Proposal to exempt tuition fees for teachers' children, need to avoid causing harm...

That is the sharing of a lecturer at a university in Ho Chi Minh City before the proposal to exempt tuition fees for teachers' children from the draft Law on Teachers.

The proposal to exempt tuition fees for teachers' children has caused much controversy (Illustration: Hoai Nam).

He understands that this proposal wants to take better care of teachers' lives, but according to him, compared to many other professions, teachers' salaries are not so low that they have to waive tuition fees to ensure their children can go to school.

Moreover, even in the profession, the income of university lecturers is very different from that of preschool and elementary school teachers, and there is already a discrepancy if all tuition fees are exempted equally.

It's not what you give that counts, but how you give it. What matters most is the teacher's self-respect.

"The most appropriate way to treat teachers is to have a salary policy that is appropriate to their professional position, especially for preschool and primary school teachers. We need to abandon the mindset of giving to teachers to avoid causing harm to teachers themselves and other professions," the lecturer said.

As a teacher - the beneficiary of the proposal "children are exempted from tuition fees" - Master Vu Hoang Son, a teacher at Binh Hoa Primary School (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) also said that this proposal is not feasible.

Firstly, according to Mr. Son, this could create unfairness among students even in the same class. A proposal with humane meaning but could create a gap, creating a "stratification" between teachers' children and their friends whose parents do other jobs.

The fact that a group of students are "favored" because their parents are teachers can lead to discrimination and teasing between teachers' children and their friends.

Mr. Son believes that we are achieving equality among all social classes, and this needs to be reflected in theeducational environment. All children should be able to go to school and enjoy the same rights.

Exemption from tuition fees for teachers’ children creates inequality in the educational environment itself. This requires high standards of rights, obligations and responsibilities for all students, except in special cases.

Teacher Vu Hoang Son in an activity with students (Photo: SH).

If the tuition-free proposal is implemented, just by looking at the tuition-paying list, we will know which students are teachers' children. Try to put yourself in the shoes of workers in many other industries, how would they feel?

MSc. Vu Hoang Son said that money is needed to implement salary reform policies and support the construction of school facilities to avoid overcharging, which causes public outrage.

These not only help teachers’ children have better learning conditions, but also have a positive impact on the educational environment. Direct support should focus on teachers and students in remote areas and those in difficult circumstances.

Mr. Nguyen Cao Trong, a teacher in Ho Chi Minh City, said that it is time for management agencies and public opinion to frankly acknowledge that teaching is also a profession where workers put in effort to earn money like other professions.

In all professions in society, no profession is more noble than another, or "superior" to another. The difference between professions is due to the specific nature and requirements of the job. From the specific nature of the job, it can be considered that teachers need to be paid a more appropriate salary so that they can focus on their work.

When the education budget is generally low and tuition fees for teachers' children are reduced, it will create jealousy and unfairness in the school environment. This is not good for teachers and their children first of all.

Exempting tuition fees for teachers' children can cause inequality in schools (Illustration: Hoai Nam).

Sharing this perspective, Ms. Nguyen Thu Phuong, a teacher in Binh Duong , expressed that the proposal of "free tuition for teachers' children" is the concern of the education sector towards the team.

According to the female teacher, policies aimed at caring for and improving teachers' lives are necessary but must be careful, avoiding hurting other people and avoiding hurting teachers.

In response to public opinion and the entire team's response to this proposal, Dr. Vu Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Teachers and Educational Managers ( Ministry of Education and Training ), said that the purpose of the policy is to create a favorable environment for teachers in their professional activities, helping teachers have a stable life, feel secure in their work, and attract talented people to the profession.

This is just a draft. The drafting committee continues to listen to opinions from experts, society and authorities to continue perfecting the draft Law on Teachers to harmonize different professions and ensure national resources.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/de-xuat-mien-hoc-phi-cho-con-giao-vien-can-tranh-gay-ton-thuong-20241011144044126.htm