Political education and legal dissemination play an important role in building political stance, raising awareness of law and discipline observance, and practical capacity of militia and self-defence forces. Therefore, Thanh Hoa provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command have led and directed this work well by many creative and appropriate measures.

Thanh Hoa province has a large area of land, with 11 mountainous districts, 05 border districts with Laos, 213,604 km of land border and 102 km of coastline. Its population is big, with many ethnic groups and religions living together. Taking advantage of “democratic" and "human rights" issues, and difficulties in remote and isolated areas, hostile forces increased their subversive activities, significantly undermining the building of the all people’s national defence of the province. In order to well fulfill its local defence and military tasks, the Provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command have carried out many synchronously leadership solutions, in which building a "strong and widespread" militia and self-defence force is a focus.

In building the militia and self-defence force, the Provincial Military Party Committee and the Military Command pay special attention to linking political education with legal dissemination. To make it effective, they have directed agencies and units to proactively overcome difficulties, stick to reality, conduct political education and legal disseminate to many people with diverse and practical content and measures. Results of the annual political awareness test show that: 100% meet the requirements, of which 80% to 85% are rated good and excellent, contributing making its militia and self-defence force firm in political stance and good in ethics, strictly abide by local laws and regulations. In performing tasks, they always uphold responsibility, closely coordinate with forces to proactively handle situations in time, not to let "flashpoints" occur; protect the land and sea border lines safely. At the same time, they well implement the motto of "four in-place" in responding to and overcoming consequences of natural disasters; act as a key force on the frontline of Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control,... contributing to strengthening the relationship of solidarity between the army and people, maintaining political stability, social order and safety, and creating favourable conditions for local socio-economic development.

From the results achieved, the Provincial Military Command has drawn some lessons in order to continue to improve the effectiveness of political education and law dissemination for militia and self-defence forces to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation.

A training on making lesson plan for political education and legal dissemination in 2021

Firstly, bringing into play the role and responsibilities of political agencies, political educators and law disseminators. Thoroughly grasping the above directives and instructions, directly the Decision No. 2677/QĐ-BQP, dated July 23, 2013 of the Ministry of National Defence and Instruction No. 2345/HD-TH, dated October 11, 2013 of the Department of  Training and propaganda under the General Political Department on the implementation of the Project of "Innovation of political education at the units in the new period", the  Provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command directed its Political Department to develop the Plan No. 1176/KH-CT, dated April 26, 2014 to implement the Project "Innovation of political education at the units in the new period". In fact, the political lecturers and law disseminators for the militia and self-defence forces are part-time staff. They both have to lead, direct and implement their full-time work and conduct party work and political work in the militia and self-defence forces at the same time, hence their knowledge and skills in conducting political education and law dissemination have yet to meet requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to improve their awareness and pedagogical skills for them through concentrated briefing, quarterly briefings and holding contests. The content should be focused on Directive No. 16-CT/TW of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee (9^th tenure) on "Strengthening the Party's leadership over the militia and self-defence forces and the reserve forces in the new situation”; Directive No. 124-CT/QUTW, dated March 31, 2011 of the Central Military Commission's Standing Committee on "Strengthening leadership and direction in political education at the units in the new period"; Resolution of the 8^th Party Central Committee (11^th tenure) on the Strategy for Fatherland protection in the new situation; Resolution No. 765-NQ/QUTW, dated December 20, 2012 of the Central Military Commission on "Improving the quality of training for the period of 2013 and 2020 and beyond", etc. In addition, promoting the role of political cadres and political agencies at all levels in assessing the quality of political educators and law disseminators; coordinate with the Council for Legal Dissemination and Education to assess the law observance of the militia and self-defence forces, etc. to determine the content of training and retraining, especially training in methods, ensuring that knowledge is transmitted in a scientific, comprehensible and memorable way, easy to understand, easy to remember and easy to implement. As a result, the awareness and sense of responsibility in studying, improving the qualifications and training pedagogical skills of the contingent of political teaching staff and legal disseminators has been continuously improved, meeting the requirements of the task.

Second, renovating the content, form and methods of political education and legal dissemination. The Provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command directed its agencies and units to thoroughly grasp the basic contents of Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought; the Party's lines and policies; directives and resolutions of the upper echelons; tasks of the provincial armed forces; Law on Militia and Self-Defence; circulars and decrees on militia and self-defence work; tradition of heroic and resilient struggle of the heroic Thanh Hoa homeland. Communes and districts in mountainous and border areas focus on the Party, State and Army's foreign policy and foreign affairs; implement inter-sectorial decrees and circulars on coordination with border guards, police and forest rangers in maintaining national borders, fighting against crime, and protecting and preventing forest fires. Coastal communes focus on education of the content of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982; Law of the Sea of Vietnam; inter-sectoral decrees and circulars on coordination with border guards, coast guards and fisheries surveillance in protecting the sovereignty of national borders, islands and sea areas, and preventing and combating crimes at sea; search and rescue. In education, political educators and legal disseminators have performed well the ideological orientation and action guidance; linked with the functions and tasks of the trainees in order to improve the political quality, sense of law observance and discipline of the militia and self-defence force.

Third, associating political education and legal dissemination with revolutionary action movements. The combination between political education and law dissemination and the political movements is necessary to prevent the deterioration in political ideology, morality and lifestyle, the inadequate sense of law observance and discipline of militia and self-defence forces in the face of the negative impacts of the market economy and social evils. Because, this is the process of linking theory with practice, perception with action, arousing patriotism and socialism; promoting positivity, initiative, creativity, and the spirit of overcoming difficulties, and the sense of law observance and discipline for militia and self-defence forces. Therefore, the Provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command direct the district-level military agencies to well perform the work of political education and legal dissemination in association with the effective execution of emulation programs and movements of the localities and the units, such as: building new rural area; hunger eradication and poverty alleviation; joining hands for the poor - leaving no one behind; Thanh Hoa youth's volunteering to defend the Fatherland, thereby creating a favourable environment for the militia and self-defence forces to promote their role, dynamism and enthusiasm for work.

Fourth, ensuring enough material base and means for political education and legal dissemination. In order to convey the contents well, it is required to combine many forms and methods and have the necessary technical equipment and facilities for this work. During the implementation process, the committees and commanders of agencies and units have paid their attention to investing, purchasing and supplementing equipment according to their capabilities. They have managed, exploited and used the facilities effectively to make the most use of the visual education method. They based on each lecture and physical conditions to choose and use appropriate technical means to avoid the miss-use, affecting the effectiveness of the equipment.

Thanks to the synchronous implementation of the above contents, the work of political education and legal dissemination for the militia and self-defence forces of Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command in recent years has achieved good results. Their political awareness and compliance with State law and military discipline are raised, making them ready to receive and well complete all assigned tasks.

Colonel NGUYEN XUAN TOAN, Director of the Political Department, Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command