Thoroughly understanding the position and role of the defence and military work in central departments, ministries and sectors, the Ministry of Education and Training has recently led, directed and implemented such important task with many solutions which are scientific, suitable and practical with its functions and missions.

Ministry of Education and Training is the subordinate sector of the Government, tasked with the state management of education and training. In recent years, together with its leadership and direction on implementing the central missions, the Ministry has directed its departments, units and educational institutions to intensely conduct the defence and military work, and gained many active results.

The grasp, concretisation and implementation of policies of the Party and State, resolutions, directives and instructions of the Central Military Commission, Ministry of National Defence on the defence and military work have been strictly led and directed by the Ministry, making them synchronous and suitable with the functions, missions and features of the Education sector. The system of military commands has been regularly reviewed, completed, strengthened and improved regarding the working efficiency, well proving the role of advising, directing and conducting the defence work; the self-defence forces have been strengthened properly in structure and components, strictly trained in schedules, being ready to handle any defence and security situations at the grassroots level.

Educational institutions receive certificates of merit in defence work from the Deputy Minister of Eduation and Training

The education and training of defence and security knowledge for learners have been seriously conducted with the quality being gradually improved, creating active changes in their awareness and responsibility for doing the military and defence missions, making contribution to building the political - spiritual potential, together building the strengthened and modernised all-people national defence, etc. With the drastic engagement of the party committees and leaders of departments and units, the Ministry, for many years, has been acknowledged the typical unit in implementing the defence and military work among the central departments, ministries and sectors.

From the reality and gained results, the Ministry has withdrawn several experience, which are also main solutions to be carried out in the forthcoming time.

Firstly, strengthening the leadership and direction of the party committees and all departments and units leaders in doing the defence and military work. Accordingly, the Ministry has thoroughly grasped all resolutions, directives and guidelines of the Central Committee and Ministry of National Defence on the defence and military work, especially the Resolution of the 8th Plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for National Defence in the new situation; Decree No. 168/2018/NĐ-CP, dated 28 December 2018 by the Government on the defence work in the central and local ministries and departments; Plan on the defence and security education of the Central Council for National Defence and Security Education, etc. On this basis, the Ministry has built resolutions, programmes, plans and guiding documents which are suitable to its functions and missions, focusing on improving the quality of defence and security education for students, and effectively implemented them in all departments, units and educational institutions; regularly made a close coordination with functional authorities of the Ministry of National Defence to appraise, approve and license programmes, plans, and projects, especially the international cooperation projects and foreign-related projects, assuring each development stage of the Education sector to be combined with the requirements of strengthening the defence and security.

In the implementation process, all departments, units, and institutions of education and training need to enhance their education, improve the awareness and responsibility, and build the motivation for all cadres, staff, and workers with many suitable and flexible forms and methods; combine the education and propaganda in schedule with the ones integrated in briefing meetings, professional activities and political learning. Especially, they also pay attention to bringing into play the leaders’ responsibility and, the advising role of functional authorities, connecting the defence and military work results with the annual evaluation of task completion; enhance the inspection and examination of the defence and military work implemented by all departments, units and institutions of education and training, timely deal with any arising difficulties; maintain the briefing and reporting routines as scheduled. As a result, all objectives and targets of defence and military work have been successfully accomplished with some of them having been excellently finished.

Leader of the Department of Defence and security education awards the lecturers of defence and security education gaining good results in a shooting test

