From “educational management” to “development-oriented governance”

Recently, at a working session with the education sector on preparations for the 2026–2027 academic year and the implementation of Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW of the Politburo, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that the education sector must make a decisive shift from the mindset of “educational management” to “development-oriented educational governance.” He stressed the need to grant greater autonomy to schools, principals, and teachers, while ensuring accountability.

Granting autonomy and responsibility to individual schools, principals, and teachers is, in essence, a way to unlock creativity and innovation. For years, education has often been constrained by standardized regulations and administrative directives. With greater autonomy, a principal can flexibly design supplementary programs that incorporate local cultural values, while teachers can adapt their teaching methods to suit different groups of students without having to wait for approval. The key lies in accountability: educators may choose their own approaches and methods, but outcomes - including student performance, professional ethics, and financial transparency - must be subject to clear evaluation and oversight. Such a mechanism serves as a form of self-regulation, helping improve and strengthen the capacity of educational leadership.

Science and technology, artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and semiconductor technologies are reshaping the world at an unprecedented pace. If education focuses solely on teaching what already exists, graduates may find themselves immediately left behind. The education sector must be able to anticipate which professions will emerge and which will disappear, enabling it to develop strategic academic disciplines and training programs promptly. It must stay one step ahead, demonstrating a strategic vision that keeps pace with global trends.

The General Secretary also underscored the need for universities to strengthen links with businesses, research institutes, and local development needs. This three-way partnership offers a solution to the long-standing mismatch between labor market demands and graduate qualifications, as well as the need to retrain many graduates after entering the workforce. At the same time, inclusive education for children with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds must be implemented substantively and effectively. For ethnic minority, mountainous, border, and island areas, priority should be given to early childhood education, Vietnamese language instruction before Grade 1, boarding facilities, school meal programs, teacher housing, and safe routes to school.

When outdated management thinking is replaced with a more dynamic governance approach and social resources are effectively mobilized, education and training can truly become a key driver of national development. By improving the quality of the country’s human resources, the sector will help Vietnam confidently advance into a new era of growth and national aspiration.

Phuong Dong