Minister Nguyen Kim Son: Take quality as the axis, teachers as the key, technology as the lever

The Law on Teachers will take effect from January 1, 2026, along with a new system of decrees and circulars to develop the teaching staff. In an exchange on the occasion of November 20, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son shared about issues surrounding the completion of the legal corridor and the task of building and developing the teaching staff with the motto "taking quality as the axis, taking teachers as the key, taking technology as the lever".

Perfecting the legal corridor and policies for developing the teaching staff

Minister Nguyen Kim Son said: The Ministry of Education and Training is focusing on effectively implementing Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW, which clearly defines the task of building and developing a team of teachers as the core force, playing a central role in the cause of educational innovation according to the motto "taking quality as the axis, taking teachers as the key, taking technology as the lever".

At the same time, perfect the legal framework and mechanisms and policies for developing the teaching staff, typically the Law on Teachers, aiming to build a team that is "sufficient in quantity, strong in quality, dedicated - has vision - has talent", meeting the requirements of fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training. Innovate the work of training, fostering and developing teachers' careers; focus on forming and developing professional qualities, professional capacity, spirit of innovation and creativity, ability to inspire and guide learners in learning and practicing.

Along with that, innovate and effectively implement the 2018 General Education Program and the new Preschool Education Program; in which the role of the teacher is defined as the organizer, guiding learners to proactively explore knowledge, practice skills and build a positive learning attitude, instead of just imparting knowledge one-way.

Promote digital transformation and innovation in teaching methods; encourage teachers and managers to apply information technology, exploit modern digital platforms and tools to build a smart, open, creative, humane learning environment that adapts to the requirements of the digital age. Build a positive, democratic, humane working environment, create conditions for teachers to learn, share experiences, promote professional capacity, thereby nurturing passion, interest and responsibility in teaching and educating learners.

The Education sector will also focus on honoring and spreading the image of creative, dedicated, and professional teachers through communication activities, emulation movements, awards, competitions, and programs to honor outstanding teachers and managers, in order to affirm the value, position, and pride of the teaching profession in society.

- Up to now, how has the Law on Teachers and sub-law documents been implemented, Minister?

- As soon as the National Assembly passed the Law on Teachers, the Ministry of Education and Training developed and submitted to the Government 3 Decrees and 14 Circulars, ensuring they take effect simultaneously when the Law on Teachers takes effect on January 1, 2026. These documents are built in a standardized and better direction for teachers, with some notable points.

First of all, it is the standardization and synchronization in the whole system when implementing the consolidation of two systems of standards (professional titles and professional standards) into a system of titles associated with professional competency standards, applied uniformly to both public and non-public. This aims to create a common quality level for the entire team; ensure fairness in access to quality education for students; increase transparency and accessibility in assessment, selection and training of teachers.

In addition, regulations on the content and methods of teacher recruitment will be adjusted in line with pedagogical practice, ensuring quality input, appropriate to each level of education and training level. Policies on salaries, allowances, support, and teacher attraction will also be reviewed and supplemented to help increase income and improve the lives of teachers.

- A matter of great concern is the mechanism for recruiting, mobilizing and rotating the teaching staff. Could the Minister inform us about the regulations related to this issue?

- Currently, the Ministry of Education and Training is presiding over the drafting of a Decree detailing a number of articles of the Law on Teachers and a Circular regulating the authority to recruit teachers. Accordingly, the authority to recruit, mobilize, and transfer teachers in preschool, general education, continuing education, and public specialized schools is proposed to be assigned to the Department of Education and Training to preside over implementation.

In the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on a number of specific and outstanding mechanisms and policies to make breakthroughs in education and training development, the Ministry of Education and Training also proposed to assign the Director of the Department of Education and Training to exercise the authority to recruit and receive teachers, managers of educational institutions and staff in preschools, general education, continuing education, specialized schools and public vocational high schools in the province.

Lecturer and student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education.

