For first graders, the first school day is a great pleasure in their childhood memories. For pupils and students at higher levels, a new academic year promises outstanding achievements in their studies, and is a chance to meet teachers and friends again after long Summer holidays.

In this school year, the Ministry of Education and Training has devised many new tasks.

At a recent conference in Hanoi to implement tasks for the 2006-2007 academic year, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan stressed that from the first day of the new school year, the education sector will launch the campaign “say no to negative phenomena and achievement disease in education”.

In order to implement the campaign effectively, the education sector is continuing to renew emulation and reward systems and improve the quality and the role of inspection work while developing exemplary role models and fighting negative phenomena in education.

The new school year also concerns teachers - they will have to make every effort to better serve their students. Tran Kim Ngan from the Nguyen Du Primary School said, “This school year poses heavy tasks, which require us to improve the quality of education. Teachers themselves must broaden their scope of knowledge and teaching methods. This school year, particular emphasis will be given to subjects such as music, painting and physical training and sports in order to improve students’ aestheticism and love for nature.

As a teaching veteran, Deputy Headmaster of the Tran Phu Senior Secondary School Nguyen Huu Chieu underscored the need to renew and improve the quality of secondary education by increasing the quality of teaching by closely monitoring teachers’ lessons in class so that young teachers will have to improve their teaching methods regularly.

Apart from reforming teaching methods, curricula and educational equipments are an area of concern. Though the reforms of curricula and teaching methods have been conducted by the education and training sector and schools, little progress has been made. Much of the curricula need to be changed to keep pace with recent development. Educational equipment is still lacking, particularly in remote areas.

Teacher Bui Ngoc Minh from Nguyen Du primary school in Hanoi said it is necessary to adjust and finalise curricula, particularly curricula for primary education because it will determine the development of pupils in the next educational levels.

The 2006-2007 school year is the first year to implement the subject-based programmes at senior secondary schools. They include a basic programme, a natural science programme, and a social science programme. According to statistic from the Ministry of Education and Training, 73.5 percent of students registered for the basic programme, 20 percent registered for the natural science programme and 21.4 percent registered for the social science programme.

The subject-based programmes have caused parents’ and students’ concerns. Student Ta Hoang Yen from Tran Phu senior secondary schools, Hanoi said the subject-based programmes will help students orient their future study but they also miminise students’ comprehensive knowledge.

Many teachers said all teachers and students must adapt to the subject-based programmes.

The 2006-2007 school year has come. For a successful school year, more effort must be made from the education and training sector in general, and schools, teachers and students in particular.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Party leader Nong Duc Manh highlighted achievements of the Giang Vo senior secondary school in the previous school year. He stressed that the Party and State have always cared for the development of education and training. He asked the Giang Vo senior secondary school and all schools across the country to closely cooperate with families and indeed the whole society to develop the country’s education, adhere to the educational targets of enhancing people’s knowledge, training human resource and nurturing talents for national indutrialisation and modernisation.

On behalf of nearly 3,500 teachers and pupils of Giang Vo senior secondary school, headmaster Pham Van Khanh pledged to continue improving school facilities and teaching quality to turn Giang Vo senior secondary school into a national-standard school.