The case of a teacher who was exonerated after 9 years: Clarifying the responsibilities of the perpetrators and related officials

TPO - The case of teacher Nguyen Van Thuyet, which was concluded by the People's Committee of Ca Mau province: "The principal showed signs of suppressing teachers", and at the same time, the Department of Education and Training of Ca Mau province invited 8 former leaders of the department from the old period to listen to the announcement of the conclusion, is causing a stir in public opinion.

As Tien Phong reported, in 2016, teacher Nguyen Van Thuyet, Bac Lieu Specialized High School, was transferred to Bac Lieu High School by the Department of Education and Training. The reason was that the school assessed that teacher Thuyet had been classified as “Average” for two consecutive years.

Not accepting the result, Mr. Thuyet complained. The Provincial People's Committee investigated and concluded that the Department of Education and Training of Bac Lieu province had transferred Mr. Thuyet to a different job in violation of regulations. "The principal (at the time of the complaint) showed signs of bullying teachers and taking advantage of his position and authority to commit acts that violated regulations," the conclusion stated.

In particular, the school's Professional Team still rated Mr. Thuyet as "Excellent", but the principal of the specialized school at that time arbitrarily lowered him to "Average".

Bac Lieu High School for the Gifted, where Mr. Thuyet used to teach before being transferred.

On July 25, the Department of Education and Training of Ca Mau province invited 8 former leaders of the Department of Education and Training of the former Bac Lieu province (now Ca Mau province, including 3 former Department Directors, 5 former Department Deputy Directors); and 3 former leaders of Bac Lieu Specialized High School (including the Principal and 2 Vice Principals) at the time of the violation to attend a meeting to announce the conclusion of the accusation.

Regarding this incident, Lawyer Hoang Tung, Trung Hoa Law Office - Hanoi Bar Association, said that the transfer of teacher Nguyen Van Thuyet from a specialized school to Bac Lieu High School for the reason of not completing his duties for two consecutive years is an act against the law.

According to the provisions of the Law on Civil Servants and guiding documents, the annual evaluation and classification of civil servants must be based on the collective, objective and through the council. While the professional team has evaluated Mr. Thuyet as "Excellently completing the task", the principal's arbitrarily downgrading him to "Average", then basing on that result to transfer him to another job is not in the right order, lacks basis and shows signs of suppression.

This behavior violates the principles of democracy and objectivity in evaluating civil servants and can be considered an abuse of power.

Clarify the responsibilities of those involved

According to lawyer Tung, the conclusion of the People's Committee of Bac Lieu province (before the merger with Ca Mau) clearly determined that the transfer was wrong and showed signs of abusing one's position to infringe upon the rights and interests of teachers. This is a legally valid conclusion, issued by a competent authority and based on specific records, evidence, and verification.

“At the announcement of the conclusion of the complaint, many former leaders disagreed with the conclusion that it did not change the legal value of this document. However, it is necessary to clarify the management responsibility, as well as the role of each individual in the violation, in order to have appropriate administrative handling if there is a clear basis to determine the violation,” the lawyer said.

The incident caused damage lasting 9 years to a teacher, not only in terms of honor and spirit but also in terms of career and income. According to the Law on State Compensation Liability 2017, people who are illegally handled in the field of administrative management have the right to request compensation from the State, including: lost income, travel expenses for complaints, mental damage and restoration of honor.

" In this case, Mr. Thuyet has full grounds to request public compensation, and if it is not resolved, he can file a lawsuit to protect his legitimate rights," said Lawyer Hoang Tung.

The lawyer also added that the inspection conclusion clearly showed signs of violations in the behavior of school leaders and some officials of the Department of Education and Training at that time.

According to relevant legal regulations on disciplinary action against retired officials, these people can still be considered responsible if they are determined to have committed illegal acts during their term of office.

Double mental trauma

From an applied psychology perspective, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Son, a juvenile psychology expert, Hanoi Educational Psychology Association, said: A wrong assessment, an unfair transfer decision… can have a huge impact on the psychology of the teacher, the person who teaches students every day.

The case of Mr. Tran Van Thuyet being transferred for 9 years due to a shady assessment by a manager shows a worrying psychological dark corner in the teaching profession that is rarely recognized and healed.

Experts say that teachers are often in the middle of a "pressure triangle" including: students - parents - management.

According to experts, when an “Excellent” teacher is downgraded to an “Average” rating and transferred, it will hurt his professional pride. For educators, being able to teach is not only a duty but also a sign of value. When he was misjudged, Mr. Thuyet lost the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities and was left out of the circle of recognition for nearly a decade – a form of prolonged psychological trauma.

Unlike doctors who mainly deal with patients and their families, teachers are often in the middle of a “pressure triangle” consisting of students – parents – management. The incident is not simply a case of an individual being wronged, but a manifestation of a management ecosystem that has not paid attention to psychological factors and internal fairness for the teachers themselves.

While students need to trust their teachers, teachers also need a system that listens and is fair. The fact that eight former leaders were invited to hear the wrongful convictions nine years later shows the lack of an internal mechanism for criticism and protection of the injured.

Teachers also need psychological support.

Mr. Son believes that teachers not only need knowledge but also psychological and institutional protection. A humane education does not start from salary or slogans, but from respecting the dignity of teachers within the education sector itself.

If they cannot do that, good teachers will quietly leave, taking with them the hope they could have lit in generations of students.

Experts have also commented that when under pressure in teaching, not only students are stressed but teachers are also the ones who need psychological support. For cases like Mr. Thuyet, after a career shock, they need to be healed to return to the classroom with clearer inner strength and dignity.

In addition, the management agency needs to have a fair evaluation mechanism and two-way feedback. There should be a transparent feedback mechanism where the professional voice of the team or group is protected, not dominated by the opinion of an individual leader.

The incident lasted for 9 years, the teacher suffered so much damage and resentment that it was too late to come to a conclusion. However, late is better than never, with that conclusion, the honor of the teacher's profession was somewhat protected - Psychologist Nguyen Dinh Son.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/vu-thay-giao-duoc-minh-oan-sau-9-nam-lam-ro-trach-nhiem-cua-nguoi-tru-dap-va-cac-can-bo-lien-quan-post1764581.tpo