(HBO) - Hoa Binh province was the first mountainous locality in the country that has eradicated illiteracy and been honoured with commendation from President Ho Chi Minh in January 1961.
In November 1948, the leader sent a letter of commendation to people and teachers joining the education movement in Thanh Nong commune (now part of Ba Hang Doi township, Lac Thuy district) in recognition of their efforts in successfully eradicating illiteracy, becoming the first area in the province to have triumphed over "ignorance”, contributing to the nation's efforts to build a learning society.
A mountainous province, yet Hoa Binh has ranked 34th among the 63 provinces and cities that meet the standard of Level-2 illiteracy eradication. This is a solid foundation for the locality to build a learning society in the new stage of development.
In 1965, UNESCO designated September 8th every year as the International Literacy Day. The designation signifies the importance of literacy in human development. It aims to call for global efforts to eradicate illiteracy. UNESCO asserts that eliminating illiteracy is synonymous with eradicating poverty, constituting a monumental political, economic, and social task, and laying a crucial foundation for each nation's journey towards a sustainable future.
Generations of teachers and students of Le Quy Don Secondary School (Hoa Binh city) visit the school's traditional room.
In Vietnam, the determination to eradicate illiteracy was highlighted by President Ho Chi Minh. Seventy-eight years ago, on September 8, 1945 - just five days after the leader read out the Declaration of Independence to declare the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Government issued three Decrees (No. 17, 19, 20) on combating illiteracy, highlighting the popular education movement as both a revolutionary movement and a national educational institution. Earlier, in the first meeting of the Government Council on September 3, 1945, the President emphasised that an urgent task at that time was to eradicate illiteracy - the second most crucial after combating hunger.
Accordingly, on September 8, 1945, the popular education department was established under Decree No. 19. The popular education movement quickly spread widely nationwide.
At the launching ceremony of "the whole country emulate building a learning society, promoting lifelong learning in the 2023 – 2030 period” movement, representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training affirmed that since President Ho Chi Minh launched a movement to eradicate illiteracy, no national emulation movement has been launched in the field of learning society. This is the continuation of achievements of the emulation movement launched by President Ho Chi Minh 78 years ago.
Upholding this spirit in the renewal period, Vietnam is taking many practical actions to eliminate illiteracy nationwide in general and among ethnic minorities and mountainous people in particular.
In the afternoon of December 17, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized a summary and awarding ceremony for the Online Competition on preventing and controlling the Family Violence in 2024.
Implementing the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress to reach a health insurance coverage rate of 95% or more of the population, the Women's Union at all provincial levels has deployed the creative models and methods and effectively replicated them. These activities not only contribute to completing the social security goals, but they also spread the spirit of solidarity and sharing in the community.
Hoa Binh is carried out investment projects to upgrade three district medical centres in Lac Son and Yen Thuy districts and Hoa Binh city. The projects are funded by the central budget under the Economic and Social Recovery and Development Programme, aiming to improve healthcare services. The goal is to gradually develop a system of modern and quality district-level healthcare facilities.
To improve the cultural and spiritual life of the elderly, the associations for the elderly at various levels in Hoa Binh province have created many interesting and meaningful activities, attracting the participation of a large number of old people. These activities provide opportunities for them to improve both their physical and mental health, enabling them to live happily and healthily.
The pilot programme for sending Vietnamese workers to the Republic of Korea (RoK) for seasonal agricultural jobs continues under a collaboration between localities of the two countries, running for five years from January 1, 2022.
Staff of the Red Cross Society of Hoa Binh province were deeply moved by a meaningful and humanitarian act by Mr Vu Huu Lung, 86, in Hoa Binh city, to donate his corneas, which brought hopes to those yearning for the light. Before passing away, Lung left behind a noble wish to donate all of his organs, including his corneas, to help patients suffering from blindness and those in need of organ transplants to revive their lives.
