Voters in Hoang Mai town contribute their opinions on the draft Law on Teachers.

Attending the meeting with voters were National Assembly deputies: Pham Phu Binh - Standing Member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee; Thai Thi An Chung - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Head of the Nghe An Provincial National Assembly Delegation; and Hoang Thi Thu Hien - Standing Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union.

Also attending the meeting with voters were representatives from the following departments and agencies: Education and Training; Interior; Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs; Social Insurance; and the Nghe An Provincial Federation of Labor.

The 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly is scheduled to open on October 21, 2024. The session will be conducted in two phases: Phase 1 from October 21 to November 13, 2024, and Phase 2 from November 20 to November 30, 2024. During the session, the National Assembly will discuss and approve 16 draft laws; discuss and approve 2 resolutions; provide opinions on 12 draft laws; and consider and decide on socio-economic issues, the state budget, oversight work, and other important matters.

In particular, at the 8th session of the 15th National Assembly, the draft Law on Teachers, comprising 9 chapters and 71 articles, will be submitted to the National Assembly for initial consideration.

After hearing the National Assembly representatives announce the expected content and program of the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly; and the results of the activities of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation since the 7th Session of the 15th National Assembly, voters in Hoang Mai town raised many opinions in a democratic, frank, and responsible spirit.

Voter Ho Tuan Anh, Principal of Quynh Phuong Secondary School, reflected: In the 2018 General Education Program, the secondary school level includes several new subjects such as History - Geography, Natural Science, Art, Experiential Activities - Career Guidance, and Local Education. After nearly four years of implementation, educational institutions are still facing difficulties and confusion due to the lack of qualified teachers to teach these subjects. Therefore, the voter proposed that the Ministry of Education and Training should coordinate with localities to establish a mechanism to fully cover the training costs for teachers teaching these new subjects at the secondary school level, while also arranging teacher training during the summer break.

In addition, voter Ho Tuan Anh also suggested that the Ministry of Education and Training coordinate with the Ministry of Interior to arrange job positions for school health staff, that there should be a support system for school administrators who also undertake Party building work, and proposed equal teaching load for secondary and high school teachers (17 lessons/week) to ensure fairness for teachers at all levels.

At the conference, many voters also expressed their wish that the policy of downsizing the workforce should not be applied to the education sector. Currently, many schools are understaffed and do not meet the required teacher-to-class ratio; therefore, they requested timely support from all levels to ensure the teaching and learning activities of the schools.

Commenting on the draft Law on Teachers, voter Phan Van Sang - Principal of Mai Hung Primary School - suggested that it is necessary to specify when and by which agencies or units are authorized to issue teacher practice certificates. In addition, Point c, Clause 5, Article 11, which stipulates "Rights of Teachers," should allow teachers the right to refuse to perform tasks that are not in accordance with their job position, that their health cannot handle, or that performing such tasks would directly affect their health.

Voter Dau Viet Thanh - Principal of Quynh Lap B Primary School, stated: Regarding Clause 1, Article 48, which stipulates "Retirement regime for teachers," he proposed adjusting the retirement age for primary school teachers to 55 years old (for women) and 60 years old (for men).

Based on feedback and opinions from voters, leaders of departments and agencies have directly addressed a number of issues within their jurisdiction.

On behalf of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Deputy Head of the Delegation, Thai Thi An Chung, responded to issues within her authority and also received feedback and suggestions from voters to forward to the Government, the National Assembly, and relevant levels and sectors for consideration and resolution.

During the meeting with voters, the National Assembly delegation and the Provincial Labor Union presented 20 gifts to teachers in difficult circumstances in Hoang Mai town.