For many years, the education sector in Quang Ninh has faced a persistent shortage of teachers across all levels, especially in remote, mountainous and island areas.

Teacher recruitment has become even more challenging as district-level education offices on July 1 were closed. Instead, the management of preschools, primary schools and secondary schools has been transferred to commune, ward and special administrative units.

This issue is drawing attention from experts and education administrators.

Do Thi Dieu Thuy, principal of Ha Long High School for the Gifted, said assigning teacher recruitment to the Department of Education and Training would be more efficient because recruitment is closely tied to the staffing quotas allocated to the education sector.

Thuy said the school is preparing to recruit highly qualified teachers. These candidates have undergone a long period of evaluation and have proven their expertise and reputation. Therefore, she hopes for more favorable mechanisms to hire quality teachers locally.

“Such talented individuals are not always available, and some provinces offer very attractive policies to attract education talent. I really want teacher recruitment to be more convenient so that the education sector in our province can develop and build a high-quality workforce,” she said. 

“Thus, transferring recruitment duties to the Department of Education and Training is appropriate and effective,” she added.

As a teacher with many years of experience, Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, former teacher at Vo Thi Sau Primary School in Cua Ong Ward, Quang Ninh, said there are many problems in the teacher recruitment process.

Previously, when recruitment was handled by the education sector, teacher quality was ensured and professional knowledge was strong, even though technological support was limited.

However, she believes that to recruit qualified teachers in line with actual needs and staffing quotas, the Department of Education and Training should take charge and organize the recruitment exams, as this would better reflect professional expertise.

Local authorities such as wards and communes should only track shortages and submit reports for appropriate allocation.

Nguyet noted that administrative streamlining is underway, yet teacher shortages remain unresolved, which is a challenge.

“If teacher recruitment follows the regulations on public employee recruitment set the Department of Home Affairs, the education sector will always be understaffed. Teachers are needed not only in urban areas but also in remote, disadvantaged regions where few are willing to work. Therefore, assigning recruitment, allocation and reassignment to the Department of Education and Training would be better because of its autonomy,” Nguyet said.

A representative from the Quang Ninh Department of Education and Training explained that three factors determine education quality: curriculum content, teaching staff and material facilities.

In recent years, teacher shortages have occurred frequently. However, the reassignment and appointment of teachers between localities face obstacles because the Department of Education and Training does not have the authority for this work.

In practice, an education-sector recruitment round requires the presence of specialized agency. At the ward, commune or special administrative unit level, there may be a Division of Culture and Society, but the qualifications of staff in these units vary significantly, making recruitment difficult.

Currently, the education sector already handles a heavy workload, but if it is allowed to take full responsibility for teacher recruitment, the results would be better due to its experience and professional alignment.

If communes and wards recruit teachers themselves, teachers may avoid remote areas and only apply for urban schools. Therefore, the most appropriate solution is to assign recruitment to the Department of Education and Training, while local authorities coordinate by reviewing shortages at each level and subject, then submitting consolidated reports so recruitment matches actual needs.

Hoang Ngoc Vinh, former Director of the Department of Professional Education, said the recruitment of teachers should be assigned to schools because they are the ones who know exactly what they “lack and need”. 

As for mobilization, arrangement, or transfer when necessary, it should be assigned to the Education and Training Department or to communes and wards. However, teacher recruitment should be handed over to general schools. It can follow a model similar to corporate governance: “Who is responsible for the product should be the one to hire people”.

To ensure fairness and prevent favoritism, a supervisory council should be established to monitor the transparency of the process, with representatives from the commune and the Education and Training Department, he said.

Thanh Hung