More than 22 million students nationwide go back to school in early September as the 2011-2012 academic year begins.

The nation’s leader attended opening ceremonies at various schools around the country to give the new school year a proper send-off.

He stressed the special significance of the 2011-2012 academic year, noting that this would be the first school year in which the educational sector would implement the 11th National Party Congress Resolution and the education development strategy for 2011-2020, with a focus on rapid development of human resource.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung celebrated the beginning of the new school year with teachers and students at the 15-year-old Quoc Hoc Hue senior high school in the central province of Thua Thien Hue on Sep. 2.

Addressing teachers and students of Duong Quang Ham School in the northern province of Hung Yen’s Van Giang district on Sep. 1, Dinh The Huynh, a member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the committee’s Commission for Publicity and Education, urged students to study harder to contribute to national development.

He urged the provincial educational sector to continue providing comprehensive education, building a healthy educational environment and promoting the development of students’ creativity and innovation, with a focus on improved foreign languge competence and orienting students towards fields in need of high- quality human resources.
On Sep. 2, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan joined more then 2,500 students at Viet Duc High School in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district to celebrate the beginning of the new school year.

He praised the achievements made by the school’s teachers and students over the past 56 years and encouraged them to continue upholding their tradition.

The same day Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan attended the opening ceremony of the Chan Ly kindergarten in the northern province of Ha Nam’s Ly Nhan district, while National Assembly vice chairman Uong Chu Luu beat the ceremonial drum to signal the opening of the new academic year at Lam Son High School for Gifted Students in the central province of Thanh Hoa.

Earlier last week, National Assembly vice chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan attended opening ceremonies at Tan Ky Primary School in the northern province of Hai Duong’s Tu Ky district, wile Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan visited Thanh Oai High School in Hanoi’s Thanh Oai district./.