Issuing professional certificates to teachers, don't let it be a mountain to climb, then a river to climb

Some people think it is a reasonable requirement to prove teaching ability, others think it is unnecessary, cumbersome and no different from adding a "sub-license", many opinions warn: we need to be careful, avoid the situation of "going back and forth and getting stuck in a mountain, going back and getting stuck in a river", affecting the psychology of teachers who are already under a lot of pressure.

Explanation of the Ministry of Education and Training

The Ministryof Education and Training (MOET) said it is seeking opinions from professional agencies, experts, teachers, education managers, etc. to develop a draft Law on Teachers. Among the many contents put forward for comments, there is a proposal to stipulate that teachers must have a professional certificate.

As planned, the teacher's professional certificate is a document issued by a competent educational management agency of Vietnam to a person who meets the professional standards of a teacher and meets the requirements for professional activities. Also according to the proposal, the professional certificate will be revoked when the teacher is assessed by a competent agency as failing to complete his/her tasks for 2 consecutive years; the teacher violates discipline to the extent of being forced to quit or be fired; or the application for a professional certificate is not in accordance with regulations.

vocational certificate for teachers to wear when going out, wear when going out, picture 1 — Lecturer of University of Technology - Vietnam National University, Hanoi in research room. Photo: Illustration

Responding to the press, Mr. Vu Minh Duc - Director of the Department of Teachers and Educational Managers, Ministry of Education and Training - said that the professional certificate of teachers helps to practice and change workplaces more conveniently, without causing additional procedures. According to Mr. Duc, the professional certificate will replace two important documents: the decision to recognize the end of the teacher's probationary period and the certificate of completion of training to meet professional title standards. If teachers are granted a professional certificate, they will no longer need these two types of documents, so the paperwork will be reduced.

According to Mr. Duc, in many countries, teachers must have a professional certificate. Many other professions in Vietnam such as lawyers and doctors also have regulations on professional certificates. A certificate is required to practice. The certificate is proof that the person is competent to do that job.

“In the field of education, there are currently many regulations on professional standards and teacher/lecturer title standards. Professional certificates will replace these with specific criteria. Professional certificates are also a recognition and honor for teachers,” emphasized the Director of the Department of Teachers and Educational Managers.

Does a teacher's certificate prove teaching ability?

At the professional consultation workshop on the construction of the Law on Teachers recently organized by the Ministry of Education and Training in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr. Hoang Ngoc Vinh - former Director of the Department of Vocational Education, Ministry of Education and Training said that the issuance of certificates or practice licenses is in line with the policy of educational innovation and brings benefits to both teachers and students.

Teaching licensure helps ensure that those entering the profession have the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively educate students through subject matter knowledge, teaching methods, and classroom management skills that contribute to the quality of education. In addition, this certification is associated with a set of professional and ethical standards that educators must adhere to. It demonstrates the level of professionalism associated with the title and the commitment of an educator in an important and influential field such as education.

By receiving professional certification, teachers demonstrate that they have the specific skills and knowledge required to teach those subjects, increasing accountability and public confidence in the ethical expertise of those in the teaching profession. In particular, the unified criteria for obtaining a qualified teacher certification helps ensure a more equitable education system where all students, regardless of where they are taught, have access to competent and well-trained teachers.

vocational certificate for teachers to wear when going out, wear when going out, picture 2

“Reality shows that there is always a potential gap between the academic output capacity of graduates and their practical teaching skills. Many pedagogical practice skills, technology application in lesson design, teaching... classroom management, behavior with students and colleagues of graduate teachers are still lacking compared to the requirements of teaching with the diversity of students' learning styles, and specific regional needs. Along with that, changes in technology, needs and social impacts on teachers' behavior; and teachers always have to update their knowledge, skills, and cultivate soft skills that are lacking. In addition, besides teaching skills and knowledge, educators also need to be aware of the legal and ethical aspects of their profession,” Mr. Vinh shared his opinion.

