82 teachers in Nghi Loc district are subject to mobilization and secondment.

Many teachers have to be seconded.

Although it is the end of the school year, the plan for seconding teachers for the next school year has been released by the Nghi Loc District Department of Education and Training. Accordingly, this year, Nghi Loc plans to second 82 teachers with many different subjects.

Class time of students at Quan Hanh Kindergarten. Photo: SH

Among these, secondary school teachers are the most assigned with 59 teachers. In addition to seconding secondary school teachers from favorable areas to difficult areas, the district also seconded secondary school teachers to teach at primary level. The number of seconded teachers mainly falls into subjects with a lot of surplus such as Math - Physics, Chemistry - Biology, Literature - History and English.

This year, Nghi Loc will also dispatch a small number of primary school teachers, including 3 people, to Nghi Trung Primary School and Nghi Phong Primary School. Surprisingly, next school year Nghi Loc will also dispatch preschool teachers, and this is the first time the district has done this.

Regarding the transfer of teachers, the District Department of Education and Training also requested that schools submit lists and documents to the department before May 25, 2019. The principles of transfer are based on the Regulations on transfer and transfer of civil servants in public kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools according to Decision No. 766/QD.UBND dated April 13, 2018.

Due to many specific characteristics, the assignment of preschool teachers faces many difficulties. Photo: SH

Accordingly, the consideration is based on the number of years of working in difficult areas and on the teacher's achievements. The list of teachers will be ranked from high to low scores and priority will be given to teachers with high scores. Newly recruited employees, contract teachers, teachers with difficult circumstances, and preschool teachers over 40 years old will be exempted from secondment.

Schools are confused in implementation

This year, Quan Hanh Town Kindergarten will have 2 teachers assigned to teach at Nghi Phuong Kindergarten, according to the list. The school currently has 25 teachers and based on the criteria set by the department, there are 11 teachers left who need to be considered for assignment. However, it is not easy to transfer anyone.

Talking about this, teacher Le Thi Hong Thai shared: "The teachers who may have to be seconded are all good teachers, have certificates of merit from the District People's Committee, some teachers also have achievements as grassroots emulation fighters. Therefore, if we put them on a scale, it would be nine out of ten. Personally, if I had to be seconded, it would be quite difficult because my children are young, and my house is far away (from Vinh city), so if I go to Nghi Phuong, it would take more than 15 kilometers."

Personally, if I have to be seconded, it will be quite difficult because my child is young and my house is far away (Vinh city), so if I go to Nghi Phuong, it will take more than 15 kilometers"

Teacher Le Thi Hong Thai - Quan Hanh Town Kindergarten

Nghi Yen Kindergarten is completing items to build standards for the next school year. Photo: SH

Because of these difficulties, even though the school board has “weighed, measured, and counted”, they still have a lot of trouble choosing. Teacher Nguyen Thi Hoa – Principal of the school said: “Currently, the scores of the teachers are quite equal. Therefore, we are doing it on a “voluntary” basis, maybe the teachers who live near Nghi Phuong school will volunteer to go first”.

At Nghi Yen Kindergarten, the school is planning to welcome new teachers next school year. Therefore, having to mobilize 2 teachers for Nghi Dong Kindergarten makes it difficult for the school to arrange teachers. Teacher Dau Thi Bich - who is expected to be mobilized - worries: "Preschool teachers are very different from other teachers, they come early and come home late. Therefore, now that I have to go, I really have a hard time not knowing how to arrange the housework because my children are still young, my husband works far away and there is an old mother at home..."

Temporary solution for teacher shortage

The policy of seconding teachers has been implemented by Nghi Loc district for many years now, mainly to transfer teachers of the same level from favorable areas to disadvantaged areas and to support disadvantaged areas. However, in the past two years, the district has had to transfer more teachers from secondary schools to primary schools and second preschool teachers.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Thong - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Nghi Loc district: "Currently, the number of teachers in the district is quite lacking with nearly 300 teachers. Of which, primary schools alone are short of more than 200 teachers. In particular, many kindergartens are currently unable to recruit teachers because they do not have a payroll, causing the ratio of teachers assigned to each class to be very low, only about 1.3 - 1.4 teachers/class (according to regulations, 2 teachers/class) such as schools in Nghi Xa, Nghi Phuong, Nghi Dong communes".

Teaching hours of teacher Dau Thi Bich - Nghi Yen Kindergarten. Photo: SH

“The mobilization of teachers aims to solve the local surplus and shortage situation, ensuring a balance in the ratio of teachers and working conditions among schools in the region.”

Head of Department of Education and Training of Nghi Loc district

Currently, according to the plan, the number of teachers on secondment this year in the district will be increased for 1 year and many teachers hope that after the time is up, they will be able to return to their old schools. However, this is only a "projection" and the district's regulations can be extended up to 36 months "depending on the actual needs of the units".

Besides, the fact that the district organizes secondments and transfers every year puts teachers in a constant state of insecurity and causes disruption for schools in arranging work and tasks for the school year.