8/3/2019 The context Opportunities and Challenges of our Countrys Education during the Next Decades

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Updated: 02/10/06The context, Opportunities and Challenges of our Countrys Education during the Next Decades

2.1. International Context

a) In 21st

century the revolution of science and technology will continue its development by leaps

and bounds, bringing the world from era of industry to the era of information and knowledgebased economy, at the same time affecting all fields of human activities, changing rapidly the

material and spiritual life of society. The distance between scientific-technological inventionsand their applications in practice is gradually reduced; the knowledge treasure of mankind is

becoming diversified, abundant and is increasing by geometric progression.

b) Globalization and worldwide economic integration is an objective trend. It is a process of both

co-operation for development and fighting of developing countries for preservation of thenational benefit. The economic competition between nations will be more drastic, requiring the

increase in productivity, quality of goods and rapid change of technology. Communicationmedia, telecommunication network and internet create favourable conditions for cultural

exchange and integration. At the same time, a sharp fight for the preservation of the nationalcultural identities is taking place.

The rapid progress of science and technology, the dynamic development of economies, the

process of integration and globalization make the reduction of gaps between development levelsof different countries more realistic and faster. Science and technology are becoming the main

driving force for socio-economic development. Education is the foundation of science-technology development, of the human resources development to satisfy the requirements of a

modern society and it plays the key role in enhancing national awareness for the responsibilitiesand capability of the present and future generations.

c) The education renovation is taking place on a worldwide scale. The above mentioned contexthas created radical changes in education from the concept of education quality, building the

personality of learners, to the organization of educational processes and systems. The closedschools are changing to become open and to dialogue with society and be closely linked with

science-technology research and application. Teachers, instead of transferring knowledge, aremoving to providing learners with systematic methodologies of absorbing information and

analytical thinking. Investment in education is consideredas investment for development rather than for social welfare

as before.

Developing and developed nations alike have recognized the role and position of education and

the necessity of educational renovations to respond more dynamically, effectively and directly tothe requirements of the countrys development.

2.2. The National Context

The IXth

Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, based on two strategic tasks of building

socialism and defending the country, has asserted that from now to the year 2010 we have tobring our country out of underdevelopment, to significally enhance the level of peoples life both

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materially and spiritually. This will lay down the foundation for Vietnam to become anindustrialized and modernized country by the year of 2010. The industrialization and

modernization of our country needs to be and can be shortened in comparison with that of othercountries by making small steps one after another, as well as by leaps and bounds.

To shortcut and advance to front for the country to move from underdeveloped to developedstatus, education and science-technology should have more decisive role. Education should makeone step in advance to improve mass knowledge, to train manpower and to nurture the talents in

order to carry out successfully the socio-economic strategic goals.

In our country the industrialization process is being implemented in the context of variousownership forms and many economic sectors operating in accordance with a market mechanism

oriented to socialism. The development of goods production results in the expansion of labourmarket and the increase of learning needs. On the other hand it has changed values and has

influenced career choices, learning motivation and the relations within schools and society. Freecompetition differentiates between the rich and the poor and increases the disparities in learning

opportunities between people clusters.

While creating favourable conditions for educational development, society requests from

education an active service; timely adjustment of the structure and scope to enhance educationquality to meet diversified demands, increase its effectiveness and to become quick and

responsive to the changing demands of manpower. Education should reorient the values, nurturenew quality of character, new capacity and bring equity of learning opportunities to all levels of

education and training for all people''''''''''''''''s clusters.

2.3. Opportunities and Challenges

The international and national context creates opportunities as well as big challenges foreducation of our country. The innovation of education on the worldwide scale creates

opportunities for Vietnamese education to quickly adapt to new trends, new knowledge, newtheories, new modes of organization and modern content of teaching. As well, it makes the most

of international experiences for innovation and development.

The Party, State and our people attach importance to and pay attention to education and at the

same time request it to be renovated and developed in order to respond to the growing demandsof all population groups in learning and possessing knowledge, professional skills, training

necessary quality, capability in the process of industrialization, modernization and internationalintegration of our country.

The education sector should meet challenges not only specific to Vietnam, but also common to

the world''''''''''''''''s education. On one hand, it should overcome weaknesses, and strongly developin order to reduce the gaps between our countrys education and education of advanced

countries, which are continuously undergoing innovation and development. As well, educationshould find a balance between the requirements to quickly increase the enrollment and the

limitation of resources; between the requirements to quickly increase the enrollment and to

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enhance the quality immediately; between the requirements to make radical and overall changesand to retain the relatively stable status in education system.

The changes in mechanism and economic development require that education keep pace with

and to be relevant to the new mechanism and to be always developed one step in front of the

social development. Our nation has the tradition of patriotism, hard work, fondness for learning,capability to accept and apply new knowledge and skill. We should bring these advantages intoplay for meeting challenges, making use of opportunities to build up an advanced, modern

education, oriented to a learning society, in order to meet the needs of manpower training,enhance the all-round quality of Vietnamese in the new era, to promote the social progress.