Community Learning Center in Ho Chi Minh City: Lack of teachers, lack of classes, lack of funding

Universal class for children in Cau Ong Lanh ward (District 1)

Community Learning Centers (CLCs) are a type of continuingeducation institution that is organized to reach the people, especially laborers who do not have the conditions to go to formal schools and the poor and disadvantaged people who have very little opportunity to study... However, besides certain efforts and results, CLCs in Ho Chi Minh City still face many difficulties and shortcomings.

Reporting on the results of the implementation of the work of promoting learning, promoting talents, and building a learning society (XHHT) in 2022 in Ho Chi Minh City, the Steering Committee for building a learning society (XHHT) in Ho Chi Minh City said that, up to now, 22/22 districts, Thu Duc City have issued plans to implement the Project "Building a learning society in the period of 2021-2030" in the area, 100% have decisions of the Steering Committee for building a learning society in the period of 2021-2030. The whole city currently has 859 managers of the Community Learning Center; the human resource network is regularly consolidated and supplemented, ensuring good maintenance of classes including 520 teachers assigned to teach and work at the Community Learning Center and 2,777 reporters and collaborators including retired officials, people with knowledge and experience in various fields participating in teaching activities.

In 2022, the centers participated in the task of eliminating illiteracy for 677 people; secondary education universalization classes reached over 17,000 people; foreign language and information technology training for over 60,000 people; short-term agricultural and vocational training classes and family economic counseling attracted 115,156 participants; propaganda classes on legal education, health, medicine, arts, sports and some other contents reached nearly 2 million participants...

However, besides those results, there are still many shortcomings and difficulties. Pointing out some current problems, Mr. Duong Tri Dung, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City said: “The activities of some community learning centers are ineffective, not meeting the diverse learning needs of the people and the sustainable development requirements of communities and localities. The number of participants is small, the content of activities is not rich, not attractive, and some places even organize them in a formal way”. According to Mr. Dung, some wards, communes and towns have not implemented a strong coordination mechanism between the government, departments, branches and organizations, so the mobilization of social resources to participate in building a learning society is not effective. Most of the forces directly participating in the work of building a learning society are part-time and change frequently, making it difficult to maintain stable work.

According to the delegates, the cause of the above situation is due to the change of personnel managing the Community Learning Centers in some wards, communes and towns (job rotation of leaders); the handover work is not complete; the working regime of seconded teachers and part-time staff has not encouraged the improvement of work capacity and efficiency. More importantly, the form of organizing learning activities at the Community Learning Centers is not flexible, diverse, and not suitable for the living and working conditions of people in each locality. The budget allocated to the Community Learning Centers annually to implement community learning activities is not guaranteed.

A Community Learning Center in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City Association for Promotion of Education further informed that the management staff of the Community Learning Center is arranged on a part-time basis, including a commune-level management staff (usually assigned as Vice Chairman of the People's Committee) who is also the Director of the center, an officer of the Association for Promotion of Education (Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Association) and a leader of a primary or secondary school in the area who is also the Deputy Director.

From the actual operation, it can be seen that with the current part-time mechanism and lack of specialized personnel, the management and organization of the center's activities cannot be as effective as desired. The leaders of the People's Committee often change, the officials of the Association for the Promotion of Education in communes, wards and towns are mostly elderly people, although they are very enthusiastic and responsible, they are limited in the use of information technology and do not have the conditions to participate regularly. The Board of Directors of the center receives a very low allowance from the State's support fund according to regulations (100,000 VND/month for the position of Deputy Director of the Association for the Promotion of Education).

Currently, 100% of communes, wards and towns in Ho Chi Minh City have established community learning centres. However, apart from some centres located together with cultural centres, ward - commune - town cultural houses, and community activity points, many centres must be located at the People's Committee headquarters, without enough rooms and equipment to organise learning activities according to people's needs.

As one of the five suburban districts, a representative of the People's Committee of Can Gio district expressed that the improvement of the management apparatus of many centers is slow and ineffective. Most of them lack managers with deep expertise and understanding of methods of operating educational institutions for adults... In addition, the annual operating budget is limited, so many classes and cultural and sports activities have not been organized according to the needs of the people, leading to the effectiveness of operations not being as expected.

“The Community Learning Center is a continuing education institution in the national education system, an autonomous center of communal activities, with the management and support of the state. It can be affirmed that without the Community Learning Center and continuing education institutions deeply rooted in the communes, wards and towns... it is impossible to talk about implementing the slogan “everyone can study”, and it is impossible to successfully build a learning society”, an official of the People's Committee of District 5 expressed.

THUY TRANG

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