Improve the quality of teaching staff to meet practical needs

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the conference. Photo: Thu Huong.

Still "thirsty" for teachers

Reporting at the Conference, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong presented some outstanding results of the 2023-2024 school year. Accordingly, the 2018 General Education Program with many new points has been implemented synchronously and fully in all subjects and educational activities for grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11 nationwide.

The organization of textbook compilation and appraisal is being implemented according to the roadmap, ensuring quality and progress. In particular, the effort to reduce the cost of textbooks from the 2024-2025 school year will help reduce the burden on society, especially for parents and students in ethnic minority areas and areas with especially difficult conditions. The quality of mass and key education continues to be improved.

The Ministry of Education and Training has successfully organized the 2024 High School Graduation Exam. Autonomy in higher education is gradually becoming a reality.

In the 2023-2024 school year, the Ministry of Education and Training will continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs to supplement 27,826 positions, on that basis, localities have organized the recruitment of 19,474 teachers. However, Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong also pointed out that the shortage of teachers is still common in most localities. The recruitment of teachers in localities is still slow, not all assigned positions have been recruited, affecting the assurance and improvement of education quality, especially the requirement to arrange enough teachers for subjects according to the 2018 General Education Program. Working conditions and teacher remuneration policies are not commensurate, young teachers' salaries are still low compared to the general level of other professions...

The network of preschool and general education facilities is not distributed properly in some places, and there is a shortage of schools and classes in big cities, industrial zones, densely populated areas and mountainous areas. The consolidation of remote schools still faces many limitations.

From the locality, Mr. Vu A Bang - Vice Chairman of Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee pointed out the difficulties in the teaching staff which is still quite lacking compared to the prescribed standards; lack of recruitment sources for teachers in English, Information Technology, Music, and Fine Arts. The staff has quite a big change after each school year ends due to transfer to the lowlands.

“The lack of teachers puts a lot of pressure on teachers because they have to teach extra hours, teach at different levels and schools,” said Mr. Vu A Bang. In addition, although school facilities have been prioritized for investment, there is still a lack of many, especially housing for boarding students and public housing for teachers; some classrooms are degraded and need to be replaced. Policies for students, teachers and staff still have many shortcomings. The lives of most teachers and staff are still difficult.

Therefore, Mr. Bang proposed not to reduce the number of employees receiving salaries from the state budget for provinces with many difficulties, unable to establish non-public schools such as Dien Bien province and to arrange enough teachers receiving salaries from the budget according to the norms for these provinces. At the same time, increase the training quota for teachers of specialized subjects and primary school teachers for teacher training institutions to meet the demand for teachers for localities.

Regarding the policy of attracting teachers for the entire working time in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions, the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Bien province proposed an indefinite contract for teachers working in particularly difficult areas for 10 years or more. Support for teachers working in particularly difficult areas, such as: house rent, travel expenses for teachers teaching at village points; lunch allowance.

Also stating the difficult situation of teacher staffing, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Vu Thu Ha said that when the scale of education increases, it leads to a shortage of staff. The locality proposed that the Government direct the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training and other ministries to review and re-evaluate the educational staffing standards, especially the structure of subjects and some specific subjects to suit the current teaching work in the localities.

Overcoming challenges, innovating

Emphasizing the important role of education and its status as one of the three breakthroughs in national development, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged, highly appreciated and commended the important achievements of the education sector in the past school year, while frankly acknowledging that there are still shortcomings, limitations, difficulties and challenges. Specifically, the innovation of the general education program and textbooks still has some shortcomings as pointed out in Resolution No. 686/NQ-UBTVQH15 dated September 18, 2023 of the National Assembly Standing Committee.

There is still a shortage of teachers locally. The quality of the teaching staff is not uniform. Especially teachers in the digital age, the 4.0 era. Policies and incentives are still inadequate, not attractive, difficult to attract and retain teachers, especially in big cities or difficult areas.

Besides, the planning of educational facilities network in some localities is not suitable, there is still a shortage of schools, especially in areas with high population density, ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas, and areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions.

Facilities and teaching equipment are still lacking and do not meet the requirements of educational and training innovation; in some localities, there are still rented classrooms, borrowed classrooms, etc. Many educational institutions lack functional rooms and minimum teaching equipment.

From here, the Prime Minister emphasized 9 key tasks and solutions that the Ministry of Education and Training, ministries, branches and localities need to focus on implementing in the coming time. Including, carefully preparing conditions for the new school year (schools, equipment, textbooks, ensuring hygiene, security, safety...). Especially improving the quality of the teaching staff to be better and better, meeting practical needs.

Focus on implementing Conclusion 91 of the Politburo, continue to review and promptly supplement institutions, mechanisms and policies on education. The Ministry of Education and Training needs to focus on developing the Law on Teachers, developing education development strategies... In addition, comprehensively summarize the implementation of innovation in new general education programs and textbooks.

2025 is the first year to organize the high school graduation exam according to the 2018 General Education Program; therefore, the Prime Minister requested that it is necessary to prepare carefully and thoroughly, organize the exam safely and practically, and reduce pressure and costs for parents and candidates.

Along with that, continue to promote university autonomy, focus on implementing programs and projects according to high-quality programs... On the other hand, continue to create a favorable environment to attract investment...

To solve the problem of teachers, the Prime Minister directed that it is necessary to develop, review, amend and supplement policies and remuneration regimes for teachers in harmony with the country's situation and with other sectors. Implement recruitment and restructuring of teaching staff according to the assigned payroll, overcome the surplus and shortage of teachers in educational institutions, ensure the principle of "where there are students, there must be teachers in the classroom" and be suitable, reasonable and effective with reality. Continue to review and plan the network of preschool, general education, continuing education, education for the disabled, university education and pedagogical colleges.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son:

Discipline, responsibility, continuous innovation, quality improvement

In the 2024-2025 school year, together with the whole country, the Education sector will continue to focus on implementing the major tasks assigned in the resolutions and major policies of the Party, the National Assembly, and the Government to continue to innovate and develop education and training. In which, immediately implement the content of Conclusion 91 of the Politburo on continuing to fundamentally and comprehensively innovate education and training according to Resolution 29 of the Central Committee; complete the effective implementation of the 2018 General Education Program and organize the evaluation of the entire implementation process in the past time.

At the same time, we will implement the innovation of the new preschool education program; strengthen university autonomy in the direction of increasing quality, depth, practicality and substance; synchronously implement solutions to improve the quality of human resource training to meet the requirements of industrialization, modernization and international integration of the country; prioritize training of high-quality human resources, high-tech and technical industries, including the semiconductor industry.

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