Improve treatment, reduce pressure for teachers

On the occasion of the new school year, a reporter from Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper had an interview with Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son.

* Reporter: What will be the key tasks of the new school year, Minister?

Minister Nguyen Kim Son

- Minister Nguyen Kim Son: In the 2023-2024 school year, with a large amount of work, great importance, and quality of work, the impact on general education reform will be felt. In addition to continuing to review and implement classes that have been implemented according to the new program, the education sector will focus on grades 4, 8, 11 and final grades 5, 9, and 12. Preparing textbooks for final grades has special requirements and demands, because this is the final stage according to the 2018 general education program.

In addition to the task of general education reform, many other important issues and tasks will also be implemented by the education sector in this new school year.

* General education reform is currently receiving much attention. How does the Minister assess the advantages and difficulties in implementation?

- The biggest advantage of the sector is that it is receiving great attention from the Party, the National Assembly, the Government and the people. This attention has been and is providing great support to the education sector, and at the same time creating an important driving force for the cause of educational innovation. However, the deeper the innovation, the greater the challenge.

Innovation is not only related to students and teachers, but also requires the support of parents and society. For teachers, one of the difficulties is the old way of doing things that has been shaped and deeply ingrained in teaching habits. Not all teachers are willing to innovate to adapt to the job. To overcome this, great effort, determination and sharing from the teaching staff are needed. On the part of the Ministry of Education and Training, we are doing a lot to encourage and support teachers to have more motivation and support for innovation.

This innovation gives teachers a lot of initiative and creativity. Typically, such as choosing teaching methods, testing, evaluating, choosing learning materials... to educate in the direction of promoting students' individual abilities more. Changing the role of teachers from the main subject of knowledge transmission to the role of organizers, guides, orienters, and supporters of students. In the early stages of innovation, teachers faced disadvantages and challenges with a large workload, while their material incentives, conditions, income and life have not changed. This also affects teachers' psychology.

Therefore, a large number of teachers have quit their jobs, gone abroad to work, worked in industrial parks... From August 2020 to August 2023, the total number of preschool and general education teachers who quit their jobs is over 40,000 people. In addition, the average number of retired teachers is about 10,000 people each year. From 2020 to now, the assigned recruitment target is nearly 26,000 people. Comparing the number of teachers who quit their jobs and those who are recruited, there is a big difference. Meanwhile, in remote, isolated, and disadvantaged areas, those with payroll and preferential policies cannot recruit foreign language, information technology, fine arts, and art teachers. Some provinces in the Northern Delta, although having quotas, cannot recruit preschool teachers. In large cities, there are difficulties with mechanical population movement, high population growth, and lack of land to build schools.

There have been many difficulties that have not been overcome in the past, and now entering the innovation process with many other challenges. For example, classrooms are not yet solid, semi-solid, temporary and borrowed schools account for 30% of the country. This not only affects the quality of innovation but also affects inequality in education.

Students in Ho Chi Minh City go to school in the 2023 - 2024 school year. Photo: HOANG TRIEU

* In the coming time, what solutions does the ministry have to overcome the shortage of teachers?

- In the coming time, the Ministry of Education and Training will proactively address professional issues so that teachers will feel more supported and facilitated in their work, reducing stress and pressure; and increase training and guidance. At the same time, localities need to actively share experiences in organizing teaching, testing, and evaluation...

The Ministry has made adjustments to the training of teacher training colleges to provide more teachers for localities. In addition, the Ministry is also studying and proposing adjustments to Decree 116/2020/ND-CP on teacher training, in order to remove obstacles related to the local ordering mechanism as well as support living expenses for teacher training students. The revised Decree 116 is expected to be completed this year and is expected to expand the source of teacher recruitment.

The Ministry of Education and Training is also completing procedures to submit to the National Assembly for temporary permission to recruit teachers according to the standards of the old Education Law. It can be used temporarily, requiring that by 2030, teachers must meet the standards. This is considered a temporary measure to have a flexible source of teachers in teaching IT and foreign languages. At the same time, it is recommended that localities not mechanically reduce the payroll, creating more difficulties for the education sector. The policy of streamlining the payroll directed by the Politburo and the Secretariat is correct, but it needs to be implemented in the direction of reducing the number of people receiving salaries from the budget; localities should pay attention to regulating and limiting the cutting of the education payroll quota.

In the regime and policies of national target programs as well as other project programs, the education sector strengthens the consolidation of schools and takes care of building public housing for teachers, especially at school locations, remote areas, and difficult areas.

By the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the total number of preschool and general education teachers is 1,234,124 people, of which 88.57% are public and 11.43% are non-public. Graphics: MINH THU

* Preschool teachers work hard but earn very little. Will this problem be solved in the new school year?

- The leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training understand and sympathize with teachers on this issue. The Government has assigned the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Home Affairs to work with ministries and branches to consider increasing the preferential allowance for preschool and primary school teachers first, then continuing for all levels. Initially, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Home Affairs have agreed to increase the preferential allowance for preschool teachers by 10% and primary school teachers by 5%. The remaining issue is to reach agreement with the Ministry of Finance, report to the Government and ministries and branches. Hopefully this will be agreed soon.

