Piloting the "Learning Citizen" model: Need to adjust appropriate criteria

The purpose of the learning citizen model is to promote the spirit of lifelong self-learning in each citizen. In the photo: Ms. Pham Thuy Hang in Kim Dinh commune (Kim Thanh) accumulates knowledge every day to achieve and maintain the title.

Good purpose

In April 2020, the Prime Minister assigned the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education to preside over the project to build a model of learning citizens for the period 2021-2030. The Association developed and launched a pilot implementation in localities in November 2020.

In Hai Duong, the Provincial Association for Promotion of Education has selected Hai Duong City, Kim Thanh and Thanh Mien to implement, in order to encourage the spirit of lifelong self-learning of each citizen.

To do this, the learning citizen model has proposed 10 criteria based on 3 core competencies to evaluate 3 specific groups of subjects: farmers and rural workers; industrial park workers, small-scale handicraft workers; and intellectual workers.

The 10 criteria are based on 3 core competencies: Self-study and lifelong learning, including 4 criteria, notably that citizens must spend time reading books and newspapers, updating information on newspapers, radio and knowing how to build a study plan in the community, vocational training centers or foreign language - information technology centers... The second competency is using interactive tools, including 4 criteria, notably that citizens know how to use smart devices such as computers, phones; know how to use foreign languages ​​to serve work... The third competency is building and implementing social relationships, including 2 criteria: getting along with everyone in the village, hamlet, residential group; knowing how to cooperate and share in production and business. The 10 criteria correspond to a scale of 100, people who are considered learning citizens must achieve 80 points or more and are recognized as "Outstanding citizens" when maintaining the title of learning citizen for 5 years.

As soon as it was selected, Kim Thanh implemented the pilot model in Kim Anh, Kim Dinh and Kim Tan communes. Mr. Nguyen Trong Khien, Chairman of the District Association for Promotion of Education, said that after implementing the model locally, all individuals participating in the pilot model were evaluated as satisfactory, of which 66.7% of people achieved 94-97 points.

Mr. Khien assessed that the learning citizen model is the core of a learning society and a way to concretize previous learning models. To have learning families, learning clans, learning units and learning communities, we must first have learning citizens.

People are not interested

As a direct participant in the pilot model, Ms. Pham Thuy Hang in Kim Dinh commune (Kim Thanh) said that the model is suitable for the trend and requirements of the times because it promotes the learning process in each individual.

However, not everyone has a positive opinion like Ms. Hang. Many people when asked were not very interested. According to the preliminary report from 3 localities, nearly 100 individuals participating in the pilot model all had a passing score.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Kiem, President of the Hai Duong City Association for the Promotion of Education, the criteria set refers to the abilities and qualities that everyone has, but it is not easy to achieve. The current results are only pilot, and localities often select or mobilize people who basically meet the criteria to participate. Therefore, when implementing the program for the entire population, it is necessary to review the criteria to make them suitable, in addition to the subjects, they must also be divided by age.

Mr. Bui Cong Trang, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Mien District Association for the Promotion of Education, said that the criteria for assessing the ability to use information technology and foreign languages ​​for farmers are difficult to achieve.

Some other opinions said that the skill assessment index in the set of criteria is still general and there needs to be a mechanism to encourage people to participate in the model. The lack of interest from the people could lead to a situation where the title is considered "for show".

PHUC MINH