Equity, quality and lifelong learning eyed as the heart of Education Development Strategic Plan 2011-2030

Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha chaired the meeting on September 17 with representatives from UNESCO Institute of Educational Strategies and UNICEF's Education Program in Vietnam and members of the Editorial Team of the National Education Development Strategic Plan 2011-2030, with a vision to 2045.

Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha briefs the guests on the National Education Development Strategic Plan 2011-2030
Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha briefs the guests on the National Education Development Strategic Plan 2011-2030

The Minister emphasised that the global transformation in the 21st century induced by breakthroughs in the fields of science and technology has formed a foundation for the development of a knowledge-based economy. Education lies at the heart of scientific and technological development, human resource development, talent fostering, improving people’s knowledge and well-being as well as meeting the requirements of countries’ sustainable development.

Therefore, the mission of the National Education Development Strategic Plan 2011-2020 is to guide the direction, objectives and targets for the education sector and highlights reforms that are needed for the education sector to develop high quality human resources in achieving its development objectives.

In addition, the Minister stressed that the role of education is not only help people to gain knowledge to prevail in the ever-fast changing world, but also to enable them to realise their full potential, become all they can be, adopt positive values in their personal and family lives, and become global citizens.

Therefore, education has to ensure Equity, Quality and Lifelong learning for all and the National Education Development Strategic Plan 2011-2020 has to include indicators to reflect these core issues.

During the meeting, the participants discussed the draft set of indicators from preschool to university to continuing education; in which indicators from preschool to university are grouped into three categories including access, quality and assurance conditions.

With distinguishing features, continuing education includes indicators on basic literacy and functional literacy, learning citizen, learning channels/learning environments and resources to develop continuing education.

When being asked to give comments on the set of indicators in the draft of Vietnam's educational strategy framework for the period of 2021-2030, Dr. Dominique praised that it reflects a summary of the current and new indicators and is in line with the standard international set of indicators.

However, Dr. Dominique raised a question of data collection to formulate the indicators. She stated that the quality of the data sources and collection process is the prerequisite to the quality of a good set of indicators.

According to Dr. Dominique, due to the constraints of resources, Vietnam should choose which indicators are feasible and are a top priority. She recommended some priority themes for the National Education Development Strategic Plan for the next 10 years, of which one more time highlighting that ensuring equity and quality and selecting suitable blocks of lifelong learning are the most important.