The constant development of social life and science and technology, despite achieving outstanding achievements, over time, the role and position of teachers and the lasting values of the teaching profession are still irreplaceable.
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| The position of teachers and the lasting values of the teaching profession are still irreplaceable. Photo: Thien Co Temple - One of the first places to worship learning of the Vietnamese people. (Source: dangcongsan.vn) |
Teachers - Important Role
Since ancient times, our ancestors have summarized in proverbs, idioms, and folk songs the position of teachers: "Without a teacher, you will never succeed" or "If you want to cross the bridge, you must build the Kieu bridge/If you want your children to be good at reading, you must love their teachers"; "One word from a teacher/Half a word from a teacher". Teachers are always highly regarded and are symbols, models of ethical standards, talents, and roles in shaping ethical values, personality, and knowledge for generations of students. Throughout the years and the ups and downs of history and social development, teachers and learning have always been respected and honored by the people, the most trusted people to entrust their children to, hoping that teachers will teach them to become good people. Every family, every village, no matter how difficult, encourages and instructs their children to rely on learning to become good people, famous, and talented.
The value of teachers originated from the Hung King era. That is the concern foreducation , learning first of all for princesses, princes and later for the learning of the people. Proof of this is the fact that King Hung Due Vuong welcomed teachers Vu The Lang and Nguyen Thi Thuc to teach. Being educated, the princesses and princes all became virtuous and talented people, making many contributions to the country. From then on, the position and merit of teachers spread to social life, teachers became shining symbols of morality, knowledge and lived in the hearts of the people, respected and praised by the people. In the land of Phu Tho today, there is still an ancient relic, that is Thien Co temple - the place to worship the first learning of the Vietnamese people, a sacred and eternal symbol of the tradition of studiousness of the Vietnamese people.
In the Ho Chi Minh era, the position of teachers has been constantly raised to higher levels of morality and knowledge to meet the needs of the country's development. President Ho Chi Minh once affirmed: "The task of teachers is very glorious, because without teachers, there is no education,... Without education, what to talk about economy and culture" (Ho Chi Minh Complete Works, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, volume 10, p.345). At the same time, he emphasized: "The heavy and glorious responsibility of teachers is to take care of the people's children to become good citizens, good workers, good soldiers, good cadres of the country" (Excerpt from Uncle Ho's Letter to the National Education Conference in March 1955). He honored good teachers as "unknown heroes"; Uncle Ho always emphasized the role of human development in society: "For the benefit of ten years, we must plant trees/For the benefit of a hundred years, we must cultivate people."
Reality always places great responsibility on teachers when the country has to face fierce wars and at the same time worry about construction and development. The need for education and moral training for generations of Vietnamese students, as Uncle Ho once wished, is "both red and specialized" to train human resources with virtue and talent, both brave in combat and enthusiastic and creative in production labor. To do so, there needs to be guidance and education from teachers, the "silent ferrymen", sowing the seeds of knowledge so that each generation of students in each different stage can be trained, fully educated and have enough knowledge to enter life.
In the era of industrialization and modernization of the country, the period of international integration and continuous development, the need to train high-quality and high-quality human resources is always posed to educational practice. Only then can we grasp and receive the advanced achievements of today's world. More than ever, learning and the role of teachers are raised to a new level. Teachers must constantly learn, constantly create and change their thinking so that they not only play the role of conveying lectures containing the knowledge of the new era but also inspire students with creative passions, arousing in them the desire to conquer the pinnacle of human knowledge.
Meritorious teacher Cao Van Tu, former Director of Lao Cai Department of Education and Training, shared: “At any stage, the role of teachers is needed. Learning and good teachers are always an important foundation for human resource training and talent development for the country. The position of teachers is always raised to a higher level when society develops. From there, factors for teachers such as qualifications, methods, setting an example, the tradition of respecting teachers... change over time.”
