Defence and security education for students represents a major policy of the Party and State, aiming to develop for the young generations national pride and patriotism, and raise their awareness and responsibility in performing defence and security tasks. However, this work is highly specialised, including many difficulties and inadequacies, so it is necessary to continue to implement synchronous and appropriate solutions to improve its quality in the new situation.

Being fully aware of the importance, limitations and inadequacies in defence and security education in general, defence and security education for pupils and students in particular, over the years, the Party and State, ministries, branches, party committees, governments, the Defence and Security Education Councils at all levels have always paid close attention to leading and directing this important work with a system of guiding documents and instructions. Authorities at all levels, defence and security education centres and educational institutions have well promoted their roles and responsibilities to proactively advise, propose and implement the subject of defence and security education for pupils and students in accordance with law. The staff of teachers, lecturers and managers have seen improvements in their qualifications to meet the requirements of their tasks. There has been much attention paid to the provision of budget, facility, and equipment for the teaching and learning of the subject. Therefore, the defence and security education for pupils and students has gradually been put into order, bringing about practical effectiveness, thereby, helping future owners of the country step by step develop their awareness of the Party's lines and views, the State's policies and laws on national defence and security, as well as the necessary military knowledge and skills. In particular, it has aroused their patriotism and national pride, contributing to their comprehensive developments, raising their awareness and responsibility for the cause of national construction and defence.

It is forecasted that in the coming time, the world and regional situations will continue to see rapid, complicated, and unpredictable evolutions. Traditional and non-traditional security challenges tend to increase. Domestically, hostile and reactionary forces continue to promote the strategies of "peaceful evolution", "self-evolution", "self-transformation" internally. To make it worse, the impact of the negative side of the market mechanism,... is exerting a significant influence on the young generation. In order to improve the quality of defence and security education for pupils and students, meeting new practical requirements, it is required that ministries, branches, agencies, units, localities, centres for defence and security education, and educational institutions continue to implement synchronous and effective solutions, focusing on the following ones:

1. Strengthening the leadership and direction of the Party committees and authorities at all levels, the heads of agencies and organisations for defence and security education for pupils and students. Central committees, ministries, branches, military zones and localities should continue to thoroughly grasp the Party's directives and resolutions and the State's laws on defence and security education, focusing on on Directive No. 12-CT/TW, dated May 3, 2007 of the Politburo (10th tenure) on strengthening the Party's leadership in defence and security education in the new situation; Law on Defence and Security Education; legal documents, plans and guidelines of the Central Council for Defence and Security Education, departments, ministries, branches, etc., to further raise the awareness and responsibilities of cadres and party members, especially heads of agencies and organisations in the implementation of defence and security education for pupils and students; actively innovate, increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the leadership of the party committees at all levels, the management and administration of the government, the heads of agencies and organisations, and mobilise the participation of the whole political system in defence and security education for pupils and students.

2. Continuing to build and improve the capability of teachers and lecturers for defence and security education. First of all, the Ministry of Education and Training should coordinate with concerned ministries and branches in completing the Project on training teachers and lecturers in defence and security education to 2030 and beyond and submit it to the Government for approval and implementation in order to consolidate the contingent of teachers and lecturers in defence and security education in both quantity, capability and standard to meet the new requirements and tasks. Moreover, every year, ministries, branches and localities should direct the centres for defence and security education and educational institutions to actively hold training for teachers, lecturers and administrative staff, focusing on updating new contents on the Party's lines and viewpoints, the State's policies and laws on national defence and security and new and modern teaching methods to constantly improve their knowledge, professional expertise and pedagogical skills. In addition, they should offer favourable treatments and have appropriate mechanisms to motivate and encourage this staff to actively improve their qualifications and skills to meet the requirements of practice.

3. Amending and supplementing curriculum; innovating the method for teaching and managing the quality of the subject in accordance with the new situation. Functional agencies of the relevant ministries and branches should closely coordinate with each other to amend and supplement the curriculum suitable to each educational level, focusing on the continuity between levels of training; at the same time, they should research and include the content of civil defence and disease prevention and control into the curriculum to meet practical requirements. It is necessary to soon complete and issue textbooks suitable for Defence and Security Education subject for each type of learners for unified implementation.

During the training process, defence and security education centres and educational institutions should adhere to the curriculum and prescribed content of the subject for each subject seriously. At the same time, they should always be creative and innovate teaching methods towards proactiveness; increase practicality, renew lectures to make the subject interesting; increase the application of information technology in teaching, management and testing. In teaching, they should flexibly combine theory and practice; strengthen extracurricular activities and visits to military and police units and historical and cultural sites to consolidate knowledge, arouse patriotism, the tradition of national construction and defence, national pride and patriotism for pupils and students. This will help them constantly improve their political steadfastness, sense of self-discipline, resilence, and the willingness to overcome all difficulties, and complete their tasks well.

4. Constantly upgrading and supplying the facilities and materials for teaching and learning activities to meet subject requirements. The concerned ministries, localities, agencies and organisations should continue to invest in building the planned defence and security education centres; upgrade and build new facilities, specialised classrooms, sports fields, training fields for technical, tactical, command, accommodation, and lecture halls. Defence and security education centres and educational institutions should increase the procurement of equipment, for learning and teaching, and consolidate sports fields, training grounds, and specialised classrooms for the subject according to current regulations.

Promoting the achieved results, ministries, localities, and authorities at all levels should continue to thoroughly grasp the Party's lines and viewpoints and the State's laws, and enhance the work of defence and security education for pupils and students, contributing to building the all-people’s national defence, the all-people’s national defence posture associated with the people's security posture, meeting the requirements of firmly building and defending the Fatherland in the new period.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN HUY QUAN, Department of Militia and Self-Defence Force