Universalizing preschool education for 3-5 year old children: What is the solution to the problem of human and material resources?

GD&TĐ - To achieve the goal by 2030, 100% of provinces and centrally-run cities will meet the standards of universal preschool education for children aged 3-5 years old,

To achieve the goal of 100% of provinces and centrally-administered cities meeting the standards for universal preschool education for children aged 3-5 by 2030, localities need to ensure an adequate teaching staff and balance the mobilization of resources.

Standardization of independent private preschool classes

Da Nang currently has 482 preschools, including 296 public and 186 private schools. Meanwhile, the number of independent private preschool groups reaches 1,562, not including groups with fewer than 7 children. The distribution of private preschools and preschool groups is mainly concentrated in densely populated central areas or around industrial zones and export processing zones.

In response to this situation, Da Nang has implemented numerous programs and policies to support the improvement of education and childcare quality, including investment in infrastructure and professional development for teachers and owners of independent private preschools.

According to Ms. Le Thi Bich Thuan, Director of the Da Nang Department of Education and Training, in addition to assigning public kindergartens in the area the task of supporting, guiding, and supervising professional work for independent private preschool classes, teachers in private schools are allowed to participate in all professional development courses organized by the department.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Luong, head of Hoa Tri Tue preschool group (Hoa Khanh, Da Nang), said: “Public preschools and the district's Department of Education and Training (formerly) provided us with a lot of professional support in educating and managing children. Teachers and school owners participated in specialized activities, short-term training courses, and updated new regulations...”

In addition to professional development, organized activities for independent preschools are also regularly held, thereby ensuring fairness in access to education and helping children receive nurturing, care, and education according to the new preschool education program.

Furthermore, the project "Improving the Quality of Care and Education for Children in Independent Preschools," implemented by Save the Children (SCI) from November 2022 to April 2023 in Da Nang (formerly), has enhanced the capacity of teachers in independent preschools in industrial zones; built capacity for caregivers in independent preschools through parenting programs; and strengthened the monitoring and evaluation system of the Department of Education and Training at independent preschools.

Implementing universal preschool education for children aged 3-5 years old means an increase in non-public preschool education facilities, especially independent private daycare centers; thereby contributing to attracting children of school age to school and reducing pressure on the public preschool system. Sending children to independent private daycare centers is a choice for a segment of the population because it suits their economic conditions and offers flexibility in pick-up times…

Expressing her views, Ms. Dang Thi Cam Tu, Head of the Preschool Education Department of the Da Nang Department of Education and Training, also stated that the remaining issue is to strengthen support, management, and close supervision of the activities of preschool groups; and to coordinate with relevant sectors, localities, organizations, and parents to ensure the safety and good care of children.

Since 2023, several localities in Da Nang have observed rapid growth in the number of private preschool groups and have been reviewing the operating conditions of these groups based on the regulations in Circular 49/2021 of the Ministry of Education and Training. Accordingly, these localities have adopted a policy of not issuing new licenses for groups with fewer than 7 children, encouraging families to send their children to public and private preschools for better and safer care.

INT illustration.

Strengthening public-private partnerships

Recruiting teachers is one of the biggest challenges that both public and private preschools have been facing recently. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhu, owner of the Vang Anh Baby preschool group (Hoa Khanh, Da Nang), shared: "Most of the children are the children of factory workers, so the staff is very unstable. Therefore, recruiting teachers is also difficult due to low salaries."

Regarding preschool education, according to Ms. Nguyen Quoc Thu Tram - Principal of Ngoc Lan Preschool (Hai Chau, Da Nang), public schools also have to compete with the private school system, which is increasingly offering more benefits to teachers, from salaries and bonuses to working conditions, in order to attract highly skilled personnel.

"Therefore, the issue of staffing needs to be prioritized when achieving the goal of universal preschool education for children aged 3-5. Policies aimed at attracting and retaining preschool teachers need to be further strengthened, allowing the team to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to their work."

According to Ms. Thu Tram's analysis, preschool teachers have unique characteristics, resulting in a high workload. Especially in large cities, the demands for knowledge, skills, and flexibility from teachers are even greater, leading to significant pressure, yet low income and inadequate working conditions. These factors are also reasons why high school students do not choose to study this field.

Furthermore, the situation of preschool teachers leaving the profession or not pursuing the career immediately after graduating from preschool education programs still occurs. This leads to a localized shortage of teachers, insufficient staff in classrooms, etc., which will affect the goals and progress of universal preschool education for children aged 3-5.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Lich, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Lien Chieu Ward (Da Nang City), suggested increasing the training quota for preschool teachers at teacher training colleges; creating conditions for those with other qualifications to pursue further training or obtain a second degree in preschool education. At the same time, the quality of training and professional development for preschool teachers must be improved towards standardization and modernization, meeting the requirements of educational reform.

The Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Lien Chieu Ward also suggested that, in order to encourage children to attend school, in addition to expanding the scale of public schools, there needs to be clear preferential policies to encourage organizations, individuals, and businesses to invest in building preschools through socialized models. For example, it is necessary to remove obstacles related to land procedures to promote socialization. Currently, many localities have land available for school construction but too many related procedures make it difficult to attract investors.

According to Mr. Le Trung Chinh, former Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee, implementing universal preschool education for children aged 3-5 will certainly increase the staffing for this level of education. This must be clearly stated in the staffing quotas of the Education sector when implementing universal education to avoid difficulties in human resources.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/pho-cap-giao-duc-mam-non-cho-tre-3-5-tuoi-loi-giai-nao-cho-bai-toan-nhan-vat-luc-post741549.html