>> Low pay at HCM City pre-schools prompts shortage
Vietnamese preschools are facing a number of obstacles, including over-worked, undertrained teachers, affecting the quality of education.
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| Vietnamese preschools are facing a number of obstacles, including over-worked, undertrained teachers, effecting the quality of education. |
Associate Professor Le Thi Anh Tuyet, Former Head of the Pre-Education Department, part of the Ministry of Education and Training, said that in the 2010-2011 school year, only 21.5% of children at preschool age actually attended one. Many of the more crowded residential areas in cities or industrial parks also lack schools.
She added that city planning in large portions of Hanoi has neglected to include educational facilities. Some localities allocate land to private firms to build preschools, but often, these schools will charge tuitions of hundreds of USD per month, making them out of reach for many families. This has forced the public school system to take on the burden, she noted.
A representative from the Vietnam Association for Protection of Children\'s Rights said, the number of students per class often exceeds regulations. By the end of the 2010-2011 school year, six wards in Dong Da and Hai Ba Trung districts still had no public preschools at all. A number of parents have to send their children to unlicensed daycares.
Unqualified teachers
Associate Professor Le Thi Anh Tuyet said more than 70% of Vietnam’s kindergartens have implemented new pre-education programmes.
According to the Vietnam Association for Protection of Children\'s Rights, the majority of teachers lack adequate training and do not understand basic educational methods, such as creating a class plan.
Associate Professor La Thi Bac Ly, Head of Pre-education Faculty of Hanoi National University of Education, said, the boom in new colleges and universities over the recent years has affected the quality of teachers.
Private nursery schools in Ho Chi Minh City employ over 1,500 baby-sitters because of the shortage of qualified teachers.