Defence and security education is an important part of localities’ defence and military work and plays an important role in building the politico-spiritual foundation and the all-people national defence. Comprehending that, the provincial armed forces of Tien Giang have brought into play their core role in counselling and performing this significant work.

Over the past years, with the efforts made by the province’s Party Committee, Authority, people, and local armed forces, Tien Giang has enjoyed rapid socio-economic and cultural development; defence and security has been maintained; the people’s life has improved considerably; the awareness of the party committees, authorities and people towards the cause of military build-up, national defence consolidation and Homeland protection has been raised. All of which have provided the basis for performing the military-defence missions and building a strong defensive zone in the area. To meet the new requirements of the Homeland construction and protection, the work of defence and security education must be further valued and promoted in order to mobilize all resources in successfully fulfiling the military-defence missions and facilitating the province’s rapid and sustainable development. To do so, the provincial armed forces, particularly the Provincial Military Command (PMC) have brought into play the core role in defence and security education and attained the positive results.

First, the PMC has counselled the province to strengthen its leadership and direction over defence and security education. Grounded on resolutions, directives, and guiding documents by higher echelons on defence and security education, particularly the 10^th Politburo’s Directive 12-CT/TW, the Defence and Security Education Law, and the Military Region 9’s Plan for defence and security education, the PMC has cooperated with departments and sectors in giving advice to the Provincial Party Committee, People’s Committee and Defence and Security Education Council and directed all-level military offices to advise local party committees and authorities on issuing many resolutions, directives and guiding documents on this work in accordance with the characteristics of each area. At the same time, it has given advice to the province on consolidating the all-level Defence and Security Education Councils with sufficient quantity and proper structure, formulated the plans for defence and security education, and requested the Provincial Defence and Security Education Council to give advice to the province on directing the process. Besides, the PMC has counselled the province to enhance the work of inspecting, investigating and assessing the quality of defence and security education, opportunely rectify shortcomings and limitations, ensuring that defence and security education work is carried out strictly, comprehensively from provincial to grass-roots levels.

To meet the higher requirements, the PMC has advised the province on taking measures synchronously to renew and improve the quality of defence and security education. Accordingly, the province has carried out many creative reforms in the organization of defence and security education and proactively provided defence and security education for special objects, such as typical individuals, prestige people in the residential areas, religious dignitaries, business owners, etc., in accordance with the particularities of each area and the requirements of Homeland defence in the new situation. Over the past years, the province has decentralized defence and security education, dispatched cadres of the group 2 to attend defence and security education courses held by the Military Region, and flexibly held the courses in the province’s area to facilitate cadres’ attendance. The province has stepped up the building of a contingent of teachers of defence and security education, promoted the role of the Centre for Defence and Security Education under the Provincial Military School, the Provincial Political School, and district-level political training schools in organizing defence and security education courses. Based on the counselling of the PMC, the all-level defence and security education councils have closely reviewed and managed objects of defence and security education at each level under the regulations. Up to now, 80.95% of cadres of the group 1, 77% of cadres of the group 2, 88.94% of cadres of the group 3, and 87.09% objects of the group 4 have been provided with defence and security education. 84% of typical individuals and prestige people in the community and 88.47% of religious dignitaries have experienced defence and security education courses. In 2018, the province held 47 courses with the participation of 3.791 learners, fulfilling 100% of the preset targets. The PMC cooperated with the Provincial Department of Information and Communications, Propaganda and Education Commission, Public Security, and Radio-Television in organizing 1 defence and security education course for 70 journalists, editors, and press collaborators as well as with the Provincial Confederation of Labour in holding defence and security education courses for business and vessel owners.

At present, in the province’s area, there are 52 schools and education establishments and nearly 45,500 students. To effectively provide defence and security for students, the PMC has cooperated with the Department of Education and Training in advising the Provincial People’s Committee on staffing high schools with sufficient teachers of defence and security education and further training and standardizing this staff. Under the province’s guidelines, high schools have organized defence and security education courses in a scattered manner; vocational schools and colleges have held full-time courses. Due to limited facilities of some schools, the PMC has directed local military offices to proactively cooperate with schools in teaching students military skills. It has counselled the Provincial People’s Committee to invest over 2.994 bn VND from the budget in building facilities and acquiring teaching aids and equipment for all high schools in the area. At the same time, it has directed the Provincial Defence and Security Education Centre to closely cooperate with colleges and educational establishments in the province, Long An province and Ho Chi Minh city in providing defence and security education for students according to the assignment by the Ministry of Education and Training. In 2018, the Centre organized 7 defence and security education courses for 1,096 students. Over the past years, 100% of students have passed the exam in defence and security education, 78% of them have got credit and distinction. To effectively provide defence and security education for the youth, the PMC cooperated with the Provincial Department of Education and Training in organizing the Defence and Security Education Contest among high schools in the province’s area with the participation of 342 teachers and students. It cooperated with the Provincial Department of Education and Training in holding one “Military Semester” course which lasted 10 days in the Regiment 924 for 43 students from secondary schools and 10 schools. It should be noted that the province has organized the “Military Semester” Program for 5 consecutive years which has been highly appreciated by party committees, authorities, and students’ parents.

The work of propagating and disseminating defence and security knowledge to all people plays an important role in building the potential of defence and security. Comprehending that, the PMC has advised the Provincial Defence and Security Education Council to cooperate with the Provincial Department of Information and Communications in promoting the role of lecturers, reporters, and mass media in opening special columns to propagate the Party’s defence guidelines, the State’s policy and law, the local armed forces’ military-defence activities as well as unmask the sabotage plan by the hostile forces and political opportunists. In 2018, 526 pieces of news related to the province’s military-defence activities were broadcast on the Provincial Television; 7.318 pieces of news were broadcast on the Provincial Radio; 367 pieces of news and articles were published on local magazines and newspapers. Besides, the PMC has included the propagation of defence and security knowledge in the people’s meetings and local festivals. Notably, on the occasion of Spring of 2018, the PMC cooperated with the Provincial Youth Union in hosting the Camp for the armed forces of 12 provinces and the Military Region’s Military School under the theme “Spring of gratitude - Tet for seas and islands” with the participation of over 1,500 people. Moreover, the province presented the national flags to fishing vessels and fishermen to raise their awareness and responsibility towards sea and island sovereignty protection.

The achievements in defence and security education represent an important basis for the provincial armed forces of Tien Giang to successfully fulfil the local military-defence work, contributing to building a strong defensive zone and facilitating the province’s rapid, sustainable economic development.

Sr. Col. Chau Hoang Phuong, Standing Member of the Provincial Party Committee

Commander of the PMC, Deputy Chairman of the Provincial Defence and Security Education Council