Need to arrange professional staff for school psychology counseling

GD&TĐ - Although the position of school psychological counselor has been regulated since 2023, few public schools have recruited for this position, leading to ineffective school psychological counseling work.

Efficiency through professionalization

Since 2018, Marie Curie School ( Hanoi ) has started to establish a school psychology counseling room with 5 staff members and a separate office. The psychologists are full-time staff members, trained in psychology, have professional methods and only perform psychological counseling duties, not taking on any other tasks.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Khang - Principal of the school, the school psychology counseling rooms have been effective, supporting thousands of cases. Psychologists use psychological methods to "transform" students; at the same time, help teachers "study" students' psychology, listen, share, persuade and sympathize.

Understanding the difficulties of students, since 2011, the psychological counseling room named Tuoi Hong of Ngo Si Lien Secondary School (Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi) has officially come into operation. By 2022, the school will continue to coordinate with Good Neighbors International to deploy a school psychology room to provide psychological support for students.

Ms. Pham Thu Ha - Principal of Ngo Si Lien Secondary School said that the psychological counseling room is a place for students to come and share about problems in life. Counseling experts will support and accompany students to solve problems: Study, relationship, health status, career counseling.

As one of the few public schools that has successfully implemented the psychological counseling room model, Ngo Si Lien Secondary School has created conditions for school psychologists to establish professional relationships with students, helping them understand and accept reality and discover their own potential.

The school counseling room is operated according to the 3C model (Expertise - Professionalism - Specialization); always ensuring the following rules: Providing support based on students' perceptions, committing to receiving and supporting students' psychology and mental health with respect, without discrimination; committing to ensuring the right to confidentiality and protection.

At the same time, the counseling room has raised awareness regarding forms of violence and bullying of students in the school environment, providing the best possible services, informing students, parents, schools, teachers and other partners about the counseling, assessment, psychotherapy and mental health services provided for students.

In addition to providing one-on-one psychological counseling to students, the counseling department continuously shares articles about mental health through social media channels, and organizes seminars to share, understand, and resolve issues for students, parents, and teachers in the school.

Teachers and students of Ngo Si Lien Secondary School in the psychological counseling room. Photo: LC

Public schools in trouble

Although psychological counseling for students has been mentioned since 2017, the organization of this activity has been implemented in some non-public schools and high-quality, financially autonomous schools; while public schools face many difficulties due to lack of funding, human resources, and operating procedures.

Many school leaders believe that psychological counseling is just a sideline, so they do not invest in it. Counseling activities are ineffective, the content is poor; counselors often hold multiple positions; lack knowledge, are not properly trained in psychology, so they do not have enough skills to handle unexpected and sudden situations; the information processing process is still confusing...

To improve the effectiveness of school psychological counseling, from 2023, the Ministry of Education and Training will issue a Circular guiding job positions, staff structure according to professional titles and the number of employees in educational institutions, stipulating that each school is allowed to arrange one person for the job of counseling students. In case of not being able to arrange a staff, a labor contract or part-time teacher will be arranged.

However, from 2023 to now, most public schools have not recruited for this position. It is noted that in Hanoi, public schools do not have full-time school psychologists, but mainly use part-time teachers or labor contracts, leading to counseling work not being as effective as expected.

In 2025, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training announced the recruitment of 942 teachers and staff, but there is no quota for psychological counseling for students. According to the representative of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, the city is prioritizing the recruitment of teachers for "main subjects", while the position of school counselor can use part-time teachers or contracts with outside centers.

According to psychologist Vu Thu Ha - Vietnam Institute for Psychological Training and Intervention, the position of school psychology staff is currently not given much attention by schools. Therefore, the activities of psychological counseling rooms are not really professional.

“Schools all employ part-time teachers, while psychological counseling is a difficult field. The working environment of a psychological counselor is not the same as that of a teacher. A teacher or counselor working in a school or taking a few training courses on counseling will not be effective,” said Ms. Ha.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Nam - University of Education (Hanoi National University) said: School counselors need to be professional personnel with the requirement of achieving at least a master's degree in a relevant major such as school counseling, school psychology, or educational psychology, clinical psychology with a practice certificate.

“Counselors must understand what is normal development, what is deviant behavior, mental illness, disturbance or disorder; must have skills in collecting information, analyzing data, knowing how to use testing tools; know the process of individual consultation, group consultation for teachers, group consultation for parents,” said Mr. Nam.

The Ministry of Education and Training has just issued Circular No. 18/2025/TT-BGDDT providing guidance on school counseling and social work in schools. Notably, the Circular stipulates that the Provincial People's Committee is responsible for directing, arranging, allocating personnel, funding, and facilities; developing a coordination mechanism and organizing inspection and supervision of the implementation of school counseling and social work in schools.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/can-bo-tri-nhan-su-chuyen-nghiep-tu-van-tam-ly-hoc-duong-post754475.html