Reduce 'non-professional' work so teachers can focus on teaching

Associate Professor Phonraphee Thummaphan from Thailand (middle) shares at the conference - Photo: TRONG NHAN

On September 25 and 26, SEAMEO Regional Training Center in Vietnam (SEAMEO RETRAC) held its 27th Board of Directors meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, with the participation of many teachers and experts from education ministries of ASEAN countries.

Here, experts discussed many challenges to education in ASEAN, including developing the teaching staff.

Having participated in many projects to build happy schools in Thailand, Associate Professor Phonraphee Thummaphan - Deputy Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Thai Teachers' Council (Ministry of Education of Thailand) - realized that when teachers are happy, students will also be happy.

In typical happy schools in Thailand, one of the many things in common is that teachers are "liberated" from non-professional work such as administration, organization, books, records, etc.

He explained that in the past, Thai teachers were "overwhelmed" with unrelated work, leaving them with almost no time to invest in their expertise. Many schools even required teachers to stay overnight at school.

Associate Professor Phonraphee Thummaphan said that recently, the Thai Ministry of Education has strongly directed schools to remove those burdens from teachers. In addition, teachers are no longer required to participate in self-assessment programs or unnecessary competitions.

"From there, teachers have more time to research, learn new teaching methods and improve their professional knowledge, thereby improving teaching quality," said Mr. Thummaphan.

In addition, to help teachers focus more on their profession, in parallel with reducing pressure in schools, there are plans to improve their lives. Associate Professor Phonraphee Thummaphan informed that in 2024, the Thai Ministry of Education will continue to take the next steps in plans to increase teachers' salaries. Many teachers can live on their salaries and do not have to do other jobs, helping them have time to invest in teaching.

Mr. Lee Yan Kheng from Singapore gives his perspective on investment in teachers in Singapore - Photo: TRONG NHAN

Meanwhile, Mr. Lee Yan Kheng - Director of Professional Development, Branch 1, Teachers' Academy (Ministry of Education, Singapore) - said that Singapore always pays special attention to helping teachers update their knowledge and skills.

Specifically, the Singapore Ministry of Education regularly organizes continuous professional development programs for teachers. The programs include courses, seminars, and training courses to help teachers update themselves with new teaching methods, professional knowledge, and modern educational technology.

Many schools in Singapore allow teachers to take paid time off to take courses or do research. This gives many teachers the opportunity to engage in lifelong learning without having to worry too much about finances or work.

In addition, Singapore also invests heavily in educational technology. Teachers are encouraged to use digital tools in teaching, and are continuously trained in applying new technology to their teaching and self-learning processes.

Investing in technology for teachers to avoid being 'left behind'

Mr. Ab Aziz bin Mamat - Director of Aminuddin Baki Institute (Ministry of Education Malaysia) - said that in the context of strong technology development, the Ministry of Education Malaysia realized that teachers and school principals cannot be left behind.

Therefore, instead of just focusing on building digital skills for students, the country's education sector organizes many programs to develop digital capacity for teachers and school leaders.

For example, under the MyDigital Trainers program, teachers and school administrators are equipped with knowledge and skills in digital tools for teaching. They also have access to open repositories containing digital learning materials, instructional videos, and a variety of teaching support resources.

According to Mr. Ab Aziz bin Mamat, if we only focus on improving digital capacity for students, but neglect teachers and management teams, it will create challenges for the digital transformation of education.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giam-cong-viec-ngoai-chuyen-mon-de-giao-vien-chuyen-tam-day-20240925161315011.htm