Friday, September 21, 2018, 08:38 (GMT+7)
Centerpiece of military education and training in the school year 2018-2019

To bring into play the achievements in the last school year, military academies and schools should thoroughly grasp resolutions and directives on education and training as well as keep track of the military practice. On such basis, suitable contents and measures need to be actively implemented to well accomplish targets and tasks of the school year 2018 - 2019.

In the academic year 2017 - 2018, military academies and schools (hereinafter military schools) kept thoroughly grasping and speeding up the implementation of resolutions and directives of the Party, the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Ministry of National Defense (MND) on education and training to fulfill the assigned tasks with positive results. The results highlight that the system of military schools have been upgraded with new contents and training programs in line with the requirements of education and training and military construction in the new situation. Education and training have been renovated drastically with certain achievements. The military entrance exams have been conducted strictly with improved input quality. The contingent of teachers and educational managers are continuously consolidated. Great efforts have also been made to renew teaching and learning methods, scientific research, information technology and modern equipment application in training. Examination, re-examination and quality assurance of education and training have been strictly maintained, creating a positive effect on the training process. Particularly, they have actively implemented the Directive 89/CT-BQP, dated November 11th, 2016 by the MND and created important changes in teaching and learning foreign languages, etc.

Lt. Gen. Tran Huu Phuc addresses the conference on improving the quality of teaching English language within military schools (photo: qdnd.vn)

However, the consolidation of teachers and educational managers has not been conducted regularly here and there. The qualifications of a part of teachers are not on a par with the requirements. The renovation process in some military schools is slow and not synchronous. The task of educational and training assurance hasn’t kept up with reality, etc.

The school year 2018-2019 marks a decisive phase in military education and training grounded on the Resolutions of the 12th National Party Congress and the 10th Military Party Congress. Accordingly, requirements for the military schools are increasingly demanding. For the sake of an upcoming successful academic year, a radical and comprehensive renewal as well as fundamental and firm changes in the quality of education and training together with synchronous measures must be effectively implemented as follows.

1. Build a neat, strong and reasonable system of military schools. This means to perfect the military schools’ system to ensure the stability of functions, missions, sectors, education levels appropriate to tasks, organization of the army in the coming years and requirements for education and training development. The military schools need to speed up the review and adjustment of forces and tasks in accordance with the approved plans and direction of the CMC and MND. At the same time, military schools attempt to make significant breakthroughs in building model schools which have a pure pedagogical culture, strict management and discipline, and clean, green, scenic landscape so as to form the basis for good performance. The Department of Schools will cooperate with functional agencies in rearranging the system of vocational schools, strictly conducting the plan for quota reduction and ending civilian training courses in the coming time, etc. The military schools focus on improving the leadership effectiveness of the party committees, organizations and the command system in education and training, specifying objectives of renovation and developing education and training in accordance with assigned functions and tasks. In near future, the military schools will supplement measures for the implementation of the Resolution 29-NQ/TW and the Strategy on “developing military education and training in the period 2011-2020”, actively combine the targets and tasks of the school year 2018-2019 with proposed project and Military schools’ Plan of action under the impact of the 4th industrial revolution. (Issued along with Decision 889/QĐ-BQP, dated March 22nd, 1980 of the MND).

2. Continue fostering the contingent of teachers and educational administrators to meet short-term and long-term requirements. Teachers and educational administrators play an incredibly important role in education and training. To meet new requirements, the military schools must constantly focus on strengthening this contingent both quantitatively and qualitatively. Accordingly, the military schools keep recruiting and training teachers and educational administrators, attaching importance to building a contingent of highly qualified teachers and leading experts, etc. In this school year, they should actively review, develop and implement the Scheme on "Strengthening and developing the contingent of teachers and educational administrators in 2018-2025 period and the coming years”. Experience shows that this task must be conducted comprehensively in terms of educational levels, practical knowledge, pedagogical methods and scientific research capability. Particularly, information technology and language proficiency need to be improved. Besides, teachers should be sent to different units in order to complete their titles and accumulate experience. In addition, teachers’ self-study should be encouraged to meet new requirements, etc. The Department of Schools continues to advise the Council of Military-Science Professor Title and direct the agencies and schools to properly acknowledge the titles of teachers at all levels on the basis of regulations. At the same time, it keeps studying to propose to the MND preferential policies to ameliorate teachers and educational administrators’ living conditions.

3. Step up the renovation of training process, programs, contents and teaching methods. Promoting the achievements, the military schools continue to perfect the training process, programs and contents in orientation to "standardization and modernization". Besides, they keep updating new issues on military and national defense, development in science and technology, military art, new weapons and equipment, training practice and combat readiness, etc. to ensure educational objectives. The Department of Schools will work with functional agencies to develop pilot training programs for specialists in key fields and basic science in some specialties, etc. Particularly, the military schools must attach importance to Directive 89/ CT-BQP, dated April 4th, 2018, of the MND on "strengthening the summary of training practice and combat readiness in line with education and training in the military schools to meet the requirements in the new situation.” Along with that, it is essential to properly change the contents and curricula in teaching and learning foreign languages. Moreover, the scheme on "training and fostering foreign languages ​​in military schools during 2015-2020 period and the years after" is being widely applied. All necessary preparations are well under way to include English in the graduation exams for sub-unit cadets in 2019, etc. In addition, it is important to keep renovating teaching methods suitable to training types, closely linking theory with practice, schools with units and actively turning the training process into self-training one.

4. Proactively renovate and raise efficiency in management of education and training quality. This important move will contribute to enhancing the quality of education and training and dealing with achievement addiction and other negative phenomena. To this end, the military schools should promote decentralization of training management and extraordinary inspection together with applying information technology in training management at all levels, etc. Particularly, the consolidation of organizations, especially the offices of testing and quality assurance, and the establishment of education and training criteria need to be fostered. The military schools continue to fulfill the banks of exam questions and answers as well as principles in exams, testing and evaluation on training quality, promoting self-assessment, peer review and external evaluation in accordance with regulations. In this school year, the Department of Schools conducts inspection, examination, re-inspection and accreditation of education and training of military schools as planned.

5. Successfully conduct education and training assurance. In the context of budget constraints, the military agencies and schools should tightly manage and efficiently use the allocated budget, apart from mobilization of other resources to ensure education and training. The MND will invest in upgrading and modernizing infrastructure, drill-grounds and new equipment for the military schools, especially the application of information technology and simulation technology, etc. The Department of Schools, functional agencies and military schools gradually deploy the model "smart schools, approach to the 4th industrial revolution". The military schools should also implement approved investment projects in order to standardize and modernize teaching equipment and facilities. Among them, priority is given to modernization of training management, specialized classrooms, equipment and materials. Teachers and learners should be encouraged to take initiatives in improving training equipment and teaching aids.

In addition, the military agencies and schools should attach importance to promoting scientific research, closely combining education and training with scientific research so that its fruits serve the training tasks. Other tasks of enrollment, training cooperation, etc. should also be well performed. Last but not least, emulation movements and campaigns should be promoted to successfully achieve the targets and tasks of the school year 2018 - 2019.

Lieutenant General, Professor Tran Huu Phuc, PhD, Head of the Department of Schools

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