President Ho Chi Minh and the educational reform movement through his letters.

1.Immediately after the August Revolution of 1945, President Ho Chi Minh outlined three urgent tasks: combating famine, combating illiteracy, and combating foreign invasion. Thus, "illiteracy" was considered a threat no less serious than famine and foreign invasion.

 

In September 1945, on the occasion of the first school opening day of the Democratic Republic, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to all students with the following message:"Whether the Vietnamese nation will become beautiful and prosperous, and whether the Vietnamese people will reach the pinnacle of glory to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's leading powers, depends to a large extent on the academic achievements of our students."⁽¹⁾.

Amidst the arduous days of the resistance war against America, in October 1968, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to schools at the beginning of the new school year, reminding them:"No matter how difficult the circumstances, we must continue to strive for excellence in teaching and learning."”⁽²⁾This is the last letter the author sent to the education sector before his passing.

In the period between those two letters, President Ho Chi Minh repeatedly mentioned education during his visits to schools and in letters praising individuals or units that achieved good results, from kindergarten teachers and adult literacy teachers to officials and students in secondary schools and universities. From this, we can glean many valuable insights into Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on education that we need to understand and internalize.

2President Ho Chi Minh never once used the term "philosophy of education," but through his words and writings, three main themes regarding education emerge: why learn, what to learn, and how to learn. In other words, the purpose of education, the content of education, and the methods of education – the core issues of education, of "philosophy of education."

Về educational purposeHe pointed out that the education system of an independent country must train useful citizens, an education system that can fully develop the inherent abilities of students. In a letter to professors and students of the University Preparatory School (Thanh Hoa) in 1952, he stated that "education must aim at the goal of honestly serving the people."⁽³⁾In 1955, after the liberation of North Vietnam, he pointed out: It is necessary to build a teaching and learning ideology that serves the Fatherland and the people. To achieve this, it is necessary to vigorously eradicate the remaining influences of subservient education, such as: indifference towards society, detachment from the working life and struggles of the people; learning for the sake of obtaining degrees; and rote learning. In another letter, he emphasized: “Families, schools, and society all care for education with the aim of making our children become good citizens, good cadres, and good masters of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the future.”⁽⁴⁾These teachings reveal the core issue in Ho Chi Minh's thought on education, which is, first and foremost, thathuman issuesTraining teachers and students to serve the Fatherland and the people, and to cultivate useful citizens for the country. That is the fundamental and overarching purpose of education throughout any period of history.

Về educational contentIn an article published in the Nhan Dan newspaper on October 24, 1955, under the pseudonym CB, President Ho Chi Minh outlined the content of education as encompassing physical education, intellectual education, aesthetic education, and moral education. Physical education aims to improve physical health and hygiene; intellectual education involves reviewing what has been learned and acquiring new knowledge; aesthetic education helps distinguish between beauty and ugliness; and moral education fosters love for the homeland, the people, labor, science, and public property ("the five loves"). He noted the differences between educational levels to develop appropriate educational content.elementary,We need to educate people about the "five things to love".⁽⁵⁾"Cultivate honesty and courage; at school, respect teachers and friends, be united and help each other; at home, love and help parents; in society, participate in activities that benefit the common good to the best of one's ability. Teaching methods should be gentle and cheerful, not forcing children into the rigid framework of adults. Special attention must be paid to maintaining the children's health."^{(6. )}LIVEhigh school,"Ensure students acquire solid, practical general knowledge that is relevant to the needs and future development of the nation, while omitting any parts that are unnecessary for real life."⁽⁷⁾. LIVEuniversity"It is necessary to combine scientific theory with practice, diligently study advanced theories and sciences... and combine them with the realities of our country, in order to practically contribute to the cause of national construction."⁽⁸⁾What Uncle Ho taught us is to choose knowledge wisely.common, reliable, practical, and suitablethat is the proposalcriteriaThese are the basic knowledge that students need to acquire and should be considered as such today.mottoThis involves streamlining the curriculum, reducing the workload by removing parts that are unnecessary for real-life situations.

In a letter sent to officials, teachers, staff, and students on the occasion of the start of the new school year in October 1968, he emphasized:Building upon a solid foundation of political education and ideological leadership, we must strive to improve the quality of culture and professional skills.aimingpractical"To solve the problems posed by our country's revolution and, in the not too distant future, to reach the pinnacles of science and technology."⁽⁹⁾The issue of improving cultural and professional quality aims not only to address the demands of national practice but also to advance towards the pinnacles of world science and technology. This is both a requirement and an encouragement for the scientific staff in schools.

Về educational methodsHe pointed out that education must be closely linked to the political line of the Party and the State, and to production and the lives of the people. Learning must go hand in hand with practice, and theory must be linked to reality. For students, learning needs to be linked with practice so that in the future they can achieve the noble goal of serving the people. He always reminded them how to coordinate school education with the general political propaganda and education of the people. Clearly, "learning and doing," and "theory combined with practice" have always been the guiding principles of education, which President Ho Chi Minh repeatedly instructed teachers, students, and the entire education sector.

3. Để đạt được những nội dung trên thì phải làm gì? Có thể thấy nổi lên hai vấn đề qua các bức thư của Người là cải cách giáo dục và xây dựng đội ngũ giáo viên.

