Teachers should not be turned into students because of regulations on training and certification.

Some National Assembly deputies argued that reality demands very high standards from teachers, not only in terms of ethics, standards, knowledge, and creativity, but also in terms of character and political ideology; and the requirement for mandatory diplomas and certificates adds further pressure on teachers.

On the morning of November 20th, continuing the 8th Session, the National Assembly discussed the draft Law on Teachers in the plenary hall. During the discussion, Representative Nguyen Thi Viet Nga, from the Hai Duong Provincial Delegation, argued that the regulations on teacher training from Articles 34 to 36 are burdensome because today is a learning society, promoting lifelong learning and encouraging self-study and research. Teachers need to improve their skills and learn regularly. However, this should not lead to teachers becoming students with such a dense list of mandatory training regulations, creating additional pressure on them.

The Vietnamese-Russian delegates proposed reducing regulations that create pressure regarding mandatory certificates and training for teachers, and instead suggesting that regulations should encourage teachers to actively research and study to improve their skills and qualifications to meet job requirements.

Representative Tran Quang Minh – Member of the National Assembly delegation from Quang Binh province, participated in the discussion.

Article 34 on teacher training in public educational institutions stipulates that training should be conducted in accordance with the law on civil servants; the content of knowledge and skills required for each job position includes: regular training to update knowledge and skills to meet professional standards for teachers; training to meet the requirements of educational reform; training to meet the requirements of lifelong learning; training in leadership and management capacity of educational institutions; Teacher training includes mandatory training, elective training, self-study, and self-research through appropriate forms.

Article 35, Responsibilities and rights of teachers when participating in training: Fully participate in and complete the training program as prescribed; Be conscious of self-learning, lifelong learning, and continuous professional development; Apply the results of training to teaching, education, scientific research, community service, and innovation.

Meanwhile, Representative Tran Quang Minh – from the Quang Binh Provincial Delegation of the National Assembly – proposed adding to point e, clause 2, Article 9 a provision stating that teachers have the obligation to participate in building a safe, democratic, and innovative educational environment. According to the representative, it is necessary to add the obligation of teachers and educational administrators to build a friendly educational environment. The representative argued that this is part of the emulation movement to build friendly schools and active students, which was launched more than 16 years ago and has proven to retain its value and significance.

To achieve this goal, teachers must be friendly in their teaching. A friendly school is one that provides a healthy and safe living environment, free from uncertainties, dangers, and threats to students. A friendly school is one that establishes gender equality, fosters attitudes towards education, and promotes respectful behavior towards gender equality. In building a friendly school, teachers' responsibilities extend beyond simply imparting knowledge; they must also focus on life skills education and create an environment and conditions for students to learn about, care for, and promote the historical, revolutionary, and cultural relics of the local area.

Representative Nguyen Thi Thu Dung – Member of the National Assembly delegation from Thai Binh province, participated in the discussion.

Regarding the building and development of the teaching staff, Representative Nguyen Thi Thu Dung – from the National Assembly delegation of Thai Binh province, stated: Article 6 of the draft Law on Teachers, on the State's policy on building and developing the teaching staff, stipulates that the State plays a leading role in building and developing the teaching staff; ensuring the quantity, structure, and quality of the teaching staff, especially teachers from ethnic minorities and teachers working in ethnic minority areas, mountainous regions, border areas, islands, and areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions.

However, Representative Nguyen Thi Thu Dung argued that this policy is not clearly reflected in the draft Law on Teachers. According to a report by the Ministry of Education and Training, as of the 2022-2023 school year, the country still lacks more than 100,000 teachers at the general education level, and according to the General Statistics Office's forecast, by 2030, the country will need to add more than 358,000 teachers. Therefore, the representative believes that the Law on Teachers needs policies to ensure the number of teachers.

Regarding the proposal to add standards on political and ideological qualities for teachers, Representative To Van Tam – Member of the National Assembly Delegation of Kon Tum province, stated: Concerning the professional standards for teachers in Article 14 of the draft Law, education plays a crucial role, and teachers are central to it, determining the quality of training and education, directly influencing and transmitting the thinking, ideology, and knowledge of generations of learners.

Therefore, high demands are placed on teachers not only in terms of ethics, standards, exemplary conduct, knowledge, and creativity, but also on their political qualities and ideology. The political qualities and ideology of teachers are fundamental factors that play a leading role in guiding the moral development of the teaching staff. Schools are not only places for teaching literacy and scientific knowledge, but also places for cultivating and imparting qualities and character to learners. Based on the above analysis, delegate To Van Tam proposed adding standards on political qualities and ideology to Clause 1, Article 14 of the draft Law.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/dai-bieu-quoc-hoi-khong-nen-bien-giao-vien-thanh-hoc-sinh-vi-nhung-quy-dinh-ve-boi-duong-chung-chi-20241120104216209.htm