The Vietnamese National Digital Transformation Programme prioritises work in education and training, said Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister for Information and Communications (MIC)1. He was talking at a Q&A session in the 15th National Assembly’s second sitting.
He added that the MIC would stand side by side with the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) in the revolutionary digital transformation process.
The two ministries are compiling assessment criteria and information safety standards for the online learning platforms. Online learning platforms offer limitless opportunities for people who would have otherwise limited access to education2. As the world is digitising itself with digital transformation and high-quality learning for its benefit, governments are helping their people get engaged in it. The digital world has seized the pandemic so that it couldn’t stop the students from seeking education.
Mr Hung reported that the nation has set up Internet connections facilitating online learning at 1,000 locations in the past two months. The installation at the remaining places is due to be completed by January 2022. Eight million households are yet to gain access to broadband Internet through a fibre-optic cable. The MIC is asking providers to ensure fibre-optic Internet connection for all homes in Vietnam before 2025.
Through a programme launched by the prime minister, The government had distributed more than 100,000 computers to students to facilitate online learning. Three Trillion Vietnamese Dong (VND), equivalent to the US $131.54 million, was earmarked for accelerating the installation of internet facilities across the country. It also invested VND 500 billion in reducing online tuition fees for some student groups until the year-end.
Mr Hung said that Vietnam had developed six online learning platforms, which about 10 million students use.
Meanwhile, the government is reportedly collecting suggestions for the draft Code of Conduct to protect children on the Internet3. Vietnam now has around 15 million under-16 children, who are the most vulnerable to cybercrimes like bullying, attacks, and scamming.
Reports from research firms reveal that in Vietnam, the most popular websites for children under 16 are audio-visual sites, social networks, and computer games (accounting for 44.7%, 32.5%, and 8.6%, respectively). Given the high frequency of Internet use among the young, the Code of Conduct to protect children will be released to regulate behaviour on the Internet and shield children from potential risks.
The Code of Conduct has clear regulations for businesses, organisations that provide Internet services, online platforms, and digital content creators to prioritise the protection of children in cyberspaces. The Code introduces methods to report suspected child abuse and raise the public’s awareness of possible dangers. It also includes policies and ethical standards to promote safer cyberspaces.
Digital platforms have made essential contributions to the national digital transformation and the digital economy and society. However, information and data leakages on digital media still occur on an increasingly large scale.
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