Comprehensive Innovations for Higher Education Quality

More than 31 years after provincial reestablishment (October 1991), the education sector of Hoa Binh province has made great efforts to address difficulties to achieve many important results. In addition to breakthrough solutions, the sector has focused on developing new models and ways of improving the quality of education and human resources, thus helping affirm the position and capability of the northwest province of Hoa Binh.

In recent years, the size and network of schools, subjects and levels of education have increased significantly to meet the increasing learning needs of the people. The province currently has 532 schools with 237,762 students, including 222 preschools, 26 primary schools, 194 junior schools and high schools, one inter-level high school, one provincial center for continuing education, one center for general vocational engineering - foreign languages and information technology, one education college, and 10 vocational education and training centers of district levels. All 151 communes, wards and townships have community learning centers.

Schools, classrooms and teaching equipment continue to be invested to meet standardization and quality improvement requirements of teaching, learning and educational innovations. One-level strongly built classrooms accounted for only 59% in 1991, but the figure now reaches 83.8% of 8,793 total classrooms. School campuses, environments and landscapes are kept increasingly spacious and clean. 60.3% of preschools and high schools meet national standards.

Besides, teachers and educational administrators at all levels pay attention to building both quantity and quality of education. Since the province was re-established, the President of Vietnam has certified one people’s teacher and 55 distinguished teachers. The education sector has 564 Party cells with 11,906 members.

Bui Thi Kim Tuyen, Director of the Hoa Binh Department of Education and Training, said that having achieved this result, the province's education sector has constantly innovated thinking and educational management, training contents, programs, models and methods. In particular, the sector has focused on quality management, fostered information technology application, renewed policies and financial mechanisms, and engaged the participation of the whole society.

Furthermore, as home to many ethnic groups, the province has put a premium on investment in building material foundations for schools in disadvantaged areas and ethnic minority areas. As a result, in 2003, Hoa Binh universalized lower secondary education, becoming the 4th mountainous province and the 18th province in the country to achieve this standard. In 2012, Hoa Binh was the second province in the country to universalize preschool education for 5-year-old children.

To implement Resolution 29-NQ/TW on "Fundamental and comprehensive education and training reform to meet industrialization and modernization requirements”, in the coming time, the education sector will continue to advise and develop guidelines, mechanisms and policies to maximize investment resources for education development; improve the effectiveness and efficiency of administration; actively prevent, combat and effectively respond to natural disasters and epidemics.

Besides, the sector will strengthen political and ideological education; build a strong contingent of teachers and education administrators to meet reform requirements; effectively implement educational innovation programs; promote digital transformation, administrative reforms and emulation movements; and foster educational communication.

“These efforts will help improve the quality of local human resources, meet international integration requirements and make Hoa Binh's economy grow rapidly and sustainably,” Director Tuyen affirmed.

By Hoai Nam, Vietnam Business Forum