Need to clarify how to pay teachers

Yesterday afternoon, November 26, the Ministry of Education and Training coordinated with UNESCO in Vietnam to organize a workshop on the policy and legal framework for Vietnamese teachers in the context of globalization.

INCREASING DEMANDS ON TEACHERS

Ms. Miki Nozawa, Head of UNESCO Education Program in Vietnam, said that teachers in Vietnam have always played a central role in the country's education system, shaping and inspiring many generations. In the future, the role of teachers will expand with the challenges of sustainable development that we are facing, the integration of technology and artificial intelligence, the application of more personalized learning methods, requiring continuous adaptation and support.

To support teachers in fulfilling this vital role and address emerging challenges, it is essential to develop comprehensive legislation on teachers. This will ensure that teachers can continue to provide quality education for all, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive society, from which they themselves benefit.”

Professor Huynh Van Son, Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, expressed many expectations for teachers when he said that it is necessary to prepare a team of teachers with capacity approaching international standards, including equipping and developing English proficiency and teaching in English for the teaching staff.

Professor Son also mentioned the responsibility of teachers in self-training, self-improvement, and lifelong professional improvement; in terms of ethics, policies for teachers must ensure that teachers also take the lead in implementing the law.

Build policies in the most favorable and enhancing direction to attract and develop teachers.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Dr. Pham Do Nhat Tien, former Assistant Minister of Education and Training, also stated: "Teachers must be trained to prepare learners to become active and responsible global citizens in their communities, in their countries and in the world." According to Mr. Tien, although the Vietnamese teaching staff has made much progress compared to before, facing the increasingly high and complex requirements of educational reform, this team is still in a state of shortage in quantity, unreasonable in structure, and not meeting quality requirements.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phung, former Director of the Department of Higher Education (Ministry of Education and Training), shared that along with recognizing the position of teachers and increasing autonomy for teachers, the responsibility of teachers is also very high at all levels and grades of education.

As a former teacher, Ms. Phung pointed out that in reality, teachers can never be considered "done" like other professions; the image of teachers must always be exemplary in schools, in families and in society. "So, does the income policy for teachers take into account such high demands?", Ms. Phung asked and said that it is necessary to clarify how teachers are paid, not just state it in general terms as it is now.

TEACHER SALARY AND POLICY: A GLOBAL STORY

In the Global Report on Teachers, Mr. Peter Wallet, an expert of UNESCO's Education Program, pointed out that the reality of teachers' salaries is still a challenge in many places. Specifically, teachers' salaries in many countries are not competitive and are gradually losing their attractiveness. Primary school teachers in more than half of the countries in the world have lower salaries than other professions with similar standard requirements. In Europe, this situation occurs in 7/10 countries...

According to the report, teacher attrition has exacerbated the teacher shortage, with the rate of teacher attrition doubling globally, from 4.62% in 2015 to 9.06% in 2022. The rate of teacher attrition in Vietnam is also high according to 2022 data.

According to Mr. Peter Wallet, factors leading to teachers leaving the profession include: working conditions and job satisfaction, factors attracting and retaining teachers (salary, benefits and promotion opportunities), personal factors (retirement, health problems or family responsibilities)...

Dr. Li Tingzhou (Teacher Training Center, Shanghai Normal University, UNESCO Level 2 Training Center) stated that in China, the total expenditure on teachers' salaries and benefits increased from 951.38 billion yuan in 2015 to 3,088.4 billion yuan in 2021 (an increase of 224.62%). The proportion of expenditure on teachers' salaries and benefits in the total national budget for education increased from 41.1% in 2012 to 67.38% in 2021.

Requirements for teachers in the new era and accompanying policies are the issues focused on for discussion at the workshop.

From China's experience, Dr. Li Tingzhou believes that it is necessary to promote professionalization and improve the quality of teachers; increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession...

Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, said that if the recruitment process is strict and the workload is large but there is no adequate support, it can make teachers feel discouraged. Mr. Vinh suggested promoting core factors that help teachers stick with the profession, such as: emphasizing the contributions of teachers to increase morale and appreciation from the community; implementing performance-based rewards to improve teaching quality; encouraging work-life balance by reducing administrative tasks and improving the teacher/student ratio. Adjusting salaries to match other professions, enhancing prestige and attracting talent.

Professor Vinh also said that the teaching profession needs to develop clear promotion criteria, increase health benefits, bonuses and other support for teachers. Expand scholarship programs and tuition subsidies for teachers in training and improving their qualifications.

TEACHER POLICY IS NOT JUST A MATTER OF SALARY

Speaking at the end of the workshop, Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuong, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, emphasized the role of teachers. Investing in education and developing teachers is investing in development, for the present and the future. Teachers do not compete or demand benefits, but policies for teachers need to be welcomed by them, attracting talented people to the teaching profession...

According to Mr. Thuong, policies should be developed in the most favorable and supportive direction to attract and develop teachers. That policy is not only about salary, but also about working conditions, creative space, and how to treat teachers to maintain the dignity of the profession. Teachers do not have to teach more than the number of students, do not have to teach overtime, do not have to teach inter-school, inter-level, etc. These are not incentives or special treatment for teachers, but are basic policies that international experience has proven.

Mr. Thuong also emphasized China's policy towards teachers, especially the salary increase policy of 10% per year on average, and considered this a "challenge for Vietnam" that needs to be applied appropriately.

Mr. Thuong also reiterated the importance of the policy of recruiting and managing teachers in the direction of decentralization according to the vertical system, delegating the right to recruit and use teachers to the education sector. In addition, Mr. Thuong also raised the increasingly high requirements and responsibilities for teachers in terms of both professional expertise and ethics and the responsibility of teacher training institutions. For example, to implement the policy of making English a second language, the role of not only English teachers but also teachers teaching other subjects in English is increasingly important.

Mr. Thuong affirmed that the general spirit when building and perfecting the Law on Teachers is to follow international trends, research and receive useful information to supplement the draft Law on Teachers with the goal that when this law is promulgated, it must first meet the wishes and expectations of the teaching staff, then the management staff, and society...

6 proposals on teacher policy

UNESCO's Global Report on Teachers makes six recommendations aimed at improving the status of the teaching profession:

- Develop a comprehensive teacher policy linked to national priorities through cooperation and social dialogue.

- Collect more complete and quality data to systematically update the indicators given in the 2030 Education Action Framework.

- Transform the teaching profession and the way of training and professional development based on organizing individual courses to lifelong, collaborative and teacher-led learning.

- Improve working conditions for teachers, ensure attractive salaries and benefits, ensure gender equity in salary and treatment of teachers.

- Ensure domestic public investment sources meet the standards of 6% of GDP and 20% of total government spending.

- Strengthen international cooperation to mobilize the participation of many different countries to overcome the shortage of teachers.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/can-lam-ro-ve-cach-thuc-tra-luong-nha-giao-185241126233624187.htm