Nước Việt Nam độc lập ra đời, nền giáo dục nước ta chuyển từ nền giáo dục thuộc địa do chế độ thực dân chi phối sang nền giáo dục dân chủ do nhân dân làm chủ. Vì thế, ngay từ tháng 7-1948, Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh đã sớm đề ra yêu cầu cải cách giáo dục với nội dung rất cụ thể: Phải sửa đổi triệt để chương trình giáo dục cho hợp với sự nghiệp kháng chiến và kiến quốc; phải có sách kháng chiến và kiến quốc cho các trường; phải sửa đổi cách dạy cho hợp với sự đào tạo nhân tài kháng chiến và kiến quốc; phải đào tạo cán bộ mới và giúp đỡ cán bộ cũ theo tôn chỉ kháng chiến và kiến quốc; số đông đồng bào đã biết đọc, biết viết thì phải có một chương trình để nâng cao thêm trình độ văn hoá phổ thông⁽¹⁰⁾. Đây là sự chỉ đạo một cuộc cải cách giáo dục toàn diện về đường lối, chương trình, sách giáo khoa và đội ngũ cán bộ “cho hợp với sự nghiệp kháng chiến kiến quốc”. Đến năm 1951, trong thư gửi Đại hội giáo dục toàn quốc, Người chỉ thị phải “kiểm thảo kĩ công tác “cải cách” về chương trình, chủ trương và cách thi hành để tìm thấy những khuyết điểm mà sửa đổi, những ưu điểm mà phát triển thêm”⁽¹¹⁾.

President Ho Chi Minh always paid attention tođội ngũ các thầy cô giáoHe affirmed that the task of teachers is very important and very glorious. He advised: Working in kindergarten means replacing the mother in teaching children. To do that, one must first love children. Young children are often fussy, so one must be persistent and patient to raise and educate them. Teaching children is like planting saplings. If you plant saplings well, the children will grow up to be good people. He honored the team of teachers in the popular education movement, those who "expanded general knowledge for the people, to build a basic cultural foundation for the nation."^{(12 )}They are "unsung heroes," so "no bronze statue or stone monument can equal that honor."⁽¹³⁾Regarding teachers, the author wrote: "Teachers have the heavy and glorious task of training cadres for the nation."⁽¹⁴⁾. Người cũng nhắc nhở trách nhiệm của các cấp uỷ Đảng và chính quyền địa phương phải thật sự quan tâm hơn nữa đến sự nghiệp giáo dục, phải chăm sóc nhà trường về mọi mặt, và động viên sự giúp đỡ của các gia đình, các bậc phụ huynh: “Từ trước đến nay, đồng bào ta đã hết lòng giúp đỡ công việc giáo dục. Tôi mong rằng từ nay về sau, đồng bào sẽ cố gắng giúp đỡ nhiều hơn nữa cho trường học và ai cũng tự mình cố gắng học tập”⁽¹⁵⁾.

From the above quotations, it can be seen that Ho Chi Minh's thought on the cause of education is encapsulated in defining the purpose, content, and methods of education; the glorious responsibility of "training successors to the great revolutionary cause of our Party and people."⁽¹⁶⁾"Education is the undertaking of the masses," with the participation of all strata of the people. Adhering to Ho Chi Minh's educational philosophy, the education reform during the resistance war successfully fulfilled its arduous mission, effectively serving the "resistance war and national reconstruction" cause of the entire nation.

4.Entering a period of national renewal and international integration, the country's education system faces new tasks, opportunities, and challenges. However, President Ho Chi Minh's fundamental views on education remain a guiding principle for the development of education today and in the future.

In a letter to professors and students of the Thanh Hoa University Preparatory School (April 1952), President Ho Chi Minh instructed: education must aim at the goal ofhonestTo serve the people, teachers and students musthonestUnite and use democratic methods.honestSelf-criticism and criticism are essential for mutual progress, for continuous improvement. Clearly, the above lines show that what Uncle Ho was particularly concerned about was...honestyBecause honesty is essential for effective teaching and learning. In other words, to teach and learn effectively, one must be honest in both teaching and learning—meaning teaching and learning must be genuine. However, it's important to add that besides teaching and learning, good management is also crucial. Management...unrealIt means chasing after achievements.unrealThis will create pressure on teachers and students, and therefore will produce substandard results.unrealThe high school graduation exams over the years, with pass rates close to 100%, are a testament to this.counterfeit productThis is evident throughout the entire education sector, leading to numerous unforeseen consequences for society as a whole and for the destiny of the nation.

Therefore, one of the things that should be considered a breakthrough in the "fundamental and comprehensive" reform of education across the entire education sector is the creation ofa sincere spirit, an honest attitude,all schoolsGenuine teaching, genuine learning, and genuine management.To create generations of genuine teachers, genuine students, and genuine administrators, thereby contributing to building a truly prosperous, democratic, just, and civilized society. This is the most practical and effective way for us to study Uncle Ho's letter to the education sector and to respond to his aspirations for schools.

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^{(1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)}Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, Vol. 4, p. 35; Vol. 15, p. 507; Vol. 7, p. 400; Vol. 10, 176, 186; Vol. 5, p. 575; Vol. 7, p. 139; Vol. 4, p. 556; Vol. 7, p. 400; Vol. 12, p. 648, Vol. 15, p. 508.

⁽⁵⁾In 1961, in a letter to children and young people nationwide, Uncle Ho outlined five principles: Love the Fatherland, love your compatriots; Study well, work well; Be united, be disciplined; Maintain hygiene; Be honest and courageous. See Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 13, p. 132.