Apprenticeship at Binh Duong Arts and Culture Middle School

Coming to conduct survey and work with officials and teachers of Binh Duong Arts and Culture Middle School yesterday morning of September 18, Nguyen Van Loi, Member of the CPV Central Committee, Secretary of Binh Duong provincial Party Committee, Head of the provincial National Assembly Delegation representative, affirmed that the special school hold fast to special policies necessary for the school to expand and develop in the future. The school needs to pay attention to training associated with practice as well as link with lacquer and ceramic associations to train and supply highly skilled labor in the field where the businesses need.

Efforts to promote tradition

Binh Duong Arts and Culture Middle School, formerly known as Thu Dau Mot Native Fine Arts School, was established in 1901 and is now the oldest applied arts school in the country. During more than 120 years of construction and development, experiencing many historical ups and downs, the school has become the cradle of Southern handicrafts to train many artisans from inside and outside the province while contributing to preservation and development of local traditional industries.

Nguyen Van Loi (3rd from right), Member of the CPV Central Committee, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Head of the provincial National Assembly delegation and the working group visit the carpentry and sculpture class at Binh Duong Arts and Culture Middle School. Photo: Quoc Chien

Le Quang Loi, Principal of the school, said that over the years, the school has made efforts to promote traditions, overcome difficulties, and determine to perform well its assigned tasks, contributing to the economic, cultural and social development of the province with the attention of the province and related sectors. In recent years, the school has obtained great achievements in vocational education and artistic activities to receive awards from all levels including a certificate of merit from the Vietnam Fine Arts Association commending the school for its excellent performance and many contributions during the 65 years of establishment of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

However, according to Le Quang Loi, a number of difficulties encountered including many policy-related issues that needed to be proposed to relevant branches to promptly resolve. Accordingly, the school is currently under the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and is responsible for organizing vocational education activities. At the same time, the school also regularly organizes cultural and artistic tourism activities. However, it does not receive support policies when carrying out these activities. In addition, the institution currently provides training in the field of artistic talent and develops students' talents, but does not have enough legal basis to enjoy the same benefits as other schools for artistic talents.

Le Quang Loi informed that also in relation to policies,currently the school only has 15 teachers receiving allowances for specialized schools while 38 are still illegible to the same, which is a problematic one that needs to be resolved promptly to motivate and encourage the spirit of the collective and teachers in the school."

School leaders also proposed that the province should pay attention to investing in machinery, equipment and renovating and upgrading school facilities at the school's two campuses because currently many construction items have degraded. Among them, the factory at 210 Bach Dang, Phu Cuong ward is a provincial historical relic that is damaged and degraded and is in dire need of repair.

Nguyen Van Loi (3^rd from the right), Member of the CPV Central Committee, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Head of the provincial National Assembly delegation visits to have a look at products at Binh Duong Art and Culture Middle School. Photo: Quoc Chien

Special policies needed

According to school leaders, breaking through development of Binh Duong Art and Culture Middle School in the coming time requires the attention of the province and related sectors. In the immediate future, the school proposes to develop a project of "Strategic planning for training development at Binh Duong Art and Culture Middle School for 2023-2025 with vision to 2045." In particular, it is striving by 2026 to be upgraded to a college. By 2030, output standards will reach the national qualifications framework, and by 2035, some of the school's key occupations will have competitiveness in the ASEAN region. For the vision to 2045, the school will both become a prestigious vocational education training facility and become the country's leading destination for sightseeing and experiencing art and culture.

Nguyen Tien Thanh, Chairman of Binh Duong Ceramics Association, said that connecting Binh Duong Art and Culture Middle School with ceramic and lacquer enterprises is very feasible as currently factories are lacking skilled workers while the school has the conditions to train highly skilled workers. Also according to Nguyen Tien Thanh, the school needs to proactively contact businesses to know the needs, product production stages, and product trends, from which they can participate in training to meet the needs of enterprises for labor.

School leaders also hope that the functional branches will resolve problems so that the school can enjoy the same regime as a gifted school and teachers can enjoy the same allowance as specialized school teachers as graphic design, sculpture, wood carving techniques become key occupations, in order to create a stepping stone for the school to be upgraded to a college.

At the survey and working session with officials and teachers of Binh Duong Art and Culture Middle School, Nguyen Van Loi, Member of the CPV Central Committee, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Head of the provincial National Assembly delegation praised the school's efforts and achievements in recent years which have contributed to continuing the good traditions of generations of teachers and students over the past 120 years.

The Secretary of the provincial Party Committee affirmed that Binh Duong Art and Culture Middle School is considered as a special school, so for many years the Party Committee, authority, people, artisans, writers and artists have always paid attention and created every opportunity and favorable conditions for the school to operate.

"It is a special school, so it is necessary to build a special policy and a special apparatus for the school to continue to develop in the coming time," the provincial Party Secretary emphasized and assigned the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to preside over the development of the Project of "Strategic planning for training development of Binh Duong Art and Culture Middle School for 2023-2025 with vision to 2045" to building the school not only as a place for vocational education but also as a center for displays, exhibitions, experiential activities, sightseeing and tourism.

In the development orientation, the provincial Party Secretary noted that the school needs to pay attention to training in association with practice as well as link with lacquer and ceramic associations to train and supply a highly skilled workforce in the field of business demands; at the same time, connect tourism development to generate revenue and reinvest in school development. The provincial Party Secretary also required the school to coordinate with Thu Dau Mot city to build a cultural space around the school, creating conditions for it to become one of the places to organize major cultural activities and events of the province as well as local cultural and artistic activities, meeting the cultural enjoyment needs of the people.

Regarding the school's recommendations related to resolving benefits for teachers, investing in machinery and equipment, repairing and renovating classrooms and factories, the provincial Party Secretary requested the Department Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to preside over and coordinate with relevant sectors to quickly resolve problems and create favorable conditions for teaching and learning activities of the school.

Reported by Tri Dung – Translated by Vi Bao