for the long-term development of the country. Along with that was the resounding "Popular Education" movement with the simple motto: "Literacy teaches illiterate people". At that time, fighting illiteracy was considered the "opening front", unleashing human resources to build the country. Recalling that moment, the General Secretary emphasized: education is always at the forefront of all efforts, from resistance to construction, from national liberation to international integration.

General Secretary To Lam speaks at the ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition and the opening of the 2025-2026 school year. Photo: Pham Hai

In his speech, the General Secretary quoted Uncle Ho's words in a letter to students on September 5, 1945: " From this moment on, you will begin to receive a completely Vietnamese education... an education that will train you to become useful citizens for Vietnam." From there, the General Secretary affirmed that, regardless of war or peace, Vietnamese revolutionary education has contributed decisively to the victory of the cause of national liberation, national unification and development. But he also frankly pointed out: the quality of education is uneven, regional differences are still large, university education is slow to innovate, teaching methods do not encourage creativity, and facilities and digital transformation are still inadequate. Therefore, a more fundamental, comprehensive, drastic and effective innovation is needed than ever.

In the context of the country entering a new development stage with the goal of becoming a modern industrial country by 2030 and a developed country by 2045, the General Secretary emphasized: "Investing in education is investing in the future of the nation". This is an affirmation with great political weight, and at the same time is a strategic orientation for the entire political system. Education is no longer a separate field but has become a key driving force, a leading national policy, deciding the success or failure of the aspiration for a strong Vietnam.

At this point, Minister Nguyen Kim Son's message resonates: he affirms that compared to the starting point of 80 years ago - a country with 95% of the population illiterate and a fragile intellectual force - the journey has been truly a miracle. We have more than 52,000 spacious schools, more than 1.6 million well-trained teachers, and many universities ranked among the top 500 best schools in the world. According to the Minister, these achievements are the result of the sacrifices and silent dedication of many generations of teachers and the consensus of the entire nation. These reminders further highlight the General Secretary's view that the thousand-year-old tradition of studiousness is the foundation for Vietnamese education to continue taking long strides on a new journey.

General Secretary To Lam beats the drum to start the new school year. Photo: Pham Hai

In his speech, General Secretary To Lam outlined nine major orientations for education. First of all, he emphasized the shift in thinking: “Moving from ‘corrective’ reform to a constructive mindset – leading national development through education”. This is a special highlight, demonstrating the need for fundamental change: it is impossible to just make partial reforms, but must consider education as the driving force for national development, taking quality, fairness, integration and efficiency as the measure. Along with that is the requirement to ensure fairness in access to education, so that no child is left behind; prioritizing remote, isolated and island areas; exempting tuition fees from kindergarten to high school; and building a system of border boarding schools. These policies are not only educational, but also demonstrate the humane spirit, demonstrating the social responsibility of the State.

Another highlight is the orientation of comprehensive general education reform: not only imparting knowledge, but also training the body, nurturing the soul, arousing civic spirit and social responsibility. The General Secretary called it the formation of “a generation of people who are both talented, kind and resilient”. This is the long-term vision to build a system of values for the Vietnamese people in the new era, linking knowledge - personality - aspiration.

Regarding higher education, the General Secretary requested to create a breakthrough, turning universities into centers of knowledge production, the nucleus of innovation and entrepreneurship, closely linked to the needs of national development. He called for the formation of large universities of regional and international stature, and modern vocational facilities to train high-quality human resources. This is a vital factor for Vietnam to break through in the race of science, technology and industrialization.

At this point, Minister Nguyen Kim Son added a vision: by 2045, Vietnam strives to be in the top 20 countries in education as a way to clarify national ambitions and place heavy responsibility on the entire industry.

In the era of digital transformation, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that technology must be considered a driving force for fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education. From open learning materials, smart schools, to lifelong learning databases, all must be built with a spirit of safety, humanity, and ensuring data security. He affirmed that only by mastering technology can Vietnamese education seize opportunities and avoid falling behind. This is also the meeting point with Minister Nguyen Kim Son, when he emphasized the implementation of the AI strategy in education and the construction of a lifelong learning records database from 2026.

Another pillar that the General Secretary put first is building a team of teachers. He affirmed: "Teachers are the soul of education, the decisive factor in the success or failure of innovation". This emphasis echoes the immortal saying of Prime Minister Pham Van Dong: " Teaching is the noblest of all noble professions". Indeed, teaching is not just a job, but a vocation to sow knowledge, nurture personality, and arouse aspirations. The Law on Teachers recently passed by the National Assembly will be the basis for improving the lives, status, and social responsibilities of teachers, so that each teacher is both a transmitter of knowledge and a shining example for students to follow.

Students and teachers enter the new school year 2025-2026. Photo: Pham Trong Tung

Not only giving great guidance, the General Secretary also sent sincere feelings and deep trust to the young generation. He said: "The responsibility of your generation is to create new victories with knowledge - courage - creativity". This is an emotional message, considering success in studying, researching, and innovating as the "victory" of today's generation in the context of peace and integration. That teaching reminds us of the famous saying of President Ho Chi Minh: "The beauty of Vietnam... is largely due to your studies". As a continuation, Minister Nguyen Kim Son also called on students to study harder and be more creative, because the country is facing a historic opportunity and is placing all its trust in the young generation.

At the end of his speech, General Secretary To Lam called for: "Let's join hands to care for the cause of educating people, for the future of our children, for the prosperity of the Fatherland, for the happiness of the People". This is a call not only for the education sector, but for the whole society, so that everyone realizes that education is not only the responsibility of teachers, students or the Ministry of Education and Training, but the cause of the whole nation. This is the strongest affirmation of the central position of education in the national development strategy.

When reviewing the messages of the General Secretary at this year's special opening ceremony, we can clearly see: The General Secretary is the one who outlines the strategic vision, determines the path for the whole industry to materialize, supplemented by practical action plans and implementation plans. It is this combination that creates strength: from macro vision to specific action, from ideal to practice, from the guiding flag to the footsteps on the long road.

Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of Education and Training, and the 80th anniversary of Uncle Ho's letter to students, we are all the more aware of the truth: education is the golden key to unlocking the nation's future. The road ahead is certainly not without its difficulties, but with the leadership of the General Secretary, with the efforts of the education sector, and with the studious spirit of the entire nation, we can completely trust in a modern, humane, and integrated education system, contributing to realizing the aspiration of bringing Vietnam to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world powers.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/thong-diep-ve-giao-duc-trong-ky-nguyen-moi-cua-dan-toc-2439539.html