16:38: Delegates continue to question the Minister about regulations on extra teaching and learning
Delegate Nguyen Van Manh (Vinh Phuc Delegation) said that the Law on Teachers has just been passed, clearly stipulating that it does not prohibit teachers from teaching extra classes but only prohibits forcing students to take extra classes in any form.
Mr. Manh asked, if students voluntarily study more with their teacher, are they allowed to voluntarily pay? Should Circular 29 be adjusted to comply with the Law on Teachers?
Responding to the delegate, Minister Nguyen Kim Son affirmed that the regulations and Circular 29 of the Law on Teachers clearly prohibit teachers from forcing students to take extra classes in any form.
However, this does not mean that when students voluntarily take extra classes, they will take extra classes.
"In the case of students volunteering, it can be said that for teachers, when students have a need, in addition to the regular course time, it is important to instruct them to self-study and use the second class effectively" - the Minister stated his opinion.
The head of the education sector once again affirmed the viewpoint of limiting extra teaching, inside and outside schools, so that students have time to self-study, read documents, learn skills-related subjects, and equip themselves with other necessary things.
"Depending on the needs, we must also ensure "keeping children's childhood". We have considered ensuring that the main teaching time of the course meets the requirements. Not all students volunteer to meet the needs of the school environment" - the Minister affirmed.
16:20: Extra teaching and learning are the driving force of educational innovation, bringing little value to development
Delegate Nguyen Van Huy (Thai Binh Delegation) said that in the question-and-answer session, the Minister answered the questions about the causes of extra teaching and learning and raised the issue that there is no solution that can solve the fundamental problem.
However, the delegate argued that if they do a good job of professional management and ensure the quality of regular school hours in class, it will be a very important solution and will basically overcome the current widespread situation of extra teaching and learning.
From there, he suggested reviewing and re-evaluating the general education program comprehensively. It is necessary to see if the amount of knowledge is too heavy, along with the way of testing, evaluating, and taking exams, which has created pressure, leading to the need for extra classes? The delegate suggested that the Minister express specific viewpoints and solutions to make professional management work more substantial, ensuring the quality of regular school hours meets the requirements.
Responding to this issue, Minister Nguyen Kim Son affirmed that the issue of extra teaching and learning is a stage, a part of a comprehensive system of knowledge-based education, which cannot be seen in a single way.
Educational knowledge is a textbook, so packaging knowledge to transfer, teachers are the ones who impart knowledge, taking exams is a knowledge test, the Minister explained.
According to the Minister, along with that are exam preparation, sample sets, sample arithmetic and heart-stopping learning. According to him, extra teaching and learning are a stage in the chain of such a knowledge-ayed system.
The Minister emphasized that if teaching continues to pursue knowledge acquisition, then when facing an era where knowledge is exploding, and human knowledge increases every day, education will not be able to innovate, facing failure.
At that time, extra teaching and learning are "the task of attracting, the task of making the knowledge gathering in the old way preserved and hindering innovation.
Therefore, when issuing Circular 29 on tutoring and extra learning, it is not only to solve a social problem but also a part of the innovation process, making schools change, paving the way for a new system of education to develop children's abilities.
To teach children to develop their abilities, textbooks are also documents, teachers must become leaders, directions, and supports. So in the extra teaching class, teachers are the duty of a guide, only guide, support or not, or continue to do that work in the main curriculum but must fulfill their responsibilities.
"Extra teaching can bring knowledge consolidation to students, not without meaning. But it has little value for human development, the Minister frankly stated and stated that the main curriculum must be well completed. Teachers must fulfill all their public duties right in the main meal with new methods and requirements.
15:40: Reasons for the phenomenon of massive enrollment, exceeding enrollment targets in universities Delegate Nguyen Danh Tu (Kien Giang) stated that according to the report of the Minister of Education and Training, along with university autonomy and diversification in enrollment, many schools have increased their enrollment capacity to have a source of tuition revenue (Report No. 719).
This situation directly affects the quality of human resources, especially high-quality human resources.
The delegate suggested that the Minister state the causes, management responsibilities and solutions for higher education to contribute significantly to improving people's knowledge, human resource training, fostering talents, practical skills, practical skills, good teaching, good learning, good management.
Responding to this issue, Minister Nguyen Kim Son assessed that this is a real phenomenon in some universities. According to the Minister, one of the reasons for the above phenomenon is related to the issue of tuition fees.
"Currently, in the public university sector in our country, there is an average tuition fee of about 25 million VND/year. Tuition fees may vary between some majors. Compared to the standard of living of people, especially in disadvantaged areas, the above tuition fee is also very significant," said Minister Nguyen Kim Son.
However, according to the Minister, the tuition fee in our country is only about 1/50 if compared to the average tuition fee at universities in the US.
With the current tuition fee, to ensure the operation of a university, schools are forced to increase the enrollment scale to compensate.
"For schools with a very large enrollment scale, it is really a risk of leading to consequences for training quality. In terms of state management, it is necessary to strictly control, ensure adequate training quality factors, and force schools to comply with regulations on enrollment rates and training quality.
At the same time, we must also consider the state's support for public schools, and cannot only rely on tuition fees. We also have to support students from credit sources, funds and various support sources," said Minister Nguyen Kim Son.
15:30: A series of issues await the Minister's answers
Delegate Nguyen Van Tien (Vinh Phuc Delegation) asked how the Minister evaluates Vietnam's education and training programs compared to those of other countries in the region. Does the Ministry have any new orientation on the education and training program in the coming time?
Delegate Nguyen Danh Tu (Kien Giang province) stated that according to the report of the Minister of Education and Training, along with university autonomy and diversification in enrollment, many schools have increased their enrollment capacity to have a source of tuition revenue (Report No. 719). This situation directly affects the quality of human resources, especially high-quality human resources.
The delegate suggested that the Minister state the causes, management responsibilities and solutions for higher education to contribute significantly to improving people's knowledge, human resource training, fostering talents, practical skills, practical skills, good teaching, good learning, good management.
Delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Hai Duong Delegation) is concerned about the problem of drowning in children. According to the delegate, the situation of children, the majority of students, dying from drowning is still a burning issue in our country today. In recent years, although we have had many different solutions, both inside and outside schools, there have been no significant changes.
From the above reality, the delegate asked, what instructions and solutions will the Minister have in the school environment to significantly reduce the rate of children and students dying from drowning every year.
Delegate Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nga (Quang Binh Delegation) raised the issue that the widespread situation of extra teaching and learning is putting pressure on students, negatively affecting the school environment and going against the spirit of innovation in educating learners, requiring autonomy and creativity. The delegate highly appreciated the Ministry of Education and Training's issuance of Circular 29, especially the drastic and consistent instructions of the Minister of Education and Training to rectify this situation.
However, the delegate said that Circular 29 is still not the perfect solution, especially in a school environment where exam results and pressure are heavy, and social expectations are high. The delegate suggested that the Minister point out the fundamental and core causes of this situation and fundamental solutions to solve this situation.
Responding to the delegate's question about the core causes of extra teaching and learning, Minister Nguyen Kim Son mentioned many "not enough" in which, the first is "not enough teachers' salaries to live on", Next is not enough schools, especially in residential areas.
High school entrance exams are more stressful than university exams, said Mr. Nguyen Kim Son. The reason for tutoring extra classes, according to the Minister, also comes from parents not having enough confidence, not being satisfied when their children's achievements are not high, teachers have not fulfilled their responsibilities of the main curriculum... "There are many "not yet" leading to tutoring activities. This is the core of the problem. In the past time, we have done many things, but we cannot have a single solution for one thing, which requires a comprehensive solution" - the Minister said.
15:26: Saying that implementing Circular 29 on extra teaching and learning is not good is unfair to some provinces and cities
Delegate Nguyen Thi Le Thuy (Ben Tre Delegation) raised the current situation of extra teaching and learning. The delegate cited a report assessing the ineffective implementation of Circular 29 on management of extra teaching and learning. There is still a gap between policy and practice. This has significantly affected schools, teachers, parents and students.
"According to the Minister, what is the main cause? Is it due to the approach in developing legal documents on management of extra teaching and learning that there are many shortcomings? I request the Minister to provide more fundamental solutions to best manage extra teaching and learning in the coming time," the delegate questioned.
Responding to this issue, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that for an industry's policy to be effectively implemented, when it has been issued, it is not only a story of wording in a document, but it needs implementation from the Central to local levels, from the whole industry, provincial and commune levels.
According to the Minister, if a good document but all levels do not fully perform their responsibilities, the results will certainly not be as expected. Circular 29 also mentioned the responsibility of the Education and Training sector, the responsibility of provincial, district, commune levels, schools, the responsibility of teachers and related subjects.
During the implementation process, many localities have actively participated, organized inspections and implemented. And right after Circular 29 was issued, the Ministry of Education and Training also inspected and found that many places were implementing well and had an impact.
"Therefore, if we say generally that the circular is not well implemented nationwide, it is unfair to some provinces and some cities," the Minister affirmed.
According to the Minister, to do this, we also hope that all localities and authorities at all levels will participate together with the Education and Training sector, so that the effectiveness of a document can be put into practice.
Regarding the effectiveness of this document, the Minister said that although it was issued in December 2024, it will take effect from February 14, 2025; due to the short time, we are afraid that its effectiveness may be a bit early.
Regarding solutions in the coming time, the Minister stated that of course, a document issued has asked for all opinions from the people, the teaching force, ministries and branches. First of all, it is necessary to fully implement it and then evaluate the level and effectiveness.
15:24: National Assembly deputies questioned about non-public universities enrolling a large number of students, skyrocketing
Delegate Pham Van Hoa (Dong Thap) asked about the quality of university training. According to the delegate, every year, universities, especially non-public schools, compete to increase enrollment targets in quantity to generate revenue for schools, not focusing on training quality. Therefore, many students who have graduated cannot find a job, so they have to leave their major, even after university, to find a job.
"What is the cause? How to overcome this in the coming time so that the quality of our higher education can be improved and when graduates have stable jobs," the delegate asked the Minister to clarify.
Responding, Minister Nguyen Kim Son said that the delegate raised the issue of some non-public universities enrolling in large numbers, setting targets but having poor employment rates after graduation.
The Minister asked the delegate where this data was quoted? Because when giving such figures, it is necessary to say who is the statistics, which source?
The Minister said that there are also public schools that have entered the top 1,000 in the world, and there are also small-scale schools that are still enrolling heavily.
"Therefore, I only suggest that we choose which school enrolls the most students and which school enrolls the most students. Last year, in accordance with our state management responsibility for the field, we also administratively sanctioned a number of schools that exceeded their enrollment targets.
According to the Minister, for current universities, the concept of quota is calculated based on the training capacity of that institution.
Of course, we do not encourage schools to follow the number. To ensure quality, or evaluate quality, strengthening quality management for both public and private schools is a work that needs to be done and promoted in the near future.
The Minister also stated that we need to create conditions for non-public schools to be equal and develop together. However, due to the quality requirement, both of us must demand the same strict and drastic approach to ensure that graduates can work best and have good jobs.
15:20: 13 higher education institutions lead training
Participating in the questioning, Delegate Dao Chi Nghia (Can Tho Delegation) wanted to know the solution of the Ministry of Education and Training in investment in facilities and human resources for higher education in the fields of cutting-edge technology.
To develop high-quality human resources in technology and engineering, Minister Nguyen Kim Son said that the Ministry has proposed many solutions for training high-quality human resources. This, according to the Minister, requires the participation of both public and non-public schools.
For public schools, the Ministry of Education and Training has advised the Government to issue a plan to develop and train human resources in the field of cutting-edge technology.
The solutions mentioned by the Minister include developing universities, investing in equipment, attracting human resources, being proactive in international linkages, and adjusting training programs.
"A comprehensive solution is needed to meet this goal" - Minister Nguyen Kim Son said and added that schools have really joined in to achieve this goal.
Of which, 13 universities have proactively developed programs and prepared teams to undertake training on the cutting-edge technology industry, in order to serve the country's development in the coming period.
15:06 - Minister Nguyen Kim Son: Psychological support is not just a job position
Delegate Dang Thi Bao Trinh (Quang Nam Delegation) raised the issue that the situation of students being affected by negative family and living environment leading to deviation from behavioral standards, dropping out of school, and even violating the law tends to increase.
Meanwhile, early development mechanisms and timely support for students at all levels are not guaranteed. Faced with this situation, the delegate asked what responsibility the Minister has in continuing to build and arrange full-time school staff at educational institutions.
"In the period of 2025 - 2030, what specific solutions and roadmap does the Ministry have to ensure that all levels of education have specialized human resources in school psychology, capable of coordinating with schools and families in major prevention and intervention?" - delegate Dang Thi Bao Trinh stated.
Regarding this issue, Minister Nguyen Kim Son affirmed that having psychological experts to support students in detecting psychological problems and crises in schools in the modern era is extremely necessary.
Recognizing the importance of school counselors, since the end of 2024, the education and training sector has identified each school as having at least one job position as a school psychology counselor.
However, the Minister acknowledged that to ensure that 52,000 schools across the country have consultants, each school has a consulting process, it cannot be a day or two, from preparation to recruitment.
Currently, out of the total number of general schools (excluding kindergartens), the number of school counselors is at 5% - a very small number compared to real needs. The remaining schools all have psychological counseling groups, mainly staffed by teachers who concurrently work in this field - the Minister assessed.
On the side of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Minister said that he is increasing training for teachers in positions equal, actively training teachers.
According to the Minister, the scale of training in clinical psychology and schools in pedagogical schools and humanities is over 9,100 students - a modest number compared to 52,