Facing the requirements of the cause of renovation, Homeland construction and protection in the new situation, our Party, State have managed to intensify defence and security education for the entire people in general and for students in particular. The issue of the Law on Defence and Security Education as well as the system of legal documents set foundation for the unified implementation throughout our national education system.

Briefing and implementing the Law, the Decision 1911/QD-TTg dated 18 October 2013 of the Prime Minister on approving the Plan for implementing Law on Defence and Security Education, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) proposed the publication of legal documents guiding the implementation of defence and security education in the national educational system. To date, MOET has set up a revising board for renewing program, course book relating to defence and security education at every level of study, namely high school, vocational school, and tertiary education. Accordingly, the program has been enriched with knowledge on safeguarding the national sovereignty over seas, islands, and border; military drills have been graded clearly; practice time has been increased, etc. Through the program, students have been more aware of the Party’s viewpoint and guidelines on national defence, people’s security, the enemy’s plot of sabotage; maturing their military drills and being ready for Homeland construction and defence.

To enhance the quality of this work, in the coming time, educational institutions should strengthening propagation on the role and function of the work, focusing on the Directive 12-CT/TW dated 03 May 2007 of the Politburo on “strengthening the Party’s leadership on defence and security education in the new situation”, Law on Defence and Security Education through out the whole system to unify awareness, thinking and action. Besides, it is necessary to carry out the following solutions:

First, renewing the contents of the program as well as teaching method compatible with the development of reality. MOET has coordinated with other related ministries and sectors in grasping the goals and requirements of the subject at each grade and level of study; studying and adjusting contents to ensure the continuity and relevance to students’ profession. In particular, it is necessary to supplement lessons and examples of heroic sacrifice in the Homeland protection war in Vietnamese modern history to show examples of the determination to protect national independence, sovereignty and integrity of our troops and people. It is also important to supplement legal grounds on our sovereignty over seas and islands; the knowledge on the Law of the Sea of Vietnam, the 1982 UNCLOS and other international conventions, etc. Regarding military skills, it is necessary to plan particular drills for each level of study to avoid repetition. MOET should coordinate with the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security to issue a framework on defence and security education; regularly revise and supplement it to match the new development; and regulate contents and modes of implementation from primary schools to tertiary education.

The new program should be relevant to the modern warfare and attract learners, the new program should be divided into sub-groups of profession like technique, natural sciences, social sciences and humanity, etc compatible to areas of operation of military services, corps, not just tactical drills as in the former program.

Attaching importance to renewing teaching method; paying special attention to military operations; reducing time for theory while increasing time for practice and  field trips to military units. Thereby, students become more mature, confident, equipped with necessary military and security skills, and ready for Homeland protection.

Second, building a sufficient and qualified instructor staff on defence and security education. The Prime Minister issued the plan on training instructors for defence and security education. Accordingly, by 2020, 90% of the demand on defence and security instructors in schools and 70% of the  demand on those in vocational schools and tertiary institutions will be met. To realize this goal, MOET has launched a project to train instructors on defence and security education . In the long term, it is necessary to have favourable conditions for staffs and instructors of defence and security education so that they can wholeheartedly focus on their job. In the coming time, it is important to implement the Joint Circular 15/2015/TTLT-BGDĐT-BLĐTBXH-BQP-BCA-BNV-BTC dated 16 July 2015 of the Ministries of: Education and Training, Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs, National Defence, Public Security, Internal Affairs, Finance on mechanisms and policies for staffs and instructors of defence and security education. Besides, MOET and the Ministry of National Defence should study and propose  plan on increasing a number of officers deployed to centers of defence and security education, universities, colleges.

Third, providing sufficient budget and facilities to meet the requirements of renewing and enhancing the quality of defence and security education for students. This is a special subject, hence needs specialized classrooms, fields, firing range, course book, and uniforms, etc.

To enhance the quality of teaching and learning, MOET coordinates with the Ministry of National Defence to study and renovate used weapons of level-5 to gradually equip for defence and security education centers.

Implementing synchronously those solutions will contribute to enhancing the quality of defence and security education for students, thereby raising their awareness and responsibility for national construction and defence.

Major General, Doctor Nguyen Thien Minh

Director of the Department of Defence and Security Education - MOET