Former Vietnamese teachers nationwide gathered in Hanoi on November 12 for a congress to review their activities as well as set forth new orientations for the operation of Vietnam’s Association of Former Teachers during the 2009-2014 term.

Speaking at the congress with the theme of “Solidarity-Care-Responsibility”, Truong Tan Sang, a Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, said that the Party has confirmed that education and training together with science and technology are a foundation and an impetus to boost Vietnam ’s modernisation and industrialisation process.

He called on the association to work with relevant agencies at all levels to practically and effectively contribute to the development and prosperity of the country’s education and training sector as well as build Vietnam into a learning society.

The association’s second congress also approved its revised regulations and elected nine deputy chairmen and 115 delegates to its executive committee. Prof. Academician Pham Minh Hac was re-elected to be Chairman of the association in the 2009-2014 term.

Vietnam’s Association of Former Teachers now has 200,000 members as compared with 300 in 2004 when it was set up./.