- Madam, many teachers quit their jobs because of income and work pressure. Are teachers facing too many challenges?

Teachers today face many challenges from curriculum innovation, job requirements... to pressure from parents, while salaries can be said to be inadequate. The new general education program requires teachers to change from teaching methods to assessment methods, making it difficult to avoid pressure in adapting and ensuring teaching quality.

The job requirements for teachers are also getting higher and higher. In addition to meeting the requirements for innovative teaching methods, teachers have to do a lot of administrative work, participate in extracurricular activities... This requires more time and effort.

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People's Teacher Nguyen Thi Hien - one of the first female private school principals in the country.

Teachers are also under pressure from parents. Parents have increasingly high expectations of quality education and often ask teachers to help their children achieve good results. Teachers must also balance meeting parents’ demands with maintaining a healthy, inclusive learning environment for all students.

Meanwhile, the number of students per class is increasing. Many schools in Hanoi have 50-60 students per class, making teachers overworked to manage the class and support each student.

Long-term work pressure but not all schools have a psychological support system for teachers, leading to stress, affecting mental health.

On the other hand, salaries and benefits are not enough to make teachers feel secure in their jobs, especially in big cities with expensive spending. This can reduce motivation and affect teaching quality, or force them to find ways to teach extra classes illegally.

- In your opinion, what should teachers do to overcome pressure and maintain their love for the profession?

To overcome countless pressures and challenges, I believe that teachers’ physical and mental health are important. In the face of difficulties or storms, I often remember the reason why I started teaching and find joy in daily teaching activities. Each small success of students is a source of motivation for teachers to continue to strive and love their profession.

As a school leader, I often encourage teachers to proactively discuss with the school board if they encounter difficulties in their work to find solutions. Feedback or support from the school can help improve the working environment for teachers.

Sharing experiences and learning from colleagues will also help teachers feel less alone and have more solutions to problems in the classroom.

- Recently, many teachers have violated professional ethics. How should the training of teacher training students change to keep up with the trend of the times, madam?

In my opinion, we need to strengthen training in professional ethics and social responsibility. Courses on professional ethics should be included in the curriculum, helping student teachers to understand deeply their roles, responsibilities and influence on students. In particular, we need to emphasize respect, fairness and responsibility when working with children.

Pedagogical students also need to learn about educational psychology to better understand the needs and psychological characteristics of students of each age, thereby knowing how to behave appropriately and minimize inappropriate behavior.

In addition, emotional management skills and emotional intelligence (EQ) will help teachers control their emotions, stay calm and behave appropriately, even in stressful situations.

Pedagogical schools also need to create a positive cultural environment, encouraging students to practice ethical standards and professional behavior. Students need to feel respected and exemplary from lecturers, thereby orienting and building a positive educational culture.

- According to you, how can we improve the status of teachers in today's era?

First, we need to improve the treatment and salary system. Appropriate salary and good treatment not only help teachers have a more stable life but also show the respect of society for their work. This can help teachers focus and devote more to the profession.

In addition, it is necessary to create conditions to improve the professional qualifications of teachers. Intensive training programs, opportunities for study, research, and international exchange will help teachers improve their qualifications, keep up with new educational trends, thereby making them more confident and prestigious in society.

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Teacher Nguyen Thi Hien believes that when teachers maintain a professional and ethical image combined with social understanding, their status will be enhanced.

Teachers themselves need to maintain a professional and ethical image. Being a role model in knowledge, behavior and ethics will help teachers gain respect from students, parents and society. Teachers can cultivate soft skills, emotional management skills and EQ to maintain their qualities in all situations.

Moreover, when society understands the contributions, difficulties and merits of teachers, their status will be enhanced.

The 2024 Ho Chi Minh City National University-level science and technology project "Research on teachers' lives in Binh Thuan , Tay Ninh and Hau Giang provinces", conducted by the Institute for Policy Development of Ho Chi Minh City National University (IDP-VNU), assessed the level of financial pressure (income from teaching is not enough to cover living expenses) of teachers with a fairly high average score of 3.61/5 (5 is very stressful).

Of these, 44% of teachers said they were under some to very much pressure; only 19% of teachers said they were comfortable and very comfortable, with no financial pressure.

In addition to financial pressure, teachers also face pressure from professional activities such as preparing lectures, department meetings, other administrative and social tasks; pressure related to regulations on teacher standards, attitudes towards students, etc.

Notably, up to 70.21% of teachers said they were under pressure or very pressured by parents. 40.63% of teachers had considered changing careers due to mental violence from parents.

Draft Law on Teachers delegates the right to recruit and use teachers to the education sector.

Draft Law on Teachers delegates the right to recruit and use teachers to the education sector.

One of the notable new points proposed by the Ministry of Education and Training in the draft Law on Teachers is the delegation of initiative to the education sector in recruiting and using teachers.
Benefits for teachers in the draft Law on Teachers

Benefits for teachers in the draft Law on Teachers

In the 5th draft of the Law on Teachers, the Ministry of Education and Training has defined more specifically the policies and benefits for teachers.
Ministry of Education and Training explains proposal not to publicize information about teachers' violations until there is a conclusion

Ministry of Education and Training explains proposal not to publicize information about teachers' violations until there is a conclusion

Not disclosing information about teachers' violations without an official conclusion from a competent authority is one of the new points included by the Ministry of Education and Training in the draft Law on Teachers.