Teachers are the locomotives for education

NDO - Expressing his hope that when the Law on Teachers is enacted, teachers will truly be honored and given favorable conditions, General Secretary To Lam affirmed: Teachers themselves will be the driving force of the education system.

Speaking at a group discussion on the draft Law on Teachers on the morning of November 9th, General Secretary To Lam emphasized the strategic position and significance of education and training, with a focus on teacher training.

We must thoroughly understand the strategy and the role of the teacher.

In his opening remarks, General Secretary To Lam affirmed, "This is an occasion to honor the profession of teachers – and also to celebrate November 20th. On this occasion, I would like to congratulate all teachers and congratulate our education system."

General Secretary To Lam stated that education and training play a crucial role and have significant meaning in the personnel strategy. In personnel work, training is essential; and when we talk about training, we must have teachers.

"This is a national breakthrough and a key focus. Teacher training is crucial; for education to develop, we must first have teachers and schools," General Secretary To Lam emphasized.

In line with this general direction of the Party, General Secretary To Lam believes that it is necessary to thoroughly understand the strategy and the position of the teacher.

"I read through the draft Law and found that it's addressing previously unregulated issues. We must move beyond that scope, defining the crucial role of education and training; in education and training, the teacher is the main subject – there are many other requirements here that we must understand," the General Secretary noted.

General Secretary To Lam suggested that the strategy and the role of teachers need to be thoroughly understood.

According to the General Secretary, when talking about teachers, there must be students; therefore, the question is: How does the Law on Teachers address the relationship between teachers and students, and how can it ensure a truly good relationship between them? Without students, there is no teacher. This law must address this very important relationship.

The General Secretary cited the example of addressing the policy of universal education, meaning that children of school age must attend school, and further, the State must support them by waiving tuition fees and providing meals.

“Progress must reach this level. Therefore, we cannot say there is a shortage of teachers; where there are students, there must be teachers – that's clearly stipulated. And this is very convenient now; in each commune, ward, district, etc., we know exactly how many three-year-old children there are. So, there are students, and where there are students, there must be teachers. Now, if we are short of hundreds of thousands of teachers, how will the children go to school? Whatever is lacking must be addressed,” the General Secretary emphasized.

The draft Law on Teachers, submitted to the National Assembly at its 8th session, comprises 9 chapters and 50 articles. It concretizes 5 policies outlined in the proposed law, which were approved by the Government in Resolution No. 95/NQ-CP dated July 7, 2023, including: Defining teachers; Standards and titles for teachers; Recruitment, employment, and working regime of teachers; Training, professional development, remuneration, and honoring of teachers; and State management of teachers.

Referring to school planning, the General Secretary noted: “Where there are students and teachers, there must be schools; how can we plan and manage without schools? The policy of universal education for children of school age has not been implemented. Everything must be resolved, and this is a very topical issue. Not to mention that remote and disadvantaged areas have very specific and special policies. The relationship and correlation between teachers and students must be addressed. Where there are teachers, there must be students, and then there is the university level, even lifelong learning. Many policies must be encompassed in the draft Law.”

It is necessary to identify the teacher as a scientist.

Emphasizing that teachers are also "scientists," General Secretary To Lam posed the question: What is the relationship between teachers and scientists? The General Secretary reminded that "there can no longer be a law on scientists, so this must be expressed and generalized."

General Secretary To Lam affirmed: The relationship between scientists and teachers; between research centers and businesses and the state must be transparent. Currently, science and intellectuals are "never stopping," therefore, teachers need to have the mindset of a scientist and possess very deep expertise.

The General Secretary also noted the integration process of teachers in the context of the country and the education sector's current integration. The General Secretary cited an example: “Recently, we announced the popularization of English in education – English becoming the second language. What level of English proficiency do teachers need to achieve this? What is their English level? Are there regulations for foreign teachers? Do they have to comply with Vietnam's Law on Teachers? Have we addressed this yet?”

To achieve integration, we need people, and the first people we need to train are teachers. We need very specific policies. If we don't have English teachers now, how can we have English students? Math teachers and Literature teachers also need to know English, not just foreign language teachers. We must adapt and integrate. These policies must be reflected here, with specific demands and requirements.”

Teachers are the driving force of education.

Furthermore, the General Secretary noted that the policy of lifelong learning also needs to be stipulated in the draft Law on Teachers, and it cannot be rigidly defined as meaning that professors who reach retirement age are no longer teachers and no longer participate in teaching.

"Older teachers are reputable and serve as mentors; but when they reach a certain age, they say, 'Because of the Education Law, I've reached the age limit, I'm no longer a teacher.' Clearly, this will create difficulties. Meanwhile, we are mobilizing social forces in education and teaching," the General Secretary noted.

The General Secretary also suggested that it is necessary to encourage social participation and mobilize society to engage in education and teaching, especially in some very special environments such as prisons or for teachers working in mountainous areas and among ethnic minorities.

General Secretary To Lam poses for a commemorative photo with delegates from the Hanoi City National Assembly Delegation.

Citing further examples of teaching and learning in mountainous areas, the General Secretary said he had visited and "saw many difficulties." Many places lack boarding schools and housing for teachers. In light of this reality, General Secretary To Lam demanded, "each such school must have housing for teachers. Teachers must have a place to live."

The General Secretary emphasized that this area should also be considered special, because teachers not only teach but also have to coax and encourage students to come to school. Therefore, there needs to be a policy that is both specific and comprehensive to encourage teachers working in this special environment. This is because it is an area facing socio-economic difficulties, which are also disadvantaged in education and training, and have challenges in developing human resources.

Finally, the General Secretary expressed his hope that the Law on Teachers, once enacted, would be welcomed by teachers.

"We must ensure that teachers are truly enthusiastic about this Law, that it is truly honorable, and that it creates favorable conditions for them. We shouldn't let the Law make things more difficult for teachers. When teachers do well, they will attract students; teachers are the driving force of education," the General Secretary emphasized.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tong-bi-thu-to-lam-nguoi-thay-la-dau-tau-cho-giao-duc-post843982.html