Thinking about educational revival

On the morning of October 12, 2024, General Secretary and President To Lam attended the opening ceremony of the 2024-2025 academic year at the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture .

He reminded higher education institutions, including the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, to continue implementing university autonomy in a more substantive and higher-level manner.

Aspiration for Great Power

That reminder also served as guidance in realizing our nation's aspiration to "reach the pinnacle of glory and stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents," a aspiration that President Ho Chi Minh had longed for since the first school year of independent Vietnam. The President's aspiration represented the aspirations of the entire nation, but making it a reality was by no means simple.

On the afternoon of November 5, 2023, in Hanoi, the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, jointly organized a workshop on "Institutions and Policies to Improve the Quality of Higher Education." According to Minister Nguyen Kim Son, university autonomy in Vietnam is a transformation of the school system from a centrally planned economy to a market-based one, and therefore requires change.

"This is a story of educational innovation through transformation. However, the legal regulations paving the way for autonomy in higher education have not yet been synchronized or shared with other education and legal systems," Mr. Nguyen Kim Son observed.

Students of Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted (Ho Chi Minh City) on the first day of school. Photo: Hoang Trieu

Besides that, there are many other negative consequences stemming from human behavior that cause public concern. Many believe it's time for a reform of education.

Lately, every morning when we open the mainstream newspapers, we often see rather unpleasant news about the country's education system. "Learn to be a good teacher, act as a role model," meaning that both the words and actions of a teacher must be a good example, not only for students to follow but also for everyone in society to learn from. People can be good through education, but they can also be corrupted by education.

The aspiration to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's leading powers is to make the Vietnamese nation prosperous and strong, not only materially but also spiritually. Training capabilities is certainly necessary, but virtue is even more important – "A virtuous heart is worth more than three talents" (Kieu).

If you study, you have to take the exam.

I have a friend who has dedicated his entire life to teaching. When something unpleasant happened to a teacher, he hoped that the public would "not harm the teaching profession."

No one disrespects the teaching profession. Teachers are also considered role models, exemplary individuals that everyone can emulate. It is they who harm themselves, specifically through their teaching and learning. For example, nowadays, there are subjects that aren't tested but students are required to study. When students neglect these subjects and are reprimanded by teachers, parents have gone to the school and spoken harshly to the teachers.

At the government press conference on October 7, 2024, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong stated that the ministry is researching methods for selecting the third subject in the 10th grade entrance exam. This could involve a social science subject this year, a natural science subject next year, a different subject the year after, or a lottery system. Teaching and exams also involve a "lottery" system?

The Ministry of Education and Training also stated that the upcoming 10th grade entrance exam plan is based on three core principles. The first principle is "to avoid pressure and unnecessary expense; to reduce pressure on students, parents, and society."

It's strange to want to "avoid pressure" or "reduce pressure" when it comes to studying and exams. In reality, lack of natural talent or connections is irrelevant; with effort, anything is possible. Therefore, pressure is a lever to unleash potential. Students go to school to develop their intellect, so why should they fear pressure or demand its reduction? Throughout history, people have said "study hard," never "study easily."

Regarding the "cost," I recall my school days in the late 1960s, during the high school graduation exams in South Vietnam. All subjects that had been studied had to be tested. However, the three subjects of civics, history, and geography were multiple-choice, and many people passed thanks to supplementary subjects that compensated for the main subjects. By 1974, all subjects in the high school graduation exam consisted entirely of multiple-choice questions, graded by IBM computers, hence the popular nickname "IBM high school graduation exam."

I believe multiple-choice exams will be less expensive than essay exams. And, when every subject studied has to be tested, teachers will always be highly respected by both parents and students.

Honor is the most precious thing.

Through the draft Law on Teachers and the latest submission, the drafting agency - the Ministry of Education and Training - proposes waiving tuition fees for the biological children and legally adopted children of teachers currently working in the profession. According to calculations, the estimated expenditure for this policy is approximately 9,200 billion VND per year.

This proposal has received considerable public attention. At the National Assembly forum, many delegates expressed their disagreement.

Speaking to the press on October 10, 2024, Representative Nguyen Thi Viet Nga, a member of the Culture and Education Committee, analyzed that teachers' salaries are currently very high compared to civil servants in other sectors. In addition to the basic salary like civil servants in general, teachers also receive seniority allowances and classroom allowances. Considering only salary and allowances, teachers' income is not low at all; in fact, it is among the highest on the salary scale.

Many believe that following this trend, the children of doctors and nurses will receive free medical care, and the children of transportation officials will receive free train and bus services… However, this will cause headaches for the government because, according to the division of labor, no profession is without its own nobility.

Lao Tzu once said, "He who is content is rich." The Buddha also taught, "He who is content is happy." Throughout history, teachers have been associated with virtue and wisdom. How can a teacher who lacks virtue and wisdom guide others? During his lifetime, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong once said, "What good is having a lot of money? You can't take it with you when you die. Honor is the most sacred and precious thing..."

Therefore, education must continue to be reformed.

Traditionally, doctors and teachers have always been highly respected. Meanwhile, the entry requirements for medicine have never been lower than those for education, and the program lasts six years—two years longer—yet graduates are only paid the same salary as those with a four-year bachelor's degree.

According to press reports, for a special surgery – such as a simultaneous heart and liver transplant at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital on October 1, 2024 – the lead surgeon and the lead anesthesiologist only received an allowance of 280,000 VND; the assistant surgeon and the assistant anesthesiologist received 200,000 VND. For a type 1 surgery, the lead surgeon only received an allowance of 125,000 VND…

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nghi-ve-chan-hung-giao-duc-196250122103244733.htm