Hello and welcome to the intelligence on Economist Radio. I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

Schooling in America remains pretty patchy. Mostly, schools have been shut, but even where they aren't,

there are plenty of empty seats. Our education correspondent explains why and warns of the damage

that may already be done. And this month marks a century since the birth of Patricia Highsmith,

the author of works such as the talented Mr. Ripley.

We try, mostly in vain, to separate Highsmith's own demons from those of the dark characters she conjured.

First up, though, Once every five years, with much pomp and pageantry, Vietnam's communist leadership convenes in a National Party Congress.

The 13th one began in the capital Hanoi this week.

The expectation is that there will be a raft of rubber-stamp policies and new party leaders.

Despite the country's relatively low COVID numbers and positive economic performance,

the party's position outside the National Conference Center is weaker than it seems.

At the National Party Congress, they discuss issues confronting Vietnam.

They set policy and they elect the Central Committee, the Politburo, and the four top jobs.

Charlie McCann is our Southeast Asia correspondent.

Among them, the most powerful job in the country, that of the Party Secretary General.

And what's the overall tone at the Congress this time around?

Pretty self-congratulatory.

The parties had a good year.

They've handled the pandemic pretty well. They've had just over 1,500 cases and fewer than 50 deaths. And the economy actually grew by 3%. But there's still a lot of disquiet in the party and indeed in the public.

Disquiet in the party in the form of some kind of opposition?

There's no organized opposition.

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