As for those who stand on the podium every day, most of them are quite concerned, some teachers even think that this license is unnecessary, wasteful and troublesome. “After graduating from a teacher training school, students are granted a graduation certificate. This is the document with the highest legal value for teachers to practice teaching. Currently, according to the Law on Civil Servants, before becoming an education official, teachers must pass a fiercely competitive recruitment exam. Therefore, it is not necessary to issue a professional certificate” - Mr. Nguyen Van Luc - teacher at Trinh Phong Secondary School, Khanh Hoa expressed his opinion.

According to Mr. Luc, to become a teacher, each teacher must be trained for 4 years at universities and 3 years at colleges. Not to mention, many teachers, after graduating and working, spend 2 more years studying for a master's degree and then a doctorate. "This license is only necessary for those who teach outside so that the State can manage the quality of teaching and learning instead of granting it to all teachers. As for the teaching staff, the important thing is to improve their material and spiritual life and regularly organize training on new methods for teachers to approach the world. That is what needs to be done instead of having another type of "small paper" - Mr. Luc said.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Thu - a teacher at a secondary school in Phu Tho said that she herself found it difficult to understand the regulation that teachers must have a professional certificate in the draft Law on Teachers proposed by the Ministry of Education and Training. "When having been trained in a pedagogical environment, teachers have graduated from a pedagogical school, have enough qualifications to stand on the podium, to teach, so why do they need a professional certificate? If a professional certificate is required to practice, then why does the State grant graduation certificates to pedagogical students?" - Ms. Thu asked.

Be careful to avoid consequences

However, the most important thing, above all the right and wrong arguments, is whether adding a practice license will create a risk of overlapping all kinds of certificates in the education sector or not? Currently, there are professional standards for teachers according to the 2019 Education Law and the guidelines of the Ministry of Education and Training. At each level of education, teachers and lecturers, depending on their years of work, having a professional title certificate and meeting the Ministry's criteria, will be classified from level I to level III. This is the basis for salary classification in public schools. Teachers and lecturers from private schools when transferring to the public sector must take civil servant exams, study and take professional title certificates along with a number of other regulations.

vocational certificate for teachers to wear when going out, wear when going out, picture 3

Also because of the many types of certificates surrounding teachers, in previous years, public opinion reacted strongly when the Ministry of Education and Training required teachers to have a teaching certificate when taking the promotion exam. In May 2023, the press applauded the Ministry of Education and Training for removing the regulation that teachers must have a training certificate according to the professional title standards by rank, removing the certificate of information technology, foreign language, not requiring primary and secondary school teachers of grade I to have a master's degree as before but only need a university degree... in line with the wishes of teachers because for so long they have wasted too much time and money because they had to "run around" to get certificates that meet the regulations, those types of certificates exist as "sub-licenses", teachers receive a salary to teach, but are also tormented by sub-licenses like the business world.

In addition, it is also impossible not to ask the question of how the most important subject - teachers - will be affected, how will their teaching psychology be affected if they are forced to be granted a license to stand on the podium. As Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Nam - Vice Principal of the University of Education - Vietnam National University, Hanoi said: When issuing professional certificates to teachers, educational management agencies must do so honestly and fairly, because turning it into something that can be bought will only make teachers afraid.

This fear, if it really exists, is very worrying. Therefore, careful research from the Ministry of Education and Training as well as comments and criticism from society is needed before deciding whether to include the granting of professional certificates for teachers in the Law on Teachers or not, to avoid the situation of "going forward and getting stuck in the mountains, going back and getting stuck in the rivers".

Needless to say, everyone understands that teaching is a profession that is under too much pressure. As shared by a teacher - teacher Nguyen Dinh Anh of Nghi Loc High School - Nghe An, on the occasion of the recent 2023 Teachers' Charter Day, the pressure comes from the profession's constant need for innovation; from the high expectations of parents and students; from the teachers' own livelihood...

“Teaching is a profession that requires a heavy burden, as parents always say, “everything depends on teachers!” That saying also shows how great the expectations of parents are for teachers. Teachers think that they only have to shoulder “1 task of teaching knowledge” which is already too heavy. However, there are “99 more tasks”. If it were you, what would you think? Can you carry it?” - the sharing of teacher Nguyen Dinh Anh, I think it is worth all of us, including the education and training sector, to pay attention...

Nguyen Ha

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