Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 5 beat the drum to kickoff the 2019-2020 academic year at Son Tay High School in Hanoi’s outlying SonTay township.

Speaking at the ceremony, PM Phuc congratulated the school on achievements ithas recorded over the past 60 years, and lauded its efforts in renovatingteaching and learning methods.

The Party and State always pay attention to education and training, heaffirmed, noting his hope that the sector, including the Son Tay High School,will contribute more to national construction.

Apart from official subjects, the school should place more importance onteaching morals, lifestyle and life skills, thus promoting comprehensivedevelopment of students, PM Phuc said.

The same day, Party and State leaders attended school year staring ceremoniesat educational institutions in mountainous provinces.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, representatives ofthe Government Office and the Ministry of Education and Training, and leadersof Bac Giang province joined teachers and students of Thang Town Primary Schoolin Hiep Hoa district at the school year beginning ceremony.

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong was also present at asimilar ceremony of Hoang Van Thu High School in Yen Bai province.

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Manattended the ceremony of Da Bac Boarding Secondary and High School for EthnicMinority Students in Hoa Binh province.

On this occasion, he handed over 15 gift packages worth 30 million VND (1,290USD) to poor students with outstanding academic achievements and five guitarsto the school.


More than 24 million students across the country began the 2019-2020 academicyear following brief ceremonies on September 5.

Almost alleducational establishments nationwide removed the balloons from theirtraditions in response to the ‘say no to plastic waste’ campaign.

The ceremonies,however, went on as usual with saluting the national flag, singing the nationalanthem, reading the State President’s letter on the occasion, beating the drum,and a series of musical performances and sport events.

According toestimates from the Ministry of Education and Training, this new academic yearwelcomes over 5.5 million kindergarteners, more than 17 million primary,secondary, and high school students, as well as over 1.5 millionundergraduates.

The education sector will continue applying measures to fulfill itsgoals set for 2016 – 2020 and address pressing issues that have caused publicconcern.-VNA