Education sector of 34 provinces and cities after merger: Focus on stabilizing staff

The education sector is urgently reorganizing and stabilizing its management staff and teachers to ensure a proactive and uninterrupted start to the new school year.

Getting back on track

Following the merger of Soc Trang province, Hau Giang province, and Can Tho city, the number of assigned personnel in the education sector of Can Tho city is 42,076; of which 41,388 are officially employed and 688 are awaiting recruitment.

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Tang, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Can Tho City, said: After July 1st, the restructuring of the organization and apparatus is being focused on. The Department of Education and Training is quickly arranging stable workplaces; proactively assigning personnel, arranging and implementing tasks, especially ensuring that administrative procedures are handled smoothly, effectively, and efficiently, without interruption when reorganizing administrative units and implementing the two-tiered local government model.

At the same time, we must do a good job of ideological work, directing and ensuring that all civil servants strictly adhere to the work regulations, promote individual responsibility for assigned tasks, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, and place the common interests of the sector above all else.

The leaders of the Can Tho City Department of Education and Training held a meeting to agree on the assignment of responsibilities for each field; and to implement the process of developing plans for the placement and arrangement of civil servants and employees when reorganizing the organizational structure. They also continued to ensure policies for civil servants and employees when implementing the streamlining of the organizational structure and reducing the workforce.

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Tang further stated that, in order to support civil servants and officials of departments and agencies to work with peace of mind, the Department of Education and Training has guided and assisted in the transfer and enrollment registration process for nearly 600 preschool children and students of all levels, ensuring it is convenient, compliant with regulations, and appropriate for each type of school.

To meet the housing needs of civil servants under the merged Department of Education and Training, in coordination with relevant agencies, developed a plan and conducted a survey of the dormitory area of Tran Dai Nghia High School (32 rooms), and carried out procedures to request approval and funding for renovation and repair to temporarily provide accommodation for the department's civil servants.

Ms. Le Thi Bich Thuan, Director of the Da Nang Department of Education and Training, stated that the department's leadership prioritizes providing maximum support to officials and civil servants from Quang Nam province to help them quickly adapt to their new environment. Therefore, each individual will be assigned to specific areas within their respective units, rather than being assigned based on geographical location. Currently, the dormitory at Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted is undergoing renovation, so some officials from the Da Nang Department of Education and Training who transferred from Quang Nam province are commuting daily.

Teachers and students of Chau Van Liem High School (Can Tho City) welcome foreign visitors. Photo: Q. Ngu.

Prior to July 1st, the former Khanh Hoa province had proactively developed a plan to reorganize the administrative apparatus at the grassroots level, including 426 schools at all levels and 12,530 people on the payroll of education officials in districts, towns, and cities.

Accordingly, four ethnic boarding secondary schools under the People's Committee of Cam Ranh City, Ninh Hoa town, and Khanh Son and Khanh Vinh districts, along with 91 education staff members from these schools, will be transferred to the Khanh Hoa Department of Education and Training. The remaining 422 kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools, along with 12,440 education staff members, will be assigned to the new communes and wards where the schools are located.

Following the merger of the Education and Training Departments of Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces, Dong Thap province has formed a large-scale education system with a total of 1,068 public educational institutions ranging from preschool to continuing education and vocational training.

Mr. Le Quang Tri, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Dong Thap province, said: After the merger, the education sector of Dong Thap province entered a new phase of transformation. The organizational scale expanded, and resources in terms of personnel, facilities, and administrative management systems underwent significant changes.

In response to new demands, the entire sector has determined that a more comprehensive and flexible approach is needed in management and task implementation. This involves gradually establishing appropriate operational directions, stabilizing the organizational structure, ensuring the quality of teaching and learning, and simultaneously creating a foundation for positive and sustainable changes throughout the entire system.

“Looking ahead, the entire education sector looks forward to the attention of the province and the support of various departments, agencies, and organizations, the consensus and support of the people, and especially the unity and determination of all cadres, teachers, and staff… so that the entire sector can effectively carry out its educational tasks, creating a solid foundation for the stable and quality development of education in the province in the new phase,” Mr. Le Quang Tri emphasized.

Class time at Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School (Dong Thap). Photo: Q. Ngu

No breaks or interruptions

Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Van, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Dien Ban Dong Ward (Da Nang City), said: “After taking on the new nhiệm vụ, the ward quickly reviewed the management staff, teachers, and employees of 17 public schools across three levels in the area. In addition, the ward has 16 non-public kindergartens and 26 independent private preschool classes.”

The People's Committee of the ward has completed all relevant decisions regarding the procedures for establishing schools, seals, and appointing management staff... to facilitate the schools' enrollment and preparations for the new school year. Based on the staffing needs of schools in the area, the People's Committee of Dien Ban Dong ward has agreed in principle to allow schools to contract 163 teachers under Government Decree 111/2022 to ensure sufficient teaching staff while awaiting guidelines for recruiting new civil servants.

Regarding the regular professional development activities for teachers before the start of the new school year, Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Van stated that the Ward People's Committee is awaiting a plan or guidance from the Department of Education and Training.

“Regarding summer political training, it is usually organized by the Department of Education and Training according to a general plan in August. With the 2018 General Education Program, the teaching staff has already completed the training modules of the Ministry of Education and Training. Therefore, in addition to the general training topics of the Department of Education and Training, schools will proactively provide training for their staff according to the actual needs of the teaching council and to meet the teaching and learning conditions of the school,” Ms. Van explained.

