Many primary schools complain about that it is difficult to recruit teachers, especially for some subjects, including informatics, English and ethnic minority languages. Meanwhile, secondary and high schools are lacking teachers for foreign languages, natural sciences, history and geography. They also need more teachers for the arts (music, fine arts), experimental activities and career guidance, technology and informatics, citizenship education, and education in national defence and security.

It is also difficult to recruit teachers for preschools and general schools in remote and mountainous areas.

The problem lies in the high requirements on teachers. 

Preschool teachers, for example, have to graduate from pedagogical junior college (3-year training), while teachers of primary and secondary schools have to graduate from pedagogical universities (4-year training). This means that those finishing pedagogical intermediate schools (2-year training) and pedagogical junior colleges) can’t apply for the jobs.

Meanwhile, those who can satisfy the requirement (graduating from pedagogical universities) don’t choose jobs in remote and difficult areas because of poor living conditions and low pay.

Local schools have also complained that they are seriously lacking teachers who can give integrated lessons, especially natural sciences, history and geography.

Before the 2018 new general education program was put into use, no university in Vietnam produced teachers of integrated learning subjects. Analysts warned that the shortage of these teachers would last in the near future.

Some education managerial officers have suggested lowering the requirements on qualifications to pave the way for more people to apply for teaching jobs.

However, this is impossible under the Education Law.

Article 72 of the 2019 Education Law stipulates that preschool teachers must graduate from pedagogical junior colleges or have higher education levels, while the teachers of primary, secondary and high schools must be pedagogical bachelor’s degree holders

If candidates don’t finish pedagogical schools, they must have certificates on experiencing training courses on pedagogical skills.

So, in order to lower the requirements to find more teachers for schools, it is necessary to amend Article 72.

Analysts have also suggested that the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) needs to advise the government to give teachers who still cannot meet the standards more time to attend training courses to upgrade their standards.

They believe that in remote and mountainous areas, preschool teachers should only be required to finish pedagogical intermediate schools. As for primary and secondary schools, teachers should only be required to finish junior colleges.

The teachers in remote and mountainous areas should be allowed to enjoy a special treatment policy.

Thanh Thuy