On September 28, 1982, the Council of Ministers (now the Government) issued Decision 167/HDBT to designate the date November 20 as the "Vietnamese Teachers’ Day”.
In 1982, Yen Bai was still part of then Hoang Lien Son province, which was set up in 1976. Hoang Lien Son province covered a large area, but local transport conditions were poor while people lived in difficulties, the economy was underdeveloped, and backward customs remained at that time. In particular, the war to defend the northern border in February 1979 saw economic and cultural establishments damaged, educational activities severely affected – the school year was interrupted, many schools destroyed and shut down temporarily, more than 1,300 classrooms demolished, and over 30,000 students lost their learning venues.
On October 1, 1991, Yen Bai province was re-established. At that time, 62 communes in the province completely lacked preschool education, the second and third grades were the highest in most of schools, and more than 60% of local classrooms were makeshift ones. School enrollment rates were low: 22.9% among kindergarten children, and 68% among six-year-old children. Meanwhile, dropout rates were high: 12% in primary schools (13.6% among first graders), 22.6% in junior high schools, and 14.2% in senior high schools.
After 40 years of efforts, especially since the province's re-establishment, the education and training sector of Yen Bai has gradually surmounted difficulties and challenges to make fundamental and comprehensive improvements.
The scale and network of schools and classrooms have been re-organised in a lean and effective manner. In the 2022 - 2023 academic year, the province has 463 educational establishments, including two junior colleges, two vocational colleges, seven centres of vocational training and continuing education, nine non-State centre of foreign language training, and 443 preschool and general education establishments with over 6,800 classrooms and 222,000 students.
Education quality has been improved gradually. School enrollment rates have reached nearly 97% among the kindergarten children and 99.9% among the six-year-old children. Besides, Yen Bai has no longer seen school dropouts in primary schools. The primary school completion rate has reached at least 97% while that rate at the junior high school level now stands at over 95%.
Comrade Vuong Van Bang on behalf of the Department of Education and Training received commendations for his outstanding achievements in the implementation of Action Program No. 18 of the Provincial Party Committee.
Both quantity and quality of specialised education have been promoted, helping the province maintain its position among the best performers in the 15 northern midland and mountainous provinces. One student of Yen Bai was granted a certificate of merit in the Asian Physics Olympiad in 2015, and another obtained a silver medal in the International Chemistry Olympiad in 2019.
Meanwhile, strong improvements have also been recorded in education in ethnic minority areas as well as education universalisation and illiteracy eradication.
Yen Bai is the first province to issue a set of temporary criteria for happy schools and launch an emulation movement in the entire education - training sector that calls on teachers to change for the sake of happy schools. At present, all schools province-wide are taking part in the building of happy schools.
Management cadres, teachers, and staff have been supplemented to all educational levels in a timely manner; training in specialised knowledge, skills, political thought, morality and lifestyle promoted; salary, benefits, allowances provided in a sufficient, transparent, and timely manner.
With their substantial contributions to educational development, a number of collectives and individuals in the sectors have been honoured with many noble rewards by the State, the Government, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the provincial People’s Committee.
The education sector of Yen Bai was honoured with the emulation flag by the Government in 2011, 2016, and 2020; the first-class Labour Order by the State President in 2003; and the third-class Independence Order in 2012.
Vuong Van Bang (Director of the Department of Education and Training)