Mr. Tong Ngoc Lam, a specialist at the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Tan An Ward (Dak Lak), believes that the Department of Education and Training should soon organize a specialized conference to standardize coordination methods. "Not only will there be changes in organization, but the entire work system will also be adjusted to be more practical, requiring those assigned tasks to have a thorough understanding of the local area, a firm grasp of regulations, and the ability to handle situations flexibly," Mr. Lam explained.

Tan An Ward has 21 schools at all levels, of which 3 are directly managed by the Department of Education and Training, and the remaining 19 are under the responsibility of the Ward People's Committee. While the number of schools is not large, the scope of work is extensive, requiring close coordination between all levels to ensure effective operation.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Le Huu Hung, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Dray Bhang commune, Dak Lak province, stated that during the transition period, the reassignment of education officials at the commune/ward level needs an adaptive roadmap. Not everyone is immediately familiar with specialized skills. Therefore, localities need to create conditions for new officials to familiarize themselves with the area, update regulations, and attend training courses to perform their assigned tasks well.

Mr. Luu Tien Quang, Deputy Director of the Dak Lak Department of Education and Training, said that the department will soon issue guidelines on coordinating school management between the People's Committees of communes/wards and the department; and will also organize training courses to update knowledge for education officials in localities this July.

Experiential activities for teachers and students of Le Dinh Chinh Primary School (Hoa Cuong, Da Nang City). Photo: PV

Addressing the challenges faced by the teaching staff.

Following the merger, the education sector in Can Tho City is facing some difficulties regarding staffing. Based on the teacher staffing quota, the 2024-2025 school year will still require a shortage of 2,519 teachers.

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Tang, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Can Tho City, said: To ensure a sufficient teaching staff for the 2025-2026 school year, the Department of Education and Training will continue to coordinate with the People's Committees of communes/wards to implement the recruitment process for civil servants according to their authority and guidelines.

Simultaneously, effectively review and reorganize public service units in conjunction with restructuring the workforce, such as transferring teachers from areas with a surplus to areas with a shortage to address localized surpluses and shortages, and recruiting civil servants from provinces and cities who wish to work in educational institutions within the city.

Furthermore, to address the teacher shortage and promptly resolve the difficulties faced by schools, the Department of Education and Training, in coordination with the People's Committees of communes/wards, directs and guides units to implement teacher contracts during the recruitment period in accordance with the provisions of Government Decree No. 111/2022.

In the mountainous provinces of Northwest Vietnam, challenging economic, social, and transportation conditions are among the reasons why these localities have not been able to attract teachers from other regions. There is a shortage of local teachers, especially for integrated and specialized subjects to implement the 2018 General Education Program, such as English, Information Technology, Music, and Fine Arts.

According to the Dien Bien Provincial Department of Education and Training, the province will face a shortage of over 2,000 teachers at all levels in the 2024-2025 school year. To address this shortage and ensure adequate staffing, especially for specialized subjects, to implement the 2018 General Education Program, the education sector has been implementing a comprehensive set of solutions. These include actively recruiting and sending ethnic minority students to study pedagogical fields, particularly in subjects where there is a shortage of qualified candidates.

During the period from 2021 to 2024, Dien Bien province sent 152 students to study pedagogical subjects (90 in English; 21 in Informatics; 24 in Music; 12 in Fine Arts; and 5 in Primary Education). In 2024 alone, 87 students from the province were selected to study under this program. "After completing their studies, these selected students will be a source of recruitment to address the teacher shortage in the province," said Ms. Hoang Tuyet Ban, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Dien Bien province.

According to Ms. Ban, the high school sector alone is currently short of over 230 teachers. On July 8th, the Dien Bien Provincial Department of Education and Training issued Notice No. 1955 regarding the recruitment of civil servants for affiliated public service units for the 2025-2026 school year. Accordingly, 70 teacher positions will be recruited.

Nam Hang Ethnic Boarding Junior High School in Nam Hang commune (Lai Chau province) is still short of 9 teachers. Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, the school's principal, said: “To date, the school has not received any additional teachers for the subjects we are lacking. We hope to be allocated teachers at the beginning of the next school year so that we can start teaching proactively and be ready to successfully complete the school year's tasks.”

After the merger, Nam Hang commune has 9 schools. According to Mr. Quach Tat Huong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Hang commune: "The commune currently lacks 40 teachers at all levels from preschool to junior high school. We will continue to review and propose to the Department of Education and Training to recruit and allocate teachers to schools before the start of the new school year. If we still haven't recruited enough teachers by September, the commune will consider hiring teachers on contract to meet teaching needs."

Ms. Hoang Tuyet Ban - Director of the Department of Education and Training of Dien Bien province: “For teachers from preschool to junior high school, in accordance with the directives of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Education and Training will coordinate with the Department of Interior Affairs and relevant units to conduct a review and recruitment. The recruitment plan will be developed around the end of July, and recruitment will be organized around August or the beginning of September to meet the teacher needs for the new school year.”

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/nganh-giao-duc-34-tinh-thanh-sau-sap-nhap-tap-trung-on-dinh-doi-ngu-post740505.html