Secondly, improving the working efficiency of the military commands at all levels. The military commands play a core role in advising and implementing the defence and military work; however, owing to the fact that most of the cadres who have neither been professionally educated nor trained are in concurrent positions, the quality of task performance is still limited. Therefore, the Ministry has regularly reviewed and strengthened the military commands at all levels, initially, the Ministry-level Military Command with proper structure, quantity and quality, bringing into play the roles of seconded military officers. For institutions of education and training, it has assigned the principals and vice-principals to become commanding officers of the military commands under the direct leadership and direction of the party committees and school boards, and the professional direction of the Ministry-level Military Command in order to closely connect the defence and military work with the central political task, at the same time, strictly maintained the working routines and regulations, clearly defined the roles, tasks and responsibilities, assuring the effective and practical functions. When conducting many intertwined tasks, the Ministry has directed to build the training plans on the defence and military work in a flexible, practical and realistic way; focusing on upgrading new and difficult contents including the organisation and training methods for the self-defence forces, the registration and management of the reserve, defence zone military exercises, dealing with situations of defence, security, civil defence, etc. Together, the Ministry has coordinated with Hanoi Capital Command, Ho Chi Minh Command and other provincial military commands to give professional direction and guidance to other military commands in their implementation of the defence and military work, and participating in building the stable defensive zones. Up to now, the Ministry has strengthened 60 military commands, all of which have been in stable operation.

Thirdly, building the strong self-defence forces; strictly registering and managing the reserve sources, making contribution to building the defence potential, improving the capability of situation handling from the grassroots level. Based on the guidance documents on the work of self-defence forces, especially the Law on Militia and Self-Defense Forces, the Ministry has directed departments, units and institutions of education and training to build and strictly implement the self-defence plans, regularly review, complete and strengthen the self-defence forces which have proper structure and good quality closely to their functions and duties; closely coordinated with the local military agencies in the areas to build programmes and strictly hold training for the self-defence forces, assuring the proper content and military-political training balance; intensely trained the self-defence forces how to skillfully use all types of existing weapons, supporting tools and devices in dealing with any situations of protecting their working offices, units, etc.

The Ministry has frequently reviewed and completed the combat readiness plans on protecting agencies and units, and plans on coordinating with other forces in counter-terrorism and civil defence; strictly maintained the combat readiness duties in all festivals, traditional lunar new year, and great political events of the country. In addition to properly implementing all benefit standards and policies for the self-defence forces, the Ministry has directed all departments, units and institutions of education and training to legally mobilise all sources to support the self-defence forces in all periods of training and combat readiness, creating the motivation for them to successfully accomplish their tasks. Together, the Ministry has also directed the military commands in all institutions of higher education to properly receive and transfer the military service registration for students after each training course in accordance with regulations, at the same time, cooperatively review the source of graduated students and select them for the reserve training course (reaching 398/400 candidates, at 99.5% in 2025).

Fourthly, renovating and improving the education quality of defence and security knowledge for all participants. Given the core role in advising, directing, guiding and implementing the task of defence and security education in the national education system, the Ministry has directed the Ministry-level Military Command to closely coordinate with the functional authorities of the Ministry of National Defence and Ministry of Public Security to build and compile the training programmes and textbooks, and issue the guidance documents on instructing the subject of National defence and security education; gradually build the contingent of teachers and lecturers in both quantity and quality. Annually, based on the Plan of National defence and security work from the Central Council for National Defence and Security Education, the Ministry directs all centres and institutions of education and training to proactively make the training preparation including the materials, training grounds, teaching aids, and organise many further training sessions on professional development and teaching methods for all teachers and lecturers who are instructing the subject of National defence and security education.

Additionally, the Ministry directs all departments, units and institutions of education and training to strictly review and make training plans for the defence and security knowledge for all participants; open training courses for the class-4 cadres, send staff to attend courses for the class-2, and class-3 ones, completing all targets as prescribed. To improve the efficiency, the Ministry brings into play the roles of Defence and Security Education Department, seconded military officers and the local military agencies in advising, directing, guiding and implementation; increases the investment and purchases of equipment, upgrades training grounds, actively applies the scientific and technological advances, and digital transformation in the training management and result assessment.

The Ministry also holds contests and competitions, creating the vibrant emulation movement in the implementation. As a result, the education of National defence and security has been continuously enhanced, contributing to improving the awareness and responsibility of all cadres, staff, and workers in the Education sector for the defence and military tasks in the new situation.

Major General TRAN NGOC THANH, Deputy Commander of the Ministry-level Military Command, Director of the Department of Defence and Security Education