Need to improve training standards for preschool teachers

Photo caption — Preschool teachers persevere from caring for to educating children in the classroom. Photo: Giang Phuong/TTXVN

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong shared: At all levels of education, teachers and education administrators are the decisive factors in the quality of education, and this is even more important for preschool education. This is the foundational, initial stage of education, so training and improving the capacity and qualifications of preschool administrators and teachers is extremely necessary.

Looking back at the implementation of the Project, the Deputy Minister stated that: Preschool teachers, starting from a low base and facing many difficulties and pressures in their work, have seen their quality improve significantly with genuine attention and effort. The quality of educational activities over the past period and the application of digital transformation in preschool education demonstrate that teachers have acquired solid professional knowledge, organized diverse and enriching activities for childcare and education, and applied active teaching methods.

Emphasizing several key tasks to be implemented in the coming period, Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong requested that awareness be raised regarding the role and importance of preschool teachers and preschool education administrators; that mechanisms and policies for developing the workforce be reviewed and improved, especially those concerning salaries, allowances, and special, outstanding incentives for preschool teachers; that policies attract people to study preschool education; and that flexible recruitment mechanisms be implemented to suit different regions, attracting teachers who love their profession, love children, and are committed to the field. Along with this, teachers need to receive enhanced training in practical, easily applicable content such as digital skills, artificial intelligence, foreign languages, socio-emotional education, and other professional standards to meet the requirements of preschool education reform under the new curriculum.

In his summary report on the Project, Mr. Vu Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Teachers and Educational Management Staff (Ministry of Education and Training), stated: Over the past 7 years, the Project has achieved outstanding and comprehensive results, making a significant contribution to the fundamental and comprehensive reform of education and training nationwide.

The training and professional development of preschool teachers and administrators has gradually met the requirements of educational reform. Training and professional development programs have contributed to standardizing qualifications, enhancing the capacity of the workforce, and meeting the requirements of the reformed preschool education curriculum. The percentage of teachers and administrators meeting the required training standards has gradually increased and steadily risen over the years, meeting the demands of their duties. The teaching staff and administrators in the preschool education sector are generally sufficient in number and structure, and possess the necessary quality and professional competence.

However, during the implementation of Project 33, despite achieving many outstanding accomplishments, numerous limitations and obstacles still exist, affecting the progress and quality of the objectives, tasks, and solutions set forth nationwide.

According to Mr. Vu Minh Duc, many localities report that the ratio of teachers and class groups has not met the standards set by the Ministry of Education and Training, and some provinces are still lacking hundreds to thousands of preschool teachers. The preschool teaching staff is trained from various sources, resulting in limited quality in childcare and education. High work pressure and low salaries cause some teachers to lose motivation, easily become tired, and lack patience.

The implementation of regular training for preschool administrators and teachers has not met the set targets in some districts and provinces due to a lack of funding. Training courses are sometimes not closely aligned with practical requirements and lack in-depth training on the application of advanced educational methods. The number of core teachers trained by the Ministry of Education and Training is too small, hindering the implementation of mass training.

During the conference, feedback from localities indicated that the biggest and most persistent challenge is the shortage of preschool teachers, especially in remote areas and industrial zones. In addition, the quality of the teaching staff is uneven; funding from the state budget is limited, particularly for the non-public sector; and the sector faces a double pressure: ensuring a sufficient number of teachers for the increasing number of children attending school while simultaneously improving the quality of the teaching staff to meet the increasingly complex demands of the new context.

The reorganization of training and professional development institutions and the implementation of staff reduction as prescribed have also created additional challenges regarding teacher shortages and caused difficulties in recruitment, personnel allocation, and training organization.

In the coming period (2026-2035), developing the team of preschool teachers and school administrators will continue to be a key task, with synchronized and feasible solutions that overcome bottlenecks, and with appropriate roadmaps and steps.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has proposed that the Ministry of Education and Training promptly issue digital competency standards for preschool administrators and teachers; build a national digital learning resource repository for this educational level; and issue specific mechanisms and policies to encourage the workforce to actively apply information technology and digital transformation in the management, nurturing, care, and education of children.

The Department of Education and Training of Quang Tri province proposed the need for a sustainable mechanism to continue maintaining and developing the training of preschool teachers and educational administrators, aiming for 100% of preschool teachers and administrators to meet the required training standards. Simultaneously, a roadmap for raising the training standards for preschool teachers is needed to ensure adequate salaries for the teaching staff; and research should be conducted to determine the appropriate job positions for childcare staff in preschools to align with the program's requirements. Furthermore, a more stable and flexible financial mechanism is needed for the training of preschool teachers, especially supporting teachers in disadvantaged areas and classes held in remote and rural regions.

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