Comprehensive reform of education and training is a strategic policy of the Party in order to constantly improve the quality of human resources and promptly meet the requirements of building a modern Army. Therefore, in the coming time, military academies and schools need to be "active, drastic and creative" in implementing this policy.

Thoroughly grasping and implementing resolutions and directives of the Party, Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence on education and training, focusing on the Party's Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW (11^th tenure) on “fundamentally and comprehensively renewing education and training, meeting the requirements of industrialisation and modernisation in the context of a socialist-oriented market economy and international integration"; Resolution No. 109-NQ/QUTW, dated February 11, 2019 of the Central Military Commission on developing the contingent of army officers, especially operational and strategic ones, meeting requirements and tasks in the new situation”; "Strategy for development of education and training in the Army for the 2011 – 2020 period",... over the past time, the work of education and training in academies and schools of the Army (hereinafter referred to as Military schools) has seen positive, synchronous and comprehensive innovations and achieved a number of important achievements, meeting the requirements of building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and increasingly modern army.

An English class at the Logistics Academy

In the coming years, it is forecasted that the world and regional situations will continue to be complicated, with strategic competition and conflicts taking place in various forms and increasingly severity. To meet the requirements and tasks of building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modernised army, by 2025, basically, to build a lean, compact and strong Army, creating a solid premise to strive to build a modern Army by 2030 for firmly defending the Vietnam Socialist Fatherland, it is required that military schools and educational and training tasks in the Army continue to have robust and comprehensive innovation, and be “proactive, drastic and creative", making a fundamental and solid change, improving the quality of education and training. In particular, Military agencies, units and schools need to focus on well implementing the following basic measures:

Firstly, renovate the planning, training and fostering of the teaching and educational administration staff with close links with the orientation of Army development and national education. First of all, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp the resolutions and directives of the Party, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence on education and training work. On that basis, functional agencies, directly the Department of Schools, should research and advise the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence to formulate and effectively implement the Strategy for Education and Training Development in the Army in the 2021 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2045 and the Project of "Building the contingent of teachers and educational administrators in the Army to meet the requirements of fundamental and comprehensive renovation of education and training in the Army in the period of 2020 - 2030”, etc. Thereby, they should research and synchronously deploy solutions in a scientific, practical and effective manner in planning, training, fostering and improving their professional capacity, foreign languages, technology, pedagogical and managerial skills, and practical experience,... to meet the prescribed standards. At the same time, research and creatively apply mechanisms and policies to attract the talented personnels; have proper use of human resources in accordance with their capabilities and forte to bring into full play their capacity and qualifications.

Second, promote innovation in training programs and teaching methods towards standardisation, modernisation, relevant to the practice and goal of building a modern Army. To meet the requirements of developing a high-quality human resource to serve the Military modernisation from 2030 in light of the Resolution of the 11^th Military Party Congress of the Army, adhering to the motto that: "Training quality of the schools is the combat readiness level of the unit", Military schools should strongly innovate educational and training programs in the direction of: building a contingent of officers and specialised, technical staff in the Army with strong political will, creative thinking, qualifications and knowledge of military, politics, science, foreign languages, informatiion technology to meet the requirements of integration and high-tech warfare; scientific and democratic working style and method, regularity, solidarity, healthy lifestyle, good morality and health. The functional agencies of the Ministry of National Defence and the Military schools should inherit and promote the Army tradition and military art of Vietnam, firmly grasp the structure of the Army, requirements from practice and advanced programs and methods in the world to proactively take appropriate steps, sticking to the criteria of standardisation and modernisation, approach and application of the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Training programs should be logic, inter-connected, shortened, and at the same time stick to the output goals and standards of each target object; update the development of science and practice. In the immediate future, it is necessary to focus on researching, developing and perfecting the Scheme on renewal of training processes and programs for cadres at all levels in the Army to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation; focus on building a number of training programs in specific specialties, spearhead fields, and high quality to master weapons and equipment, and build a modern and dual-use defence industry. In particular, it is necessary to innovate foreign language and computer training programs, taking quality as the top criterion; expand cooperation on foreign language teaching both at home and abroad and on-site foreign language and informatics training programs, to make it relevant to learners' awareness level, etc.

Third, innovate the inspection and evaluation of education and training; invest in modernising teaching facilities effectively. Leaders and commanders of military schools and functional agencies need to strengthen the inspection, examination, supervision, review and quality assurance of the training, ranging from process, program to the quality of teaching - learning, the exploitation and use of teaching equipment, etc. Promote innovation in content, form and methods of examination, testing and assessment of students' learning results, focusing on improving the quality of exam questions and tests; implement various forms of examination, checking and evaluation, suitable to each major and training object. Regularly conduct surveys, collect feedbacks from learners and units in the whole army about training programs, contents, teaching, management and administration methods,... opportunely review, adjust and supplement the education and training process.

As for the facilities, teaching equipment should be equipped commensurate with the task of education and training in the new period. The functional agencies need to carefully study the objectives, requirements for Army development, specific characteristics of each school, conduct surveys, properly assess the actual situation, and advise the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence on investing in material facilities for the military school system. Focus on perfecting the planning and building of military schools towards the smart school model in association with the national digital transformation program in the field of education, and e-Government building within the Ministry of Naitional Defence. The system of lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, gymnasiums, training grounds, etc. of military schools should continue to be reviewed, planned, invested, synchronised, unified, standardized, and modernised.

Fourth, continue to promote and improve the effectiveness of international cooperation in education and training.

This is the strategic orientation of the Party and the State, making an important contribution to improving the efficiency of international integration and defence foreign affairs; in which, international cooperation in training is a necessary solution and favourable conditions for training a contingent of qualified staff capable of working in international environments as well as applying knowledge of modern science suitable to the task of building the Army, consolidating national defence and defending the Fatherland. The functional agencies of the Ministry of National Defence and academies and schools in the Army should actively follow the guidelines and policies of the Party and State on defence diplomacy, concretise them into programs and projects of international cooperation in training, especially in training high-quality human resources, in key industries. In particular, focus should be placed on researching a number of advanced educational models in the world to suitably apply to the practical conditions of education and training of the Army, focusing on intensive training in the following fields: military science and technology, military engineering, military medicine, foreign languages. Continue to cooperate and exchange human resources training with the armies of ASEAN countries and traditional partners, ensuring quality, in line with the direction of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence, contributing to constantly consolidating, strengthening and strongly promoting the Party's foreign defence lines.

Innovate to improve the quality of education and training is an important, regular and continuous task. Therefore, the functional agencies of the Ministry of National Defence and the system of military academies and schools need to invest fundamentally in research and application in specific conditions, constantly improving the quality of training, creating high-quality human resources, creating an important foundation for building a modern Army.

Lieutenant General NGO MINH TIEN, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army