Solutions to promote career motivation for teachers

- The salary and allowance regime is a matter of special concern. What are the notable new points on this issue in the documents that the Ministry of Education and Training is developing?

- The Ministry of Education and Training is developing a Decree regulating salary and allowance policies for teachers. According to the draft Decree, teachers are expected to receive a special salary coefficient in addition to the salary and allowance policies that teachers currently receive.

Specifically, the draft Decree currently stipulates that “Teachers are entitled to preferential allowances according to their profession, seniority allowances for teachers and other allowances as prescribed by law. The beneficiaries of allowances, the allowance levels, and the method of calculating allowances shall comply with the provisions of law and the provisions of this Decree”.

Along with that, to specify the provisions in Resolution 71-NQ/TW, the Ministry of Education and Training is developing a Decree regulating preferential allowances according to profession for civil servants and employees working in public educational institutions. In particular, it is proposed to implement increasing preferential allowances according to a roadmap, including two phases.

In Phase 1 (from 2026-2030), the Ministry is proposing to add 20% allowances for school staff; increase 15% for teachers at all levels of preschool and general education, and increase 5% of preferential allowances for teachers and lecturers at universities and vocational training institutions.

Phase 2, from 2031 onwards: The implementation of preferential allowances according to profession for preschool and general education teachers is applied according to the provisions of Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW.

Regarding the roadmap, the Ministry of Education and Training is currently coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance to develop a Government Decree, expected to be submitted to the Government for approval in 2025 to ensure timely implementation at the same time as the Law on Teachers.

Regarding resources, when implementing, the state budget will be allocated in the annual plan and we also hope that localities will be more proactive in balancing and prioritizing education, so that this policy can truly come into life, contributing to improving life, creating motivation for teachers to feel secure in their work, and to stick with the profession for a long time, thereby improving the quality of education and spreading the humanistic values of Resolution 71.

- Besides salary and allowances, what other solutions are there to promote career motivation for teachers, Minister?

- One of the outstanding policies of the Law on Teachers is to affirm the position, protect the honor and prestige of the teaching profession. Accordingly, teachers are identified as the core force of the education sector, playing a decisive role in ensuring the quality of education; are guaranteed rights in professional activities commensurate with their position; have the right to be proactive in professional activities... The Law also stipulates what organizations and individuals are not allowed to do to teachers, and stipulates how to handle violations of the prestige, honor and dignity of teachers.

In addition to salary and allowances, teachers also enjoy support, attraction and promotion policies, including: Subsidies according to the nature of work and region; training and development support; periodic health care support and occupational health care; being arranged public housing or collective housing or house rental support when working in particularly difficult areas.

At the same time, there will be policies to attract and promote highly qualified, talented, specially gifted, and highly skilled people; to work in particularly difficult areas; teachers in a number of important and essential fields... These policies and regimes will be specified in documents guiding the implementation of the Law on Teachers, expected to take effect simultaneously from January 1, 2026.

The above policies, together with regulations on professional standards, appointment of teacher titles, recruitment, employment, honoring, and rewarding teachers, etc., will be comprehensive solutions to help teachers feel secure in their work, focus on professional activities, and create motivation for teachers to improve their capacity and continuously develop their careers.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son: A strong education system cannot lack discipline and strictness in the teacher-student relationship.

Teachers understand AI to teach people in the AI era

- In the context of strong development of artificial intelligence (AI) as today, according to the Minister, how should the role of teachers be positioned?

This is a very important question for every teacher in the context of strong development of artificial intelligence (AI). AI cannot replace the role of teachers, but it poses new requirements for teachers: Teachers must learn for life, must understand AI to teach people in the AI era; teachers must change their primary role from imparting knowledge to guiding, instructing, supporting, developing the learning capacity and self-learning, lifelong learning of learners.

The Ministry of Education and Training has identified that teachers and educational administrators must be the pioneers in applying AI, guiding and instructing learners to use AI responsibly. Teachers must regularly update and innovate teaching, learning, testing and assessment methods to adapt and help students develop critical thinking and creativity in the new context.

