Improving the quality of cultural institutions in rural areas

Dong Anh town (Hanoi) promotes building culture at the grassroots level, gradually improving the spiritual life of the people. Photo: N. Quang.

Thanks to the synchronous implementation of the Campaign "All people unite to build new rural areas and civilized urban areas", Hanoi has become one of the leading localities in the country in terms of achievements in building new rural areas (NTM). From this result, cultural life in rural areas has many positive changes, when the system of cultural houses has been completed, along with many measures to organize activities being implemented, many traditional cultural features have been preserved. Many districts have the number of cultural houses reaching 100% or nearly 100%. Typically, in Dan Phuong district, up to now, 127/129 villages and residential groups have cultural houses. This number in Dong Anh district is 153/155 villages (100% of residential groups have cultural houses)...

However, the operation of grassroots cultural institutions is not uniform. Some economically disadvantaged districts such as Ba Vi, Thach That, Ung Hoa, My Duc, Thanh Oai, etc., not only have they not yet "covered" all cultural houses, but in many places, cultural houses have degraded and lacked equipment, leading to ineffective operations and not attracting people. In particular, the operation of cultural houses is a rather difficult problem due to the lack of mechanisms and policies. Based on this reality, the city assigned the Department of Culture and Sports to draft a Resolution of the City People's Council regulating a number of expenditure contents and expenditure levels to support improving the operational efficiency of grassroots cultural and sports institutions serving the construction of new rural areas in the period of 2023-2025. From there, improving the operational efficiency of cultural institutions will help localities have more favorable conditions in improving cultural life at the grassroots level.

According to Ms. Nguyen Lan Huong - Chairwoman of the Hanoi Fatherland Front Committee, in the trend of Hanoi's rural areas being urbanized, agencies need to study transitional provisions for units changing urban models. In particular, the 19 new NTM criteria are all related to culture and are receiving the attention of many people with the desire to invest more, exploit more, and pay more attention.

From the actual survey process, many localities have built spending levels for each type of institution to suit the activities as well as the economic situation in the localities. For example, spending to support the one-time purchase of equipment for cultural, artistic and sports activities at commune-level cultural and sports centers; spending to support the construction of bookcases for commune-level cultural and sports centers... In addition to investing in physical facilities, cultural institutions have long been operated with funds arranged by the locality itself or contributed by the people. In addition, Hanoi City also plans to spend financial support for communes and villages to organize annual sports competitions.

Currently, the Hanoi City's development of Regulations on a number of expenditure contents and expenditure levels to support the improvement of the operational efficiency of grassroots cultural and sports institutions serving the construction of new rural areas in the 2023-2025 period has been strongly supported by public opinion and experts. Dr. Phan Dang Long - Vice President of the Hanoi Historical Science Association said that currently, the expenditure levels to support the activities of the cultural and sports institutions system at all levels depend on the ability to balance the local budget, which is not unified and synchronized, leading to differences in operational efficiency. The promulgation of regulations will overcome the lack of unity and synchronization. On that important basis, this will create an important step, creating conditions for the system of institutions to be promoted more effectively.

Associate Professor Bui Thi An - President of the Hanoi Women Intellectuals Association, Vice Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council (Hanoi Fatherland Front Committee) said that currently, rural residents still account for 55% of the city's population, so paying attention to the cultural life of rural areas is extremely necessary. Hanoi's rural areas have many unique cultural identities. To preserve and build a unique identity, cultural institutions are indispensable. However, the authorities should assess the current status of the use of cultural institutions in villages and communes, where they are effective, where they lack items, and how much support is needed to ensure the goal of improving the operational efficiency of cultural institutions. In addition, the economic conditions of each locality are not the same, so there should be "flexibility" in the level of spending, not uniformity, where there is more need, more investment should be made.

Thanks to the efforts of all levels and functional sectors, the system of cultural and sports institutions at the grassroots level is being increasingly improved and gradually put into effective operation, contributing to improving the quality of life of the people.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/nang-cao-chat-luong-thiet-che-van-hoa-o-nong-thon-10279477.html