VietNamNet Bridge - Headmasters of many primary schools in HCM City have described new regulations as ‘impractical’.

Pham Thanh Minh, headmaster of Tran Van On Primary School in district 11, said he could only “apply a part of the new primary school regulations”, including the way classrooms should be decorated. 

They said it was also difficult to apply the ‘self-management board’ model as requested because there are up to 40 students in every class.

Minh also said that it was unreasonable to stipulate that school headmasters must have two teaching hours a week. 

“When can headmasters give lessons if there is a head teacher in every class?” he asked.

The headmaster of a primary school in Phu Nhuan district also said the requirement on headmasters’ teaching hours was not feasible.

“We have to dodge the laws. The meetings between headmasters and students at weekly flag-saluting ceremony will be considered the headmasters’ teaching hours,” she said.

The new regulations stipulate that there should be 35 students in a standard class. At least 98 percent of primary schools in HCM City do not meet the standards.

The new regulations stipulate that primary school teachers must finish pedagogical intermediate schools (two-year training) at least. 

However, Nguyen Nghia Dung, deputy head of the Tan Binh district Education and Training Sub-department, said that pedagogical intermediate schools no longer exist. 

Some schools in HCM City have appointed ‘chairs’ and ‘vice chairs’ of the classes’ management boards instead of the old titles ‘monitors’ or ‘vice monitors’ as requested by the new regulations.

However, a teacher said she does not think the self-management board and ‘chair’ titles are a good idea, though she still has to appoint students to the positions as requested.

“The titles are not suited to primary school students,” she said

The teacher said that education experts who compiled the new regulations might not have deep knowledge about children at the age of 6 or 7.

“Monitor and vice monitor are the best titles to be assigned to students at these ages,” she said.

“It is clear that not all students in class can work as ‘chairs’ before the academic year finishes because there are 40-45 students in every class,” a teacher said.

“As a result, many students may envy their friends who have the chance to work as ‘chairs’,” she said.

Giving more ‘power’ to primary school students, lowering the required standards on primary school teachers and changing the ways of criticizing and complimenting students are all measures the Ministry of Education and Training has tried to implement to revolutionize education in the country.

NLD