At a meeting held to officially introduce the new minister, Mr Dung asked education authorities to work more effectively on improvements in pre-school education as “this is the ground level of education, building up healthy bodies and minds for future growth.”

PM Dung also called on education workers to stop fraud at exams, adding that they need to put an end to the “disease in chasing academic achievement”.

The PM said that to solve problems in the sector, education authorities need to seek consensus and support from the public.

PM Dung said more investment should be focused on training effective teachers who could meet the requirements of modern education.

Professor Nhan thanked the government and Vietnamese people for their trust in him and his staff. He expressed his hope that better education and training will soon solve the sector’s weaknesses. The new minister said he will do his best to meet people’s expectations.

The PM also praised efforts by education staff in organising university entrance exams earlier this month, saying that the pubic considers the exams very important.

VNS