Teachers in the past and present
As society develops, the role, position and perceptions and assessments of teachers compared to the old society have changed significantly. With its characteristics, teaching is a profession that not only imparts knowledge but also teaches people, teaches how to be human, creates a special product for society, which is a person with both virtue and talent. Teachers and students are the soul of the teaching and learning process, teachers are always the ones who instill in students' souls lasting values about personality, about the desire to rise up and the awareness of being a good citizen. Teachers have a long-term influence in the process of teaching words - teaching people.
Teacher Le Van Cuong, head of the professional group at Cam An High School, Yen Binh District (Yen Bai) shared: “The position of teachers in society at all times is extremely important because the education profession has the characteristic of training people with knowledge and skills suitable to the needs of each historical and social period. Therefore, the teaching method of teachers can change over time, but the importance of teachers is not lost but is enhanced.”
Mr. Le Van Cuong emphasized that the products he creates for his students are not just academic knowledge and simple skills, but for the students' products to be perfect, they also need to crystallize the boundless, unconditional love of the teacher for the students. This goes beyond the usual social values that products of other professions and fields do not need or cannot have.
In today's society, despite the constant development of science and technology and the change of concepts and perspectives, the importance of teachers is not only not lost but also raised to a new level with differences. If in the past, teachers were the most qualified people in a certain locality, today, teachers are no longer the only ones but only those who are properly trained in pedagogy, have the qualifications and skills to teach. In the past, teachers were the only ones who provided knowledge, but today, due to the development of science and technology, in addition to teachers, there are many other channels of knowledge to combine and support students in the learning process.
Therefore, the teaching and learning methods of teachers and students have also changed. In the past, teachers acted as guides, transmitters, and providers of knowledge, and students received and absorbed knowledge. Now, teachers act as guides, inspirers, companions, organizers, and discoverers of students' abilities. In other words, in the past, teachers' teaching was a process of "giving and receiving", but now it is a process of orientation. That requires teachers today when organizing teaching and learning to have methods and understanding of the subject to help students explore knowledge and grasp what they need in the learning process.
The teacher-student relationship today has also changed, especially the national tradition of "Respecting teachers and valuing education". In the past, respecting teachers and valuing education was associated with respect and obedience to teachers, but today, that good morality means sympathy, understanding and gratitude from students to teachers. The way teachers set an example is also different. In the past, setting an example was often associated with the image of a serious, exemplary, and virtuous teacher. Today, setting an example is associated with the actions and deeds of teachers, which are examples of morality, self-study, creativity, methods, and behavior... to positively influence the personality of students. The life and work of teachers must exude educational values.
Challenges for teachers
Social development is an opportunity for every teacher to assert themselves, but at the same time, it is also a challenge that every teacher today has and is facing. These are issues such as the ability to access modern scientific and technological achievements, the need to constantly self-study and innovate to improve oneself, the ability to innovate methods to meet the requirements of the new program. At the same time, teachers' thoughts on recruitment mechanisms, salary policies, rotation, living and working conditions in mountainous areas, islands, and especially difficult areas, along with the pressures under the influence of social networks and the negative side of the market mechanism... still need to be shared by the whole society.
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| During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh paid special attention to education, teachers and students' learning. (Photo: Archive). |
Dr. Pham Kieu Anh, Lecturer of the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi National University of Education 2, shared: “As society develops, the role of teachers will be affected. However, this is also another way to affirm the importance of teachers in life. At the same time, in modern society, teachers also have to face many challenges to constantly improve their capacity, professional ethics, and professional skills to meet the increasing needs of society for education and training.”
I think, no matter how developed society is, science and technology with advanced and modern machines cannot replace the position and role of teachers in education. Because the team of teachers has been and is carrying out the noble mission assigned by the Party, the State and the People, which is the career of "growing people", educating personality, morality and knowledge for the young buds of the country.
We believe that every teacher at all levels will always keep in mind the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh in his “Letter to cadres, teachers, workers, students on the occasion of the new school year” in 1968: “No matter how difficult it is, we must continue to compete to teach well and study well”. Society always needs teachers, “soul engineers” who sow the seeds of knowledge. The task of teachers is very noble and glorious but full of hardship. Because behind the worries and hardships in the teaching profession of teachers are the eyes of children, the future of the young generation.
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