Insufficient in quantity, inconsistent in quality.
Currently, commune-level authorities directly manage preschool, primary, and secondary education institutions. Many tasks previously handled by the Department of Education and Training (GDĐT) have been transferred to the commune-level Departments of Culture and Social Affairs , requiring management staff to be equipped with knowledge and skills appropriate to the industry's requirements. In addition to education, the commune-level Departments of Culture and Social Affairs simultaneously carry out many tasks in the fields of culture, sports, tourism, health, science and technology, labor, war invalids, and social affairs. Statistics show that each department has approximately 10 civil servants, with only an average of 1.04 civil servants per commune responsible for education.
Despite the limited number, according to Dr. Vu Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Teachers and Educational Management Staff (Ministry of Education and Training), many of them lack expertise or experience in education. Only about 50% of civil servants in charge of education at the commune and ward levels have expertise in education or have previously worked in the education sector. Even so, many who previously only oversaw one level of education now have to oversee all three. Some have education expertise but have moved to other fields for many years and are now returning. This has caused some initial difficulties.
Specifically, after 4 months of mergers, Ho Chi Minh City has 35 out of 168 wards and communes with assigned education officers who have never worked in education. Similarly, in Lang Son, 19 out of 65 wards and communes have civil servants in charge of education but they lack the necessary expertise, and 2 wards and communes have not yet assigned such positions. In Tay Ninh and Vinh Long, 60 out of 96 and 69 out of 124 wards and communes, respectively, have assigned tasks to civil servants who have not received specialized training in the field of education.
Based on observations in Hai Phong, among the 114 communes, wards, and special zones, there are... Approximately 40% of civil servants in charge of education have specialized training in other fields such as law, land administration, and animal husbandry engineering. For example, in Tan Ky commune, there are 18 kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools. The work of managing education is very demanding, but the civil servants in charge have studied law and have never directly managed the education sector. This causes certain difficulties in the initial stages of taking on the job.
At the National Scientific Conference on the theme: "Developing state management capacity in education for officials at the Department, Commune, and educational institution levels when implementing the two-tiered local government model," held in Hai Phong last weekend, delegates pointed out that without district-level Departments of Education and Training, the intermediate force supporting professional development, inspection, and teacher training is insufficient, while the capacity of commune-level officials is limited and lacks in-depth expertise...
Proposal to strengthen the team of education specialists.
To gradually address the difficulties, the Hai Phong Department of Education and Training has established specialized clusters for junior and senior high schools, for the 2025-2028 term, assigning leaders and specialists to be in charge of each cluster to support schools; and organized training for commune officials on managing and using electronic documents.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Quang, former Deputy Head of the Education and Training Department of Tu Ky District (formerly Hai Duong Province), now Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Ky Commune, Hai Phong, proposed strengthening the team of education specialists at the commune level; training and developing local staff through a "hands-on" approach, learning while working. The Department of Education and Training should assign specialized civil servants to oversee clusters of communes, and establish professional clusters according to educational levels to directly support schools, establishing a focal point at the provincial level for timely guidance, direction, and professional exchange.
Associate Professor Pham Van Thuan, Director of the Academy of Educational Management, suggested that a competency framework for commune-level officials is needed for evaluation and assessment. He argued that in the future, a stronger digital transformation in education is necessary, combining in-person and online work and learning to meet the needs of local management at both levels. He emphasized that those without specialized expertise or experience in education need systematic training. Initially, general training in educational management skills could be provided, followed by more in-depth training such as pursuing a second degree or a master's degree in educational management. Other individuals should receive necessary training programs to ensure they meet job requirements.
Given that civil servants are simultaneously working and studying, and schools are awaiting guidance and training, in addition to immediate solutions, a comprehensive long-term strategy is needed, especially regarding the placement and utilization of personnel trained in the right specialties to perform this work.
Associate Professor Tran Thi Dieu Oanh - Head of the Law Faculty, Academy of Public Administration and Management, suggested that standardization must be linked to the reform of recruitment, employment, and remuneration mechanisms. Specifically, recruitment should shift from solely based on academic qualifications to recruitment based on job position capabilities (according to Decree 138/2020/ND-CP). Responsibility must be linked to work performance; there should be a transparent mechanism for rotation, rewards, and disciplinary actions. Regarding remuneration, income should be increased based on performance, and special allowances should be provided for disadvantaged areas.
Source: https://daidoanket.vn/chuan-hoa-doi-ngu-giao-duc-cap-xa.html
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