Increasing salaries and income for teachers is first of all a correct policy, approved by society, teachers are looking forward to because "only by having a reality can we accept the law".
However, if we only stop at salary increases, Vietnamese education will hardly be able to create a fundamental change. Because wages are only at the top of the problem, while the root of the breakthrough lies in the capacity of the entire system.
A country that wants to escape the middle-income trap must rely on productivity, innovation, knowledge... And all of this comes from education. But to create productivity, education must be invested in deeper layers.
Looking at the current educational reality, we can easily see the imbalance between innovation expectations and implementation conditions. Many high schools and vocational schools lack standard laboratories, practical equipment, simulation models, and even minimum tools for students to access STEM.
In remote areas, facilities are even more difficult: Students come to class by slippery dirt road, teachers teach in temporary classrooms, and the equipment is patchwork. In such an environment, a better salary cannot raise the quality of teaching and learning to a new level by itself.
Increasing salaries helps improve personal motivation; but the quality of education depends on the interaction between people and working conditions. A good teacher but limited by a poor lab, lacking equipment and digital infrastructure will still find it difficult to fully develop his capacity.
On the contrary, an ordinary teacher but supported by technology, simulation models, practice equipment and a creative environment can create outstanding learning outcomes.
Therefore, to make education a driving force for national development, what needs to be invested in is not only people but also a human support system, from modern laboratories, digital learning systems, open data warehouses, connecting global knowledge to investment in practice - experience...
These are factors that make up the system's capacity, determining the labor productivity of the economy. Without investment in this foundation, education cannot create a rebound commensurate with expectations.
Finally, investing in education is not a cost, but a build national competitiveness, so a longer-term, methodical and more drastic vision is needed.
National Assembly delegate Tran Hoang Ngan has a very good idea: Investing in education is not only about increasing teachers' salaries. Income reform is a must. But a real breakthrough will only come when Vietnam dares to invest in the knowledge - technology - practical platform of the education system.
Only by improving this capacity can education create people who are creative, thinking and are capable of helping the country escape the middle-income trap.
