The draft Law on Teachers mentions the ethical standards of teachers. Lao Dong Newspaper had a conversation with Dr. Hoang Ngoc Vinh, former Director of the Ministry of Education and Training, about this issue.
What is the significance of setting standards of teacher ethics, sir?
- Determining the concept and standards of teacher ethics is an important task in building a team of teachers who are not only good at their profession but also have moral qualities. This is to meet the development needs of education in a modern and increasingly demanding context.
The concept of ethics in current documents, even in the draft Law on Teachers, although general and comprehensive, still has limitations that need to be carefully analyzed to ensure accuracy and effectiveness when applied in practice.
The Draft Law on Teachers mentions ethical standards in Clause 13. How do you evaluate the proposed standards?
- In Clause 13, Article 5, the draft Law on Teachers stipulates: "Teachers' ethics are standards of perception, attitude and behavior in the relationship between teachers and students, colleagues, students' families and the community" and "Teachers' ethics are expressed through the rules of conduct of teachers in performing their duties and in social relations, in accordance with professional activities and made public for people to monitor compliance" (Article 13).
In general, the above concept represents the basic values of teachers' ethics, from perception, attitude to behavior, and is placed in relationships with many different subjects such as learners, colleagues, learners' families and the community.
In addition, this concept helps shape the ethical standards that teachers need to adhere to, thereby building a friendly and trustworthy educational environment, strengthening the noble image of the teaching profession, and contributing to enhancing the prestige and position of teachers in society.
So what is the limitation, sir?
- Besides the advantages, I think there are 4 limitations in teachers' ethical standards:
Firstly, the draft only focuses on awareness, attitude and behavior without emphasizing the core values and specific qualities of teacher ethics such as dedication, responsibility, ability to set an example and inspire learners. This reduces the weight of the concept and does not clearly distinguish between teacher ethics and general professional ethics in other professions.
Second, the draft’s ethical provisions do not adequately reflect the specific requirements for each level of education. Each level of education from preschool to university has different requirements for the roles and responsibilities of teachers. The general concept makes the assessment, management and development of teachers’ ethical qualities at each level inaccurate and ineffective.
Third, the draft does not take into account the development of professional ethics at each stage of a teacher's professional development. This makes the ethical requirements scattered, unfocused, and does not encourage the continuous development of teachers over time.
For example, a new teacher needs to be evaluated on their willingness to learn and their ability to grow, while a more experienced teacher needs to be evaluated on their ability to set an example, support, and lead their colleagues. Therefore, a blanket standard, such as “respect and cooperate with colleagues,” cannot be applied.
Fourth, the draft is imposing a common set of ethical standards on all teachers at all levels of education without taking into account the specifics of each level of education.
For example, preschool teachers need to focus on children's safety and emotional development, while secondary school teachers must take on the role of guiding students' thinking and developing their autonomy. Therefore, applying the same standards to all will lead to unrealistic and unfair assessments.
From the above limitations, what solutions do you propose?
- The leveling of “ethical standards” will not promote the continuous development of teachers, will not create motivation for self-improvement and improvement of moral qualities in each stage. When there are no clear criteria for each stage of the career, teachers easily fall into a state of stagnation, without specific goals to strive for to become more mature and professional.
Therefore, the draft Law on Teachers should have a provision for the Ministry of Education and Training to issue circulars regulating professional standards for teachers with a classification of ethics according to each level of education and a standard for classifying ethical standards according to the stage of teachers' professional development.
The identification and application of teacher ethics standards should be based on the characteristics of each level of education and professional development, not just on the conduct of teachers. The current concept of teacher ethics in the draft Law on Teachers should be adjusted to fully reflect the characteristics and values of the teaching profession.
Thank you!
