Education

Removing difficulties for the Education sector in the new context - Part 3: Efforts to adapt flexibly

Nam Phong • September 11, 2025 06:00

Despite the difficulties, in the first month of implementing the two-level local government, localities and schools are trying to find solutions to adapt to the new situation. On the part of the Education sector, in that context, timely adjustments have been made in the direction and leadership to help activities be seamless and connected.

Content:Tien Hung - My Ha;Technique: Nam Phong • September 11, 2025

Despite the difficulties, in the first month of implementing the two-level local government, localities and schools are trying to find solutions to adapt to the new situation. On the part of the Education sector, in that context, timely adjustments have been made in the direction and leadership to help activities be seamless and connected.

Dien Thanh Primary School is one of the schools with the largest number of students in Dien Chau commune with nearly 1,500 students. Due to the large number of classes, the school has not been supplemented with additional staff, so this school year the teacher-to-class ratio of the school is only 1.29, 7 people short of the minimum ratio of 1.4 teachers/class.

Through discussion, Mr. Cao Xuan Hung - Principal of the school said: According to current regulations, each primary school teacher will have 23 periods/week. In the case of teachers who work as homeroom teachers, union presidents, etc., some concurrent periods will be deducted. However, currently, in the context of a shortage of teachers, the school still calculates the actual number of periods taught by teachers to ensure 23 periods/week. In case teachers teach more than the prescribed period, the concurrent periods will be counted.

In addition, the school contracts additional teachers who are newly retired or newly graduated. With this plan, the school still ensures that it teaches enough lessons for students for each grade with a duration of 25 - 30 lessons/week according to regulations, depending on each grade. In the remaining time, students will study enhanced programs according to their needs and currently at our school, the registration rate is over 90%.

At Quynh Phuong A Primary School, although the actual number of teaching periods for teachers is calculated to be 23 periods/week, there are still not enough teachers. In that context, the school's board of directors also volunteered to teach more periods or take on the role of homeroom teacher to fill the "vacancy". Teacher Ho Duc Vinh - Principal of the school said: We know that the current way of calculating periods can make teachers work harder and have disadvantages. However, at this time, all teachers in the school share the school's difficulties and are determined to try to ensure the rights of students, not to interrupt teaching and learning.

In Vinh city (old), one of the "hot spots" for teacher shortage is Ha Huy Tap 2 Primary School (Vinh Phu ward) where this year, the teacher-to-class ratio is only 1.36 and there is a shortage of 14 teachers compared to regulations. Through discussion, teacher Tran Thi Man - Principal of the school added: Before entering the new school year, the school clearly determined that payment to teachers would be difficult to ensure according to regulations because everything depends on the budget. Therefore, we have fully informed teachers, publicly announced the calculation of overtime hours for teachers to share. Up to this point, all teachers agree and support each other to complete the school year's tasks.

Education is one of the issues that local authorities pay special attention to after moving to a new state of operation. Through understanding from the grassroots, it shows that although there are still many difficulties, the communes and wards have promptly grasped them to have timely instructions, suitable to the actual context at the grassroots.

In Van Kieu commune, in preparation for the new school year, facing a serious shortage of up to 90 teachers, the commune has promptly sent a document requesting the province and the department to supplement according to assigned regulations. In addition, if there is no decision on the province's staffing for the 2025-2026 school year, the Commune People's Committee will ask for the opinion of the Standing Committee and the Party Committee's Standing Committee on the policy of granting contracts to ensure the apparatus of teachers and staff to serve the teaching and learning requirements of this school year.

Previously, at the time of the transfer of the 2-level local government, there were a number of projects under construction in the commune such as Nghi Kieu Secondary School, Nghi Kieu Kindergarten, Nghi Kieu 2 Primary School... From the beginning of July until now, the projects have been continuously implemented, ensuring progress. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tho - Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee said: Our advantage is that many commune leaders used to work at the old local unit. Therefore, when taking on the new job, there was flexibility in direction, with the aim of creating favorable conditions for both the construction unit and the schools. I myself used to be the Deputy Head of the Department of Education and Training of Nghi Loc district (old), so I have a firm grasp of the activities of the sector. Therefore, if you are not familiar with or do not understand professional tasks, I am willing to share and coordinate to implement them.

Discussing the State management of education in Tan Ky commune, the commune leaders acknowledged the advantages and difficulties. Mr. Hoang Dinh Son - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee added: With the new model, the Commune People's Committee has more authority and responsibility in State management of education in the area. This helps the commune be more proactive in grasping the practical situation, promptly handling arising issues and orienting educational development in accordance with local characteristics. In addition, compared to the old district, the scope of commune management is not too wide, close to the actual situation, so the allocation of resources is more realistic and appropriate. Thereby, encouraging and creating conditions for the community to participate in educational activities. Schools can be more flexible in applying educational programs suitable to the culture and characteristics of the locality.

Having held the position of Head of the Department of Education and Training, Vice Chairman of Tan Ky district (old), Mr. Son said that currently, in 7 communes in Tan Ky district (old), only 2/7 cultural and social departments have leaders and civil servants who used to work in the education sector to monitor and manage the State in the field of education. However, these civil servants themselves are only knowledgeable in a certain field: The lack of, or lack of, human resources with expertise in education at the commune level is a huge difficulty and challenge. Because public schools are administrative units, where there are large human resources and jobs with their own specific characteristics. Meanwhile, the volume of decentralized work is very large (40/47 tasks under the authority of the district level are transferred to the commune level), so initially there is confusion and difficulty in directing and implementing assigned state management tasks, Mr. Son added.

In the above situation, to manage the State on education in the context of implementing the 2-level local government, the People's Committee of Tan Ky commune has established a "Commune Education Advisory Board" consisting of a Principal, Vice Principal with management capacity and teachers with good professional skills. The function of the Advisory Board is to support the People's Committee of the commune in State management under the commune's authority such as advising on the appraisal of plans, coordinating the organization of activities such as training and professional activities. The commune has also established a professional cluster to organize inter-school professional activities; continue to promote the implementation of the program "school helping school", "professional group helping professional group".

In Truong Vinh ward, Ms. Hoang Thi Phuong Thao (former Head of the Department of Education and Training of the old Vinh city) is now the Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Society, so she has a lot of experience in management work. Through the discussion, she said that the functions of the old Department of Education and Training have been transferred almost entirely to the commune-level government. The difference is that previously, one specialist would be in charge of one area, but now one person will be in charge of all areas (including preschool, primary school, secondary school...).

“To overcome this difficulty, the education officers of the wards of Vinh city (old) have initiated a common group to facilitate the exchange and sharing of work experiences. Each person has their own professional strengths and will support and strengthen each other in work areas such as approving the school year plan, school program; managing extra teaching and learning; professional activities…”, Ms. Thao affirmed.

The remote commune of Nga My is also facing similar difficulties. To be flexible in implementing tasks, the commune has considered mobilizing teachers from schools to help during special times.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Hung - Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee said: Regarding the contents related to the State's documents and instructions, we will encourage our brothers to both study and gain experience. However, if we implement some specific fields such as universalization, excellent student competitions, and building standard schools, we will need teachers with expertise and experience and will have to rely on the role of teachers in schools...

Previously, although the local government had just been implemented at 2 levels, the Nga My commune government had urged for additional capital to complete some construction works at Nga My 1 Primary Ethnic Minority Boarding School, and transferred the old headquarters of the old Xieng My Commune People's Committee to the primary school. Thanks to that, the problem of facilities for the new school year was promptly solved.

As a management unit, immediately after establishing a two-level local government, the Department of Education and Training assigned specialized departments from preschool to secondary school to connect with more than 1,400 schools in the province. At the same time, a zalo group was established for Principals and departments to promptly exchange information, documents and discuss any issues that arose during the implementation process.

On the eve of the new school year, for the first time, the Department of Education and Training organized a Conference of Principals of all schools (by each level) to deploy professional tasks and listen to opinions from the grassroots. The conference at the beginning of the new school year this year also had the participation of all Vice Chairmen of the People's Committee and heads of the cultural and social departments of 130 communes and wards across the province and was connected to all localities for the department's leaders to discuss and deploy the school year plan.

Welcoming this change, Mr. Ho Tuan Anh - Principal of Quynh Phuong Secondary School, Quynh Mai Ward said: "Although there is no intermediary unit, the Department of Education and Training, up to now, the implementation of school activities has been carried out continuously without interruption. Through direct exchanges from groups of Principals and professional groups across the province, we have gained a lot of experience in the process of performing our tasks. Besides, the voice from the grassroots to the province is easier, many arising problems can be handled quickly and closely to reality".

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