In the context of the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the Ministry of Education and Training clearly recognizes that this is a great opportunity to create a breakthrough, but also a challenge that requires the industry to have a strong transformation, especially for the teaching staff. The position of teachers is not only not "shaken" but also becomes more important, however, the role of teachers needs to change greatly.

- What solutions has the Ministry of Education and Training implemented to support teachers in applying AI effectively and responsibly?

- To adapt and effectively utilize AI capabilities, teachers and education managers must have appropriate AI capabilities to adapt to the development of AI and preserve core educational values such as honesty, promoting creative thinking and self-learning ability of learners.

Currently, the Ministry of Education and Training is directing educational institutions to strengthen training, raise awareness, understanding and capacity to apply AI to lead and master AI applications in educational institutions. The Ministry is directing the development of AI education programs that can be applied from primary school students to equip learners with awareness, understanding and AI capacity to understand AI, know the scope and limitations of AI and gradually apply AI in a controlled and responsible manner in educational activities.

In addition, the education sector is focusing on perfecting institutions and regulations on the transformation and application of AI in education, promulgating and perfecting regulations and guidelines, including a handbook on the use of AI in educational institutions, a code of conduct for using AI, and regulations on security, data use, and privacy. This is an important legal framework to ensure responsible and safe application of AI and preserve ethical and humanistic values in education.

In addition, the draft Circular on the digital competency framework for teachers, including AI competency, is also being urgently completed and issued, serving as a basis for guiding the training and assessment of AI competency for teachers. When teachers are fully equipped with skills, recognized and become pioneers in innovation, the trust and position of teachers in the eyes of society will be affirmed and firmly consolidated.

Teachers and students of Phan Dinh Phung High School (Hanoi). Photo: Xuan Phu.

- What does the Minister think about the teacher-student relationship in the current era of digital technology and Internet development?

The motto “teacher is teacher, student is student” emphasizes the relationship of respect, trust and cooperation between teachers and students.

“A teacher is a teacher” when a teacher not only imparts knowledge but also sets an example of personality, ethics, duty and responsibility. A teacher must teach with heart and love for the profession, so that students can respect and follow. Knowledge can be found in books or on the internet, but personality and life can only be absorbed through the company of a true teacher.

“A good student” is when a student must maintain filial piety, respect teachers, and take learning and understanding as their goals. A student must not only passively receive knowledge, but must also actively learn, ask questions, and train themselves to grow. When a student knows how to maintain etiquette and study properly, that is also the greatest gratitude to the teacher.

In the current era of digital technology and Internet development, the teacher-student relationship must be valued even more because only respect and affection between teachers and students can keep education from becoming distorted, pragmatic, and insensitive.

Society needs to respect and uphold the spirit of “respecting teachers and valuing education”. Families must teach their children to respect teachers and appreciate learning. Schools must create an environment for teachers and students to truly bond. Teachers themselves must always practice to properly demonstrate the role of a teacher in every lesson and every action.

A strong education cannot lack discipline and seriousness in the teacher-student relationship.

Thank you, Minister!

“ On the occasion of Vietnamese Teachers' Day November 20, I would like to send to all generations of teachers, administrators and staff in the education sector across the country my best wishes, deep gratitude and wishes for health, happiness and success.

The 2025-2026 school year is the year of implementing a series of major policies and guidelines of the Party and State related to education and training. It is the year when the education sector enters a breakthrough period, comprehensive development, towards modernization and quality improvement in the spirit of Resolution 71-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

In that context, I hope that each teacher will continue to maintain their faith and love for the profession, constantly learn, create, and innovate teaching and management methods to meet the requirements of the new era of development."

Minister Nguyen Kim Son.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/bo-truong-nguyen-kim-son-lay-chat-luong-lam-truc-nha-giao-lam-then-chot-cong-nghe-lam-don-bay-post757122.html