Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo member, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council chaired the meeting of the Appraisal Council of Son La Provincial Political School to meet level 1 standards. Photo: PV

Son La Provincial Political School, formerly known as Son La Provincial Party School, was established on December 20, 1962. Implementing the policy of the Central and Provincial Party Committee, on November 11, 1993, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 666/QD-UB merging 3 schools: Provincial Party School, Provincial Administrative School and Lo Van Gia Youth Union School into the Provincial Cadre Training and Fostering School. Implementing Decision No. 88/QD/TW dated September 5, 1994 of the Central Secretariat, on May 31, 1995, the Standing Committee of Son La Provincial Party Committee issued Decision No. 738-QD/TU on renaming the Provincial Cadre Training and Fostering School to Son La Provincial Political School.

Over the past 63 years of construction and development, the Provincial Political School has strived to overcome all difficulties, effectively organized the emulation movement "Teach well, study well, serve well"; promoted the role and function as a training center, fostering key leaders and managers of the Party Committee, government and socio-political organizations; strengthened scientific research; improved the quality of training and fostering cadres, effectively serving the cause of innovation, promoting industrialization and modernization of the province. The school also participated in training political theory cadres for the provinces of Laos, contributing to fulfilling the international obligations of our Party and State.

Implementing Regulation No. 11-QD/TW dated May 19, 2021 of the Secretariat on standard political schools, Son La Provincial Political School advised the Working Group of the Provincial Party Standing Committee to develop and promulgate Project No. 08-DA/TU dated January 19, 2023 on building and developing Son La Provincial Political School to meet standards for the period 2022-2025, with a vision to 2030. The project sets the target of reaching level 1 standards by 2025, with a vision to 2030.

The Board of Directors of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and leaders of Son La province congratulated the Provincial Political School on being assessed as meeting level 1 standards. Photo: Khai Hoan

On that basis, the School has concretized into plans, synchronously implemented the following contents: Perfecting the organizational structure, standardizing the staff and lecturers; innovating the content and methods of training and fostering; promoting scientific research, summarizing practices; building the Party school culture; investing in modern facilities and equipment. The activities are carried out seriously, in accordance with the assessment process according to Instruction No. 61-HD/HVCTQG of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. Up to now, Son La Provincial Political School has been assessed to meet level 1 standards, with 6/6 groups of criteria, 55/55 indicators meeting the standards. Of which, 8 indicators exceed level 1 standards, approaching level 2 standards, with outstanding results:

The school has focused on perfecting institutions and regulations, ensuring consistency, systematization, timeliness, rationality, and suitability with the school's practical work, creating motivation for staff, civil servants, employees and students to compete and complete their tasks well. At the same time, actively participating in giving opinions on Central documents related to the school's functions and tasks.

The work of standardizing the team of lecturers and civil servants has received attention, achieving 29/29 targets, especially 4 targets exceeding the standard. Currently, the school has 34/34 lecturers with a master's degree or higher, exceeding the standard by 10% compared to the regulations; of which, there are 2 PhDs, 1 lecturer is studying for a doctorate, 1 lecturer registered for a doctorate in 2025. The targets of the dean and deputy dean have successfully proposed 15 school-level scientific topics; 100% of lecturers have certificates of training in Marxist-Leninist classics and Ho Chi Minh thought, exceeding the standard by 20% compared to the regulations; 64.7% of lecturers hold the rank of main lecturer (grade II civil servant) or equivalent or higher, exceeding the standard by 4.7% compared to the regulations.

The quality of training and fostering is constantly improved, including: Intermediate political theory training; fostering groups of subjects according to Regulation No. 09-QDi/TW dated November 13, 2018 of the Secretariat on the functions, tasks, and organization of political schools of provinces and centrally run cities. Currently, the School is implementing Intermediate political theory training for district-level cadres, department-level leaders of departments, agencies, and branches of 9 provinces of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. The School innovates teaching methods and content, links theory with practice, and seriously implements self-inspection and assessment of training and fostering quality. In 5 years, the School has opened 135 training and fostering classes, of which 68 are Intermediate political theory classes (3,763 students). The School has conducted 17/51 concentrated classes, reaching a rate of 1/3, meeting level 1 standards.

Scientific research activities and practical summaries achieved 9/9 targets, of which 3 targets exceeded the standard. The school carried out 22 school-level topics, exceeding the standard by 46.6%; advised the Provincial Party Committee to issue 2 provincial-level projects and carried out 2 provincial-level scientific topics, exceeding the standard by 33.3%; organized 5 provincial-level and equivalent scientific seminars and conferences, exceeding the standard by 46.63%. The research topic focused on evaluating and testing local practices in implementing the Party's policies and major policies of the State and the province, pointing out limitations and causes, thereby proposing solutions to overcome them; at the same time, serving training and fostering. The school published 5 monographs and reference books with rich content, ensuring quality. Published 15 publications of theoretical and practical information; built the school's website http://truongchinhtri.sonla.gov.vn/, information is updated regularly, with nearly 237 thousand visits.

Based on the regulations of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics on cultural behavior of Party schools, the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of the School have mobilized 100% of cadres, civil servants and employees to practice cultural behavior of Party schools according to regulations; organized a contest for students who are good at political theory, trained leadership and management skills, and trained the ethics and working style of grassroots cadres. Well implemented the study and following of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics and style. In 5 years, the Party organization and the Board of Directors have been assessed to have completed their tasks well; the school, faculties, departments and many individuals have been awarded certificates of merit by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the People's Committee of Son La province.

Facilities and technical equipment are given attention, meeting 3/3 targets, exceeding 1 target. Currently, Son La Provincial Political School is assigned to manage and use more than 115,608 m2 of land, exceeding the standard by 5.8 times. The construction items are fully and synchronously constructed according to regulations, with investment in building a new multi-purpose gymnasium; renovating and upgrading lecture halls; adding equipment for teaching, learning, and training, meeting the requirements of improving the quality of training, fostering, scientific research, summarizing practices; ensuring an increase in the school's centralized training scale. The school has been deploying 8 software in the province's digital transformation support package. Financial planning, allocation, use and management are in accordance with regulations, public and transparent.

With new spirit, new determination and new pride, Son La Provincial Political School will continue to strive to build an exemplary political education environment, maintain discipline, order, democracy and solidarity; constantly innovate teaching content and methods; closely link theory with practice, contribute to training and fostering a team of cadres with sufficient qualities, capacity and prestige, equal to the task... making practical contributions to the cause of rapid and sustainable development of Son La province in the new period.

Some outstanding images of activities of the Provincial Political School

Leaders of Son La province and 9 provinces of Lao PDR attended the opening ceremony of the Intermediate Political Theory class for cadres of Lao provinces.

Scientific workshop on protecting the Party's ideological foundation and fighting against erroneous and hostile views in Son La province, 2023.

Awarding certificates to lecturers who achieved the title of excellent lecturers at the school level in 2023.

Awarding souvenir flags to students participating in the 2024 Political Theory Excellent Student Competition.