The number of salaried teachers is very large, accounting for 70% of civil servants and public employees nationwide. Therefore, each policy adjustment may be small but requires resources and conditions. In reality, the working hours of preschool teachers are currently longer than the prescribed time, because children come early and leave late according to their parents' working hours. This is also one of the reasons that creates pressure for preschool teachers. Regarding policy, the Ministry of Education and Training will continue to consider and pay attention to remuneration for the long working hours of preschool teachers.

Regarding the retirement age of preschool teachers - which has been mentioned and concerned a lot recently, the Government is adjusting the Law on Social Insurance and in its comments on the draft law, the Ministry of Education and Training has officially proposed to include preschool teachers in the group of heavy and hazardous jobs. Most recently, on the National Assembly forum, I also represented the education sector to continue to express the view that preschool teachers should have a retirement regime in the group of heavy laborers, women should still be at the age of 55 but with guaranteed income and regime so as not to be disadvantaged.

* Entering the new school year, what message does the Minister have for teachers and students?

- The new school year begins with many tasks and challenges in the process of educational innovation, many difficulties but also promises many achievements ahead. I hope that all teachers and students will continue to make efforts, strive to innovate and be creative to fulfill their responsibilities to the industry and society. I hope that society and parents will continue to support the education sector in the coming time.

President sends letter on the occasion of new school year

On the occasion of the opening of the 2023-2024 school year, President Vo Van Thuong sent a letter to the education sector. The letter reads: "You, regardless of your age, level of education, mountainous or plain, border or remote island... always identify learning as an important task of your whole life. Each school year is a meaningful journey on the path of accumulating knowledge, practicing skills, cultivating qualities, establishing good and sustainable values ​​for self-development. The world and your future are wide open. The aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country, "standing shoulder to shoulder with the world's great powers" can only be achieved when the country has citizens with intelligence and dignity, who love their family, the Fatherland, and their compatriots; live decently and work effectively; dare to protect the right, be brave and alert against bad things and evil"...

President Vo Van Thuong hopes that teachers will always maintain their passion and dedication to their profession, have the courage to overcome all obstacles and difficulties, and contribute more to the noble cause of educating people. "I hope that parents, for the future of their children, will accompany schools and society in educating and caring for them. I request that Party committees, Party organizations, and authorities at all levels pay more attention to the cause of education. I wish our cause of education to be increasingly innovative, improve quality, and develop continuously," the President emphasized.

Standing member of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai attends the opening ceremony in Yen Bai

Politburo member and Standing member of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai attended the opening ceremony of the new school year at Van Yen Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities in Yen Bai province on September 4. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Standing member of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai expressed her joy at the school's achievements in the past school year and hoped that teachers would continue to achieve better results in the coming school year. Students need to make efforts to study and practice to become good children and good students so that they can contribute to building their homeland and country to become more and more prosperous. The Standing member of the Secretariat emphasized that Van Yen is a difficult area, many families have had to make efforts to send their children to school. Therefore, the leaders of Yen Bai province need to have policies to provide maximum support so that children always have enough to eat, clothes to wear, books, and do not let them lack anything.

Y.Anh

Mr. Dinh Duc Hien, Hoc Mai Education System (Hanoi City):

Expectation of the 4 words "persistence"

At the meeting with nearly 1 million preschool and primary school teachers and university lecturers on August 15, the Minister emphasized the four words "steadfast" (steadfast, persistent, determined, and steadfast), not only for teachers, but also for managers and educational policy makers. We have entered the 4th year of the new general education program, difficulties on all sides, mistakes are inevitable, but the mission of educational innovation cannot be changed, it must become the ideal for any educator.

Teachers first need to innovate themselves, must keep in mind not because of the requirements of the system above but because of the students, because of the maturity of the students. But what is expected is that leaders will truly follow the four words "perseverance", only then will teachers have faith, be assured to contribute, and promote their creativity to the fullest.

Mr. Vo Kim Bao, Nguyen Du Secondary School (District 1, HCMC):

Reduce unnecessary work

People often say "settling down, having a career", but with the current salary, it is difficult for teachers to "settle down" and focus on teaching. They have to do many other jobs to maintain their personal and family lives. Currently, teachers' workload and requirements are much higher than 5 years ago. However, salaries have not increased in time with the ever-increasing requirements. Many teachers have not been able to stick with the profession, so the workload has to be shouldered by teachers who follow the profession.

In order for teachers to be able to stick with their profession and devote themselves wholeheartedly, I think we should minimize unnecessary activities and tasks that teachers have to shoulder; have time to focus on their expertise, innovate education, and get acquainted with new programs...

Ms. Van Trinh Quynh An, Gia Dinh High School (HCMC):

Need to create conditions for professional development

Income is important but not everything. Teachers only need a decent income and recognition for their efforts to feel secure in their profession. Because teachers do not choose this profession to get rich. Like other working environments, criteria such as treatment, management, regimes and policies for teachers are also factors that need attention. Teachers want to develop their expertise, study more to improve their qualifications, and serve their teaching work well, so they need to be given favorable conditions and attention from leaders at all levels.

To improve the quality of education, the first thing is to improve the quality of teachers. Through that, they will be wholeheartedly devoted to their work when they are understood, recognized, have a comfortable working environment, and are autonomous according to their professional capacity.

Y.Anh - D.Trinh recorded

Source: https://nld.com.vn/giao-duc-khoa-hoc/nang-dai-ngo-giam-ap-luc-cho-giao-vien-20230904214612441.htm