Representatives from seven ASEAN teachers associations and 13 international organisations attended the 25 th ASEAN Council of Teachers (ACT) Convention in Hanoi on Dec. 11.

Addressing the conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan affirmed that Vietnam and other ASEAN members always considered education as the top national policy and stresses the important role of teachers’ in each country’s development.

Highlighting this year’s theme “ASEAN Council of Teachers’ Response to the Global Economic Crisis for the Sustainable Development of Education”, Deputy Minister Nhan said that this is also a current event that draws special interests of not only the government of Vietnam but also that of other ASEAN member countries.

The two-day forum will focus on national education reports of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Vietnam Education Trade Union is expected to deliver a report on the sustainable development of education and training – challenges and responsibilities of Vietnamese teachers.

The participants are set to discuss issues relating to general education and tertiary teaching and learning quality as well as and measures to improve the quality of teachers, staff and educational administrators.

The deputy minister pointed out Vietnam ’s responsibility to the bloc’s cooperation and development as it hosts the 25 th ACT Convention and will assume presidency of the ASEAN council in 2010.