It is necessary to distinguish between professional certificates and practice certificates.
Affirming the need for professional certificates for teachers, according to Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen, there needs to be specific guidance and practical implementation.
The difference between a professional certificate and a practice certificate
Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen - former Director of the Institute for Educational Management Science Research, Academy of Educational Management emphasized that it is necessary to distinguish between vocational certificates (due to training and development) and practice certificates.
Professional certifications and practice certificates are both official documents that certify an individual's abilities, knowledge, and skills in a specific field.
However, they have the following fundamental differences:
| Professional certification | Certificate of Practice | |
| Concept | Is a certificate issued by an educational or training organization or a professional body to an individual after that person completes a training program or a certain specialized course. | A type of license issued by government agencies or state-authorized professional organizations, allowing an individual to practice in a specific field. |
| Purpose | Confirms that an individual has acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a particular field. | Authorizes and confirms an individual's right to practice a profession in a particular field legally. |
| Issuing authority | Can be issued by universities, colleges, vocational training centers or specialized organizations. | Usually state management agencies such as the Ministry of Education and Training, Department of Education and Training, or competent professional organizations (Professional Associations). |
Specific instructions are needed.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen, it is necessary for teachers to be recognized and granted practice certificates. However, there needs to be specific guidance documents.
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| Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen. |
For teachers and educational institution managers who are on duty (have been recruited and have full degrees and professional certificates), a practice certificate must be issued immediately without having to pass an exam or take a practice certificate exam.
Avoid the situation of "All teachers taking the professional certificate exam", which is a formality, costly and has negative reactions towards teachers and educational administrators.
Previously, certificates of professional titles, information technology, foreign languages, etc. did not prove effective, and teachers were both time-consuming and costly to obtain, but many certificates were later eliminated.
Some people think that training institutions should issue practice certificates to students along with their graduation certificates. However, Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen said that training institutions can only recognize the completion of the study program, while the state management agency must issue practice certificates, because it is necessary to evaluate whether teachers have sufficient professional capacity in practice and actually practice the profession or not.
The decentralization of the agency issuing practice certificates according to the Draft Law on Teachers is quite suitable: the agency in charge of which educational institutions will issue practice certificates to teachers in the locality/affiliated unit (Certificate form issued by the Ministry of Education and Training).
To effectively apply the practice certificate to teachers today, Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen noted:
Clear regulations on standards and certification procedures;
Continuous training and professional development;
Quality assessment and testing.
Support and incentive policies;
Close management and supervision:Ensure that the issuance of practice certificates is carried out in accordance with the correct procedures and that there is no negativity or corruption. Build a data management system for practice certificates of teachers and managers of general education institutions to facilitate monitoring and inspection.
Create a positive work environment:Improve working conditions, create a positive and friendly teaching environment so that teachers and administrators of general education institutions can maximize their abilities. Encourage the spirit of cooperation and experience sharing among teachers, creating a vibrant and active learning community.
Building a learning community of teachers and educational administrators:Learning from domestic and international experiences; Teacher exchange: Encourage teacher exchange programs to broaden horizons and learn advanced teaching methods.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen, applying professional certificates to teachers not only aims to improve the quality of education but also helps ensure the sustainable development of the education profession. Focusing on the above factors will contribute to building a team of high-quality teachers, meeting the increasing demands of society in educating and training the younger generation.
