Teacher Phan Duy Nghia currently holds the position of Deputy Head of the Department of General Education, Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh. He has worked for many years as a teacher, primary education administrator, and has many books on primary education expertise. Recently, he shared with Lao Dong about solutions to overcome the shortage of primary school teachers.
Not just the story of staffing, it is the daily operating problem: how to both ensure at least 9 classes per week according to regulations, and maintain boarding, maintain stable pick-up and drop-off hours so that parents are reassured. In that situation, if continuing to organize teaching in the old way, spreading out teachers to have enough time slots, the school will quickly fall into a passive position.
From that practice, organizing educational activities according to students' preferences, managed by them themselves, is considered a suitable, feasible and especially economical solution for teachers.
The core of the solution lies in the organization. This is not an activity that requires many teachers to teach, let alone requires teachers to teach in a traditional sense. The activity is designed according to a group of interests, taking place simultaneously within the same time frame, in open spaces or pre-arranged areas. The whole block, even the school, only needs one teacher in charge of monitoring and supervising overall, ensuring safety, order and support when necessary.
Thus, in the context of a shortage of teachers, instead of having to arrange many teachers for class periods to fill vacancies, the school still ensures sufficient number of classes according to regulations without creating overload for the staff.
In terms of pedagogy, it is necessary to clearly affirm: Hobbies-based education activities are not empty hours. These are educational activities with goals, orientations, organized within the framework of school discipline.
The difference is that students are given the right to choose and manage themselves. They divide themselves into groups, assign tasks, and manage their own activities. Teachers do not teach in class, but play the role of observers, safety guards, and interventionists when necessary.
For grades 3, 4, 5 students, self-management ability has been quite clearly formed. They can completely organize book reading, painting, light sports, folk games, small club activities...
Especially for 1st and 2nd grade students - who cannot manage themselves - the school can arrange for classmates in 4th and 5th grade to support, guide and participate in activities together. This approach both reduces pressure on teachers and creates an educational environment rich in humanity, where older students know how to guide younger students.
From a management perspective, this is a smart way to use human resources. A teacher can observe the entire operation of many student groups at the same time, promptly handle situations, ensure safety and discipline. The school is not passive due to lack of people, but proactively designs models suitable to actual conditions.
For parents, this solution brings necessary peace of mind. Activities are organized within the framework of a common timetable, so they still maintain boarding, maintaining stable pick-up and drop-off times. More importantly, parents see that their children come to school not only "being looked after", but also participate in positive, safe and developmentally meaningful activities.
From a modern education perspective, this is a clear manifestation of the mindset of putting students at the center and flexible management. While teachers' difficulties cannot be solved immediately, schools do not wait, but find ways to adapt with intelligence and pedagogical experience.
When schools lack teachers, the important thing is not to complain about difficulties, but to find a reasonable way to organize them. Educational activities according to students' preferences, managed by students themselves, with only one teacher monitoring and supervising the whole block or the whole school, is a clear proof of the spirit of "the difficulty reveals the wise" - a way to save resources, maintain discipline and still nurture the joy of learning for children.
