Gia Lam District is located on the eastern gateway of Hanoi Capital, where several vital traffic routes connecting the Capital with key economic regions of the Northern Delta and North Central Coast run through. It boasts a number of large industrial parks, sizeable urban areas, traditional craft villages, universities and colleges, hence it plays an important role in terms of economy, society, national defence and security of the Northeast region of Hanoi and the surrounding areas. This is a major advantage for the District to promote socio-economic development, strengthen and consolidate national defence and security, together with the City and the whole country to successfully carry out the two strategic tasks of Homeland construction and defence. However, in recent years, the fast-paced urbanisation in the District has given rise to a number of issues, such as: over-population, environmental pollution and complications in security, order, etc., resulting in complications social order and security. Fully aware of this situation and thoroughly grasping and concretising the Party's viewpoints on the two strategic tasks of Homeland construction and defence, in recent years, together with promoting socio-economic development, building and rectifying the Party, building strong grassroots political systems, its Party Committee and People's Committee have focused on leading and directing the execution of defence and security tasks, in which enhancing defence and security education has been paid much attention and achieved positive results. It has thoroughly grasped and implemented the Law on Defence and Security Education in a serious manner by means of many creative and appropriate measures. Since 2021 to date, there have been 60 level-2 and level-3 cadres and 484 level-4 cadres of the District completing defence and security training. Besides, it has held dozens of defence and security courses for 220 religious dignitaries and business owners; updated defence and security knowledge for nearly 4,000 other people as per regulations; directed academies, universities, colleges, vocational schools, and high schools in the district to hold defence and security education for tens of thousands of students each year. As a result, the awareness and responsibility of Party committees, authorities, and people of all strata in the district for national defence and security work have been raised, contributing to maintaining political security, social order and safety, making "the Party's will converge the people's heart" in joining hands to build a rich and civilised District.

Holding defence and security training for level-4 cadres in 2024

In the time to come, besides the advantages, the District also face potential risks of insecurity and social disorder resulting from the negative impacts of the market mechanism, the urbanisation process, the economic restructuring from agriculture to industry and service in the area, leading to crimes, social evils, ... coupled with the increasingly sophisticated and complicated sabotage of hostile forces. In order to successfully implement the goals and targets of the Resolution of the District Party Congress (22nd tenure) for the 2020 - 2025 term which aims to soon turn Gia Lam into an urban district of Hanoi, it continues to lead the promotion of innovation, considering socio-economic development as the centre, Party building as the key, cultural development as the spiritual foundation and ensuring national defence and security as essential and regular task. In particular, it focuses on further improving the quality of defence and security education, building political and spiritual potentials, and a solid "people's hearts and minds posture", creating a foundation for rapid and sustainable development.

First and foremost, it strengthens the leadership and direction of Party committees and authorities at all levels, and involves the entire political system in effectively carrying out the task of defence and security education. Thoroughly grasping the documents and instructions of superiors on defence and security education, the District continues to direct its functional agencies, Party committees and governments of communes and towns to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of this important work, and regularly perfect the structure of the Defence and Security Education Council at all levels according to regulations. To make it highly efficient, the District Party Committee requires the entire political system to properly perform their functions and tasks defined in the regulations. The Defence and Security Education Council of the District proactively reviews, supplements, and adjusts documents, instructions, and plans for conducting education and training seriously, uniformly, and appropriately with the local realities. At the same time, it carries out emulation and reward work thoughtfully, taking the results of this work as an indicator to evaluate the task performance of the managers at all levels.

Gia Lam District has a large natural area, a dense population, and is home to many central and local agencies and enterprises, hence the number of staff subject to defence and security education is large and diverse in occupation. Therefore, in order to improve the quality and effectiveness of defence and security education, it directs functional agencies to regularly update content and renew methods of conducting education and training for subjects. In particular, emphasis is placed on new contents and issues on national defence, security, and Homeland protection pointed out in the Strategy for Homeland protection in the new situation. At the same time, it strengthens education on patriotism, national pride, the country's position and achievements after nearly 40 years of innovation, opportunities and challenges when the country enters the new era, etc. This is to enhance awareness, responsibility, political steadfastness, vigilance, unity and consensus of the entire political system and population.

Chief of the District's Military Command attends the opening ceremony of the defence and security course held for religious dignitaries

As for students - the future owners of the country, it directs the Military Command - the Standing Office of the Defence and Security Education Council to coordinate with the Department of Education and Training to conduct the teaching of this course for students in the area in a correct and sufficient way, while increasing investment to ensure adequate facilities and teaching aids to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The schools are to actively integrate extracurricular activities and field trips to historical sites, such as: ATK Dinh Hoa - Thai Nguyen, Ba Trieu Temple, Bach Dang Stake Field, K9 Da Chong Relic Site, etc. Promote thankful activities to heroic martyrs, wounded and sick soldiers, and families with meritorious services to the revolution. As a result, students are equipped with necessary military knowledge and skills. Their patriotism, national pride, awareness and discipline are fostered as well, making them ready for military service and conducting other military and security tasks of the locality. Currently, the number of teachers in defence and security education in high schools of the District is still low and inadequate in some places. Moreover, the facility has yet to meet the requirements. To tackle this problem, the District directed its Department of Education and Training to coordinate with relevant agencies to select qualified and capable teachers for second degree training in this subject. Besides, it holds training courses for teachers, especially active teaching methods, the application of information technology; increases field trips to military units to gain real life experience with the military as a way to gradually improve the quality and standardise this staff. At the same time, it increases procurement to acquire sufficient facilities and teaching aids to gradually meet the requirements of the task.

In order to bring the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws on national defence and security to the people, the District focuses on improving the quality of propaganda and dissemination of defence and security knowledge to the entire population. Accordingly, its Party Committee and People's Committee direct the Defence and Security Education Council to closely coordinate with the district's departments, branches and sectors, especially the Department of Culture - Information, Mass Mobilisation Commission, the Political Centre, etc. to develop plans, select content, and conduct extensive propaganda for the people with diverse forms which are suitable to local characteristics. The propaganda content focuses on the Law on Military Service, the Law on Militia and Self-Defence Forces, the Law on National Defence, the Law on Cyber ​​Security; the Law on Civil Defence, etc. Propaganda is also required to focus on the plots and tricks of hostile forces, the situation of the sea and islands, good people, good deeds, and role models in performing defence and security tasks, together with educating the revolutionary traditions of Gia Lam district. In addition, it promotes the role of reporters, propagandists, mass media, billboards, posters, etc., for propaganda in festivals of craft villages, localities, etc. In particular, it accelerates administrative reform, digital transformation, application of information technology in propaganda and dissemination of defence and security knowledge to make information faster, more accessible and more effective. What’s more, it promotes the effectiveness of the District's Electronic Portal, social networks, such as Zalo, Facebook, etc. to increase the volume of content disseminated to all classes of people.

Last but not least, the District directs localities to promote grassroots democracy, listen to people's opinions, and thoroughly resolve their issues to generate consensus between the governments and the people, develop Gia Lam into an urban and sustainably developed district, contributing to building a civilised, cultured and modern capital.

NGUYEN VIET HA, Member of Hanoi Municipal Party Committee, Secretary of the District Party Committee