Minister, this new school year, general schools across the country will start operating under a new model after the arrangement is implemented. What directives will the Ministry of Education and Training have to make schools truly promote their strength and reduce difficulties after the merger?
- In the positive aspect, when implementing the arrangement, it will optimize the teaching staff. Those who are in management work can consider switching to direct teaching. Those are teachers who are very good at their profession and have experience. When directly teaching, it will bring quality teaching to students, and at the same time overcome the current teacher shortage situation.
When merged, a good teacher who previously only taught in one school can now teach in many branches. Students will learn from good teachers in each subject. Before the merger, in this school, there may be a shortage of teachers for this subject, and in another school, there is a shortage of other subjects. When a school is larger in scale, it is clear that the use of the teaching staff will be better.
The important thing is that the merger does not affect students' access to education. Students study wherever they are and even more conveniently.
The challenge when arranging is that the scale of schools and classes will be larger, while the number of management officials, principals, and vice principals will decrease. Therefore, a new governance model is needed, innovating the way schools are governed, and administrative management cannot be done in a pure way.
The Ministry of Education and Training has issued a guiding document as a governance framework for large-scale general schools. The content includes from objectives, coordinating the teaching staff, decentralization, delegation of power and responsibility between principals and vice principals to management of facilities, expertise, finance...
In the near future, the Ministry of Education and Training will deploy a national digital education governance platform to support schools. All are used on a common digital platform. Combining guidance on decentralization and accountability in school operations, organization of school operations and digital platform tools, I believe that management capacity will be improved, thereby improving the efficiency and quality of operations of educational institutions after arrangement.
After the arrangement, somewhere there are still teachers who have moved from principals to teachers and have concerns. Along with that are new educational tasks, many challenges are posed. What does the Minister share with the teaching staff so that schools after arrangement are larger in scale but not weaker in quality?
- I am very sympathetic to the thoughts and feelings of the teaching staff and as a minister, I am very grateful to the teaching staff for their willingness to take on tasks. Teachers for the common good, for the common benefit, bringing students the best quality of education.
In the initial stage of arrangement, there will be changes. The Ministry of Education and Training together with the Ministry of Home Affairs have advised the Government to issue a decree on policies so that in conditions, the best regimes and policies can be implemented for the teaching staff.
In the process of arrangement, localities will also be responsible for adjusting and arranging the teaching staff. It is possible that through arrangement, teachers will be arranged to travel closer to their homes, more convenient in teaching.
In addition, localities also have their own policies to encourage teachers. This is very important because all quality of education ultimately determines the teaching staff.
In the coming time, the Ministry of Education and Training will continue to advise the Government to issue policies for the teaching staff in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Teachers. Not only is the issue of salary benefits as proposed by the Law on Teachers being ranked highest in the administrative and non-business salary scale system, but also the recognition, honoring, and evaluation of the whole society towards teachers.
School arrangement is not only taking place at the general education level but also at the higher education level. Minister, please tell us the plan and roadmap for implementation in the coming time?
The recent Central Conference has issued very specific policies. The Politburo has concluded and the Government has issued an Action Program, assigning the Ministry of Education and Training to preside over and coordinate with ministries, branches, and localities to organize the arrangement of vocational education institutions and higher education institutions.
The time is also very specific. Vocational education institutions will be streamlined, reducing at least 30% of focal points and transferring management to localities. The Ministry of Education and Training has coordinated with ministries and sectors to have a summary report and propose implementation plans in September 2026, completing one month ahead of schedule as required in the Politburo's Conclusion.
For higher education institutions, the problem will be more difficult. Higher education institutions are mostly large in scale, training occupations, segments, missions, and strategies.
There may be difficulties in the short term, but in the long term, the arrangement and reorganization is to make the system stronger. Each higher education institution will be stronger, eliminating facilities and places with poor quality training and ineffective operation.
In the end, we can train high-quality, superior quality human resources, meeting the requirements of socio-economic development.
Thank you very much, Minister!
