STEM is the pillar of education innovation
On January 16, Ms. Le Thi Huong - Director of Quang Tri Department of Education and Training (GDDT) - said that the reality of national development in the period is posing an urgent requirement to fundamentally innovate general education, in which STEM education plays a key role.
According to Ms. Huong, science and technology, innovation and high-quality human resources are becoming the decisive driving force of the process of industrialization and modernization.
The Education and Training sector of Quang Tri province identifies STEM education not only as a teaching method, but as an important pillar in the process of fundamental and comprehensive innovation of general education, associated with the province's human resource development strategy in the long term.
In recent years, educational institutions in the province have proactively developed plans and implemented many practical STEM activities. STEM Day is widely organized in schools; many units effectively combine STEM activities with the High School Student Science and Technology Competition.
Looking back at the past journey, STEM education in Quang Tri is marked by outstanding results. In 2017, student Pham Huy, Quang Tri Town High School, won the Third Prize at the Intel ISEF USA Competition. In the period 2020-2025, Quang Tri students continuously participated in the National Science and Technology Competition with 13 participating projects, of which 12 projects won prizes.
In particular, in 2024 and 2025, both projects won the first prize at the national level. In 2025 alone, Quang Tri achieved the highest achievement ever with 5/6 projects winning prizes, including one project continuing to compete and winning the fourth prize at Intel ISEF USA.
In the first semester alone, schools with high school levels have implemented 324 new STEM lessons and topics; 387 STEM lessons and topics were organized in over 928 classes. To date, 100% of educational institutions from elementary to high school in the province have implemented STEM education.
Expectations from STEM classrooms
However, according to the Director of Quang Tri Department of Education and Training, behind those impressive figures, there are still many limitations. Most schools have only stopped at "STEM corners" for display. The models and equipment are mainly made by teachers and students themselves, lacking systemicity, synchronization and high technology content. In particular, the number of STEM classrooms invested in methodically is still very limited.
To make STEM education truly in-depth, students need to study in a specialized space, with modern technology equipment and the guidance of a team of well-trained teachers," Ms. Le Thi Huong emphasized.
In that context, the Education and Training sector of Quang Tri province highly appreciates the policy of supporting STEM classroom investment of Vietnam National Energy and Industry Group, with 3 rooms worth 10.5 billion VND just put into use.
According to the Director of Quang Tri Department of Education and Training, this investment has many meanings. Not only does it contribute to realizing the major policies of the Party and State on science and technology development, but it is also an important condition for STEM education in the province to develop in a methodical and modern direction, thereby forming a high-tech human resource to serve local socio-economic development.
In the coming time, Quang Tri Department of Education and Training will focus on directing schools that are invested in to effectively exploit STEM classrooms; and at the same time organize mass training and fostering to improve the STEM education organization capacity for teachers. The education sector also expects that these initial models will spread, attract more companionship from businesses and society, gradually removing "knotholes" in classrooms, helping Quang Tri students access STEM more substantively.
