This law aims to create a secure and supportive environment, allowing educators to engage in their teaching profession with confidence and dedication.
As planned, the Ministry of Education and Training will submit the Law on Teachers to the National Assembly for feedback in the first session of June 2024. It will be discussed for approval during the second session in October 2024.
In recent times, the Party and the State have issued numerous documents and policies to care for educators and teachers. However, the existing legal provisions lack consistency, making them challenging to apply in practice. Therefore, the Government issued Resolution 95/NQ-CP to develop the Law on Teachers.
One of the challenging issues of the education sector is the severe shortage of teachers in various localities. This presents a significant challenge for the education sector in implementing Resolution 29-NQ/TW on fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training.
Policies regarding recruitment, treatment, utilisation, and management of teachers need to be improved to enhance the quality of education and training.
Trương Thị Thu Thuỷ, teacher at Lê Quý Đôn High School in northern Hải Phòng City, has been aware of issues such as streamlined administrative positions of teachers, as well as the allowances, recruitment, planning, and development of teachers.
Therefore, she is delighted to receive information about the Law on Teachers.
“Similar to the aspirations of many colleagues, I hope that salary policies will be improved to ensure a decent life for officials and teachers. When material needs are assured, teachers can invest more confidently in their professional development,” she said.
Lý Thị Thu, teacher from the Boarding Ethnic Primary School of Sủng Máng in Mèo Vạc District in northern Hà Giang Province, said with the current salary levels, teachers have struggled to make ends meet.
The current salary is not attractive enough to retain and engage young teachers in the profession, she said, adding that timely-adjusted policies in teachers’ income are needed.
Nguyễn Văn Đằng, principal of Lê Quý Đôn High School in Trực Ninh District in northern Nam Định Province, said it is essential to have comprehensive legislation to address the current common difficulties and challenges in the education sector, such as inadequate treatment in terms of salary and rewards.
According to Principal Đằng, currently, Lê Quý Đôn High School is implementing reforms in the general education curriculum and textbooks. Issues related to recruitment of teachers and their allowances must be guided by laws.
Therefore, the enactment of the Law on Teachers will serve as the highest legal basis for schools to implement necessary measures, he added.
One of the crucial policies in the Law on Teachers involves provisions on the identification, standards, criteria, rights, and obligations of educators. This policy outlines fundamental issues related to professional standards, teaching titles as the basis for managing and utilising teachers, ensuring equality between teachers in public and non-public educational institutions. It also defines the rights and obligations of teachers, enhances autonomy in teaching, the right to apply disciplinary measures in education, and intellectual property rights for creative and innovative educational content, as well as reinforces the duty of teachers in protecting and supporting students.
Phạm Thị Thanh Tâm, head of the Department of Education and Training in Đông Triều Town in northern Quảng Ninh Province, stated that regulations on the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of educators are currently stipulated in the Education Law, but detailed through sub-laws and regulations. Therefore, it is necessary to legislate the provisions regarding professional standards such as qualifications, clear records, and professional ethics, as well as regulations on the duties and powers of teachers.
From the perspective of non-public educational institutions, Bùi Thanh Anh, principal of MerryStar Preschool in Hanoi, shared that the existing documents are more suitable for public educators, and there is no specific guidance to ensure the rights of educators in non-public institutions.
Anh hoped that under the Law on Teachers, the provisions on rights and obligations will be clearer, ensuring common benefits for educators regardless of whether they work in public or private institutions.
Teachers should receive fair and deserving benefits, and have equal opportunities for career development, she said.
Bùi Thị An, former deputy of the 13th National Assembly, gave two suggestions to the building of the Law on Teachers.
Firstly, the salary of teachers should be prioritised to be the highest in the administrative career system, with additional allowances based on the nature of the work and regional factors to ensure that they have economically sufficient conditions to support themselves and their families.
Secondly, the policy on working environment needs to ensure that teachers work in a professional environment that meets essential requirements for facilities and innovations in teaching, learning, and assessment. This includes occupational safety, dynamism, innovation, and autonomy for both teachers and students.
Vũ Minh Đức, head of the Teacher and Education Management Officials Department under the Ministry of Education and Training, stated that during the drafting of the law, the identification and regulation of criteria, standards, and titles for educators are particularly concerned. This includes ethical standards, professional standards, and other skills to serve the teaching mission.
The law will also include specific and detailed requirements, especially regarding role modeling and creativity in educational activities. Additionally, the law will establish sanctions to protect the teaching staff.
In recent practical experiences, there have been cases of educators facing health and mental issues, especially on social media. Hence, the law is expected to stipulate sanctions to ensure safety for teachers in their professional activities and protect their dignity and reputation on social media, allowing them to work with peace of mind.