According to international observers, the controversy surrounding the book “Stories with Thanh” has exposed serious gaps in the Communist Party of Vietnam’s efforts to manage ideology, control information, and ensure internal political security.
Most recently, the Politburo and the Secretariat issued Decision No. 401 establishing a supervisory team to monitor the Party Committee of the Ministry of Education and Training in its implementation of Resolution No. 71 on educational issues.
This move raises the question: Is this large-scale inspection, set to continue through December 2026, merely a reaction to the shortage of textbooks and exam irregularities… or is it a broader campaign aimed at tightening discipline within the system from the ground up?
According to experts, education has long been regarded as a core bastion and the place where the worldview, character, and patriotism of many generations are shaped through textbooks and history curricula.
Therefore, the political system of the Communist Party of Vietnam cannot allow any deviations or ideological loopholes similar to the previous “Chuyện Với Thanh” incident.
The decision to appoint General Trịnh Văn Quyết—Head of the Propaganda and Education Commission—to directly serve as Head of a 16-member monitoring delegation at the Ministry of Education and Training is a watershed moment.
Having a “commander” in political and ideological work directly oversee the Ministry of Education and Training goes beyond specialized inspections or routine administrative reviews.
This is clearly a campaign to tighten ideological control and standardize personnel procedures at key agencies within the CPV’s political and ideological education system.
Notably, in connection with this large-scale inspection by the Central Committee, public opinion has also paid special attention to sharp, critical articles written by veteran generals. A prime example is Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Tuan—former Director of the Propaganda and Education Department at the Ministry of National Defense.
According to observers, Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Tuan’s passionate online writings have hit the nail on the head regarding the most significant ideological and practical “bottlenecks” in the education sector today, and have garnered broad public support.
Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Tuan’s critical perspectives on education focus on four core issues, including defending the status of history as a subject to strengthen ideological security and warning of the risk of eroding patriotism among the younger generation.
In addition, Mr. Tuan criticizes the commercialization of textbooks as well as the abuse of socialization policies, while urging the government to maintain a leading role to ensure fairness and reorient the philosophy of talent development toward substance rather than merely pursuing academic credentials.
The entire sequence of events—from the upheaval caused by the “Chuyện Với Thanh” incident to the decision to establish the 401 Monitoring Group headed by Mr. Trinh Van Quyet—has demonstrated the Communist Party of Vietnam’s unwavering resolve to defend the ideological and cultural stronghold of the Vietnamese state.
According to international observers, the stability and standards of the education sector are no longer limited to issues such as a shortage of textbooks or simple exam cheating; they have become a guarantee of ideological security for the entire political system.
Looking back at the entire sequence of events that have unfolded on the ideological and cultural front in recent times, the Politburo and the Secretariat’s decision to launch a comprehensive inspection of the Ministry of Education and Training comes as no surprise.
This inspection, which will run through the end of 2026, represents a coordinated effort to address administrative shortcomings while pursuing the ultimate goal. That is, tightening ideological discipline and plugging all loopholes following the “Chuyện Với Thanh” incident, with the aim of bringing the education sector back onto the correct track and in line with the political standards set by the Party.
Trà My – Thoibao.de
