Vietnam always attaches importance to intensifying its participation and
contributions to international organisations and forums, including the
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO), said
President Truong Tan Sang.
Sang made the remarks at
his opening speech to the 47th conference of SEAMEO Council that
opened in Hanoi on March 20.
As Chair of the
SEAMEO Council this year, Vietnam will do its utmost together with other
member countries to fulfil the signed cooperation programmes of the
organisation, for development and prosperity of each member country, and
for peace, stability, cooperation and development in Southeast Asia and
the world, he affirmed.
The event is taking place
at a time when the region and the world are experiencing significant
changes in politics, security, economics, culture and social affairs,
offering both opportunities and challenges, the State leader said.
He highlighted a policy forum themed, “Lifelong Learning: Vision and
Policy”, which he said is also an important orientation in the
education-training development strategy of each country.
Over the past years, the State and Government of Vietnam has
considered education-training to be a top priority, Sang said, noting
the country’s heavy investment in human resources and putting forth
mechanisms and policies for the sector.
Those
efforts paid off with the quality of education improving significantly,
and social and gender equality in education recording encouraging
achievements, the leader said.
In 2000, Vietnam
fulfilled the UN Millennium Development Goal of illiteracy eradication
and universal primacy education ahead of schedule.
The country aims to have an advanced education sector by 2020, which can
meet industrialisation, modernisation and international integration
requirements, Sang said.
He thanked the support and
cooperation of other country members to help Vietnam assume the
role of SEAMEO Council Chair and fulfilling the country’s education
goals.
The event gathered 200 delegates from 18
countries, including education ministers, high-level government
education officials and representatives from international
organisations, from 11 SEAMEO member states, associate members,
affiliate organisations, regional centres and development partners.
High on the agenda of the two-day conference are discussions on
accelerating the “Education for All” programme and post-2015 development
and education in Southeast Asia .
Established in
1965, SEAMEO has become the largest international organisation in
Southeast Asia in education, science and cultural cooperation.
The United Kingdom became the eighth associate member of the organisation in 2013.-VNA