National Assembly Delegate of Nghe An proposes to recognize teachers' right to teach extra classes

On the morning of November 20, at the National Assembly House, continuing the 8th Session, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Law on Teachers. Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh chaired the meeting.

Speaking at the discussion, delegate Hoang Thi Thu Hien - Permanent Vice President of Nghe An Women's Union expressed her high agreement with the promulgation of the Law on Teachers, as a respect for teachers. Along with that, the delegate of Nghe An delegation raised a number of opinions to contribute to the draft Law.

Regarding the right of teachers to be guaranteed a safe environment in their professional activities, delegate Hoang Thi Thu Hien commented: In addition to the provisions of the draft Law on teachers' rights in performing professional activities; the policy impact assessment report analyzing current regulations for teachers only mentions things that teachers are prohibited from doing; but there are no regulations on what individuals, agencies, and organizations outside of schools are not allowed to do to teachers.

At the same time, there is a lack of regulations to protect teachers in their professional activities; a lack of policies to build a safe working environment for teachers to feel secure in their work, to contribute and to operate effectively in their profession, to avoid negative interference, even insults to teachers in their professional activities such as some incidents that have occurred recently; leading to the situation where many teachers avoid and are afraid to handle violations by students, and limit information exchange with families and students.

“This contributes to increasing the level of deviation in schools, increasing school violence, increasing and giving rise to more social diseases among students,” the delegate analyzed. “In reality, there are things, there are aspects in students’ lives, teachers, especially homeroom teachers, who know, understand and are close to the children.”

Because when at school, with friends, some children truly express their most natural thoughts and actions. At times like these, teachers are not only teachers, but also mothers, friends, and close brothers and sisters beside their students. Many teachers have silently accompanied and supported students to overcome the crises of adolescence, which need to be recognized and appreciated by society.

Therefore, the delegate of Nghe An delegation proposed to supplement regulations on teachers' rights in the face of the impacts of individuals, agencies, and organizations inside and outside the school on teachers in their professional activities; it is necessary to encourage the application of positive discipline in schools and have specific regulations from the education sector, support from parents and society.

Regarding extra teaching and learning, delegate Hoang Thi Thu Hien said that extra learning is a real need of many students, parents and families. For weaker students, extra tutoring is provided; for good students, extra tutoring is provided to achieve better and outstanding results. In addition to encouraging students to self-study and self-research, teachers' guidance and orientation are a legitimate need.

“We also need to consider tutoring as a profitable profession,” the delegate said, and in reality, we have banned it but it still happens. The ban on tutoring sometimes makes this situation more difficult to manage, for teachers and students, what to teach, how to teach, and how effective it is.

To meet the needs of learners, to manage extra teaching and learning, and to make extra teaching and learning truly effective, according to delegates, it is necessary to add regulations on extra teaching to the draft Law.

“Currently, the Education sector is collecting opinions to complete the Circular regulating extra teaching and learning. I agree with this regulation. The regulation that teachers have the right to teach extra is a legitimization for this legitimate activity,” said Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Hien.

Sharing the pressure on preschool teachers, the delegate of Nghe An delegation suggested that the drafting agency study increasing preferential allowances for preschool teachers as for primary health care workers and preventive health workers; arranging enough people to work in preschool education facilities so that preschool teachers can teach correctly and sufficiently according to regulations, so that they have time to restore their labor force and increase professional activities.

“Preschool teachers are also under a lot of pressure from the responsibility of taking care of a young child, still in the arms of the family. When a child goes to preschool, the whole family, parents, grandparents rely on, monitor, and supervise the teacher,” said the delegate. “However, the regime for preschool teachers is currently very low.”

The delegate of Nghe An also agreed when the draft Law stipulates that teachers are protected, respected and honored by society, demonstrating the tradition of "respecting teachers and valuing education" of our nation; it is also the gratitude of society towards teachers and also the great responsibility of teachers. When teachers not only impart knowledge but also influence the perception and personality formation of learners, they are role models for learners.

Therefore, in addition to teaching expertise, teachers must also build for themselves a good image of ethics and conduct as a professional standard. This issue is stipulated in the draft Law, but according to delegates, the regulations on teachers' ethics are still very sketchy and difficult to implement.

“The new draft law only mentions the explanation of teachers’ ethics and the manifestation of teachers’ ethics. In my opinion, in addition to the regulation that the Minister of Education and Training issues a Code of Conduct for Teachers, the draft law needs to have specific regulations that meet the standards of teachers’ ethics to increase the effectiveness of this regulation,” said delegate Hoang Thi Thu Hien.