"Leverage" for the Education sector from salary reform

Salary reform combined with innovation in recruitment policies and talent attraction will be a great driving force to promote the education sector to develop more strongly and with better quality in the coming time.

National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Thi Viet Nga acknowledged that salary reform and innovation in recruitment policies will be a lever to help the education sector develop further in the coming time. (Photo: NVCC)

That is the opinion of National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Thi Viet Nga, Member of the National Assembly 's Culture and Education Committee, with The World & Vietnam Newspaper about the story of increasing teachers' salaries to attract and retain talented people in the education sector.

Education needs more attention

Looking back at 10 years of comprehensive fundamental reform of education and training according to Resolution 29, the education sector still lacks classrooms, equipment and teachers' salaries are too low. What do you think about this story?

The fact that the education sector still lacks schools, equipment and low teacher salaries is a problem that is often discussed in the media. However, I see that after 10 years of implementing Resolution 29 on fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training, the education and training sector of our country has made great and important progress.

Compared to 10 years ago, the infrastructure of the industry, especially the school system, has been much improved. School equipment has also been paid attention to and invested in, initially meeting the requirements of teaching and learning in the new situation. However, in reality, we still lack schools and facilities for education, not only in remote, isolated and disadvantaged areas but also in large cities where there is a shortage of schools and teachers.

The story of many students in Hanoi who finish junior high school but cannot "squeeze in" to enter public high schools due to the small number of schools, or the serious lack of kindergartens, is proof of this shortage.

We are implementing the 2018 general education program, but in addition to compiling enough textbooks for teaching, the system of modern learning materials according to the new program is still lacking a lot. Even the current system of classrooms and desks in general schools is not really suitable for the 2018 general education program (desk and chair design, classroom area, arrangement of podiums, teacher's desks... are all in the traditional way, not suitable for teaching methods that enhance group work organization...).

Over the past years, the Party and State have paid great attention and devoted many resources to education and training, promulgated and amended many laws on education, however, the sector still faces many difficulties.

I think one of the reasons is that national resources are still limited. Especially recently, when starting to implement the 2018 general education program, the country had to face the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by the global economic crisis. That affected the country's socio-economic development in general and the resources for education in particular. Besides, there are also localities where resources for education have not received due attention, right from the stage of land use planning, school system development or budget allocation for investment.

We are familiar with the sayings "talent is the vital energy of the nation"; "education is the top national policy", investing in education in the right direction, adequately and scientifically is investing in the growth and strength of the nation. Therefore, I hope that education needs to be paid more attention, both in terms of institutional improvement and financial investment, human resource training, so that in the coming time, education and training will have a breakthrough, making a worthy contribution to the development process of the country.

ĐBQH. Nguyễn Thị Việt Nga: 'Đòn bẩy' cho ngành Giáo dục từ cải cách tiền lương và chính sách thu hút nhân tài

Investing in education is investing in the growth and strength of the nation. (Photo: Vu Minh Hien)

Increase salaries to retain talent

Teaching is a special profession with a special product, which is people, so it is necessary to cultivate intelligence, capacity, personality, ideals and aspirations for contribution. How do you evaluate the importance of increasing teachers' salaries to improve the quality of education as well as retain talented people in the teaching profession?

"Only with food can one practice morality" is a very profound saying of our ancestors. We can hardly demand innovation and improve the quality of education and training if we do not innovate and increase teachers' salaries.

Teachers' salaries are low and not commensurate with their professional responsibilities and efforts, which is a worrying reality today. This is also the fundamental cause leading to many consequences: teachers quitting their jobs and changing jobs due to the pressure of making a living while their salaries do not meet the demand; the widespread abuse of extra tutoring organizations, forcing students who do not have the need or desire to take extra classes; and the negligence in their jobs because they have to spend a lot of time taking care of "secondary" jobs to earn more income.

The difficulty in recruiting students in teacher training colleges, attracting and retaining talent, and motivating teachers to devote all their heart and soul to their work... Even the meager income from teachers' salaries has somewhat affected the role and position of teachers in society.

All of these have negative impacts on the quality of education and training. Therefore, increasing teachers' salaries is of great significance; not only does it improve teachers' income but it also plays a decisive role in attracting high-quality human resources to the education sector.

This is also the core and important factor to improve the quality of education and training, especially in the context of our shortage of teachers, the education sector is promoting comprehensive fundamental innovation. People are always the key and most important factor in all work, all innovation and development processes.

At the National Assembly forum, many delegates also suggested that, in salary reform, teachers' salaries should be regulated at the highest level in the administrative career salary scale system. As a National Assembly delegate, what are your expectations regarding the story of increasing teachers' salaries?

Not only the staff working in the education sector are looking forward to salary reform, but society also expects this to be one of the effective and humane solutions to develop education in the coming time.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son has repeatedly proposed an urgent increase in teachers' salaries to improve their lives and reduce the number of layoffs. Recently, the Politburo requested to continue to innovate salary policies, recruitment, use, treatment, attraction, and ensure the necessary conditions for teachers to perform their duties well. Is this a good sign for the new year?

Yes, I completely agree with this statement. Salary reform combined with innovation in recruitment policies and talent attraction in the education sector will be a great driving force to promote the sector to develop more strongly and with better quality in the coming time.

The immediate task of the sector to continue implementing the 2018 general education program is also very heavy: continuing to research and compile textbooks, and appraising and approving textbooks compiled by organizations and individuals; developing plans and organizing the first high school graduation exam according to the 2018 program in the 2024-2025 school year; continuing to improve the quality of teaching and learning...

To carry out these tasks well, in addition to the attention of the Party and the State, the efforts of the entire education sector also need the attention, sharing, sympathy, trust and support of the whole society.

Thank you!

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