VietNamNet Bridge – The English teachers, who did not obtain the required marks in the tests, are considered substandard teachers. They now feel anxious and the inferiority complex when standing before the students.

In late 2011, the HCM City Education and Training Department asked 700 primary school English teachers to attend a test to find out their English skills. More than 1000 secondary and high school teachers in some districts attend the exam for First Certificate in English (FCE) of Cambridge ESOL.

Secondary school teachers need to meet the B2 grade (60-74 marks), while high school teachers need to meet the C1 grade (75-89 marks) to meet the standards.

An English teacher in district 5, a substandard teacher, said that she is now under a hard pressure. “I will have to attend training courses to improve my grades, which will cause disturbance to the work and life,” she said.

“The testing fee is really high, about 40 dollars, and the training cost is also high,” she complained.

However, the biggest worry for substandard teachers is not the high expense. They are worried that the bad marks would give rise to a bad reputation. Teachers nowadays usually ask each others if they meet the standards every time when they meet.

“I am afraid that one day, my students would show their contempt for me, because I cannot obtain the required marks,” she said.

The HCM City Education and Training Department has anticipated the problem, therefore, it has ensured the confidentiality of the results of the tests.

The department’s Director Le Hong Son has asked schools to create favorable conditions for the teachers, who still cannot meet the standards, to continue their teaching and spend time to attend re-training courses. The teachers would have to attend the tests again until they can meet the standards.

The results of the tests would be informed to schools, so that the schools’ leaders can draw up suitable timetables, why they are not allowed to make public the results. Especially, the test results must not be referred to when assessing teachers’ dedication.

However, in fact, a lot of English teachers have complained their failure at the exams has been widely informed. Nowadays, they feel a hard pressure and the discriminatory treatment from students and colleagues.

A source said that the majority of teachers cannot meet standards because of their weak listening, speaking and reading comprehensive skills.

Only three primary school teachers in district 4 can meet the standards after sitting the tests. In district 10, less than 10 secondary school teachers satisfy the requirements. Meanwhile, Deputy President of a high school in Binh Thanh district has expressed her worry when hearing that all the teachers attending the tests have failed.

Commenting about the test results, Van Cong Sang, Head of the Personnel Division of the HCM City Education and Training Department, said that all the teachers have basic knowledge, but they are still weak at listening and speaking skills.

Meanwhile, teachers have said that they failed because of the European standards used to assess teachers’ capability. Meanwhile, at pedagogical schools, the teachers were trained in accordance with other standards which did not set strict requirements on listening and speaking skills.

A teacher of the Trung Vuong High School complained that the teachers had to attend the tests when they were busy to prepare students for the first semester exams, therefore, they did not have time to prepare for the tests.

Managers of schools have expressed their worries about the lack of standard teachers. Headmaster of Nguyen Van Troi Primary School said only one out of the three teachers can meets the standards, while there are nine English intensive classes and 28 English optional classes.

Source: Phu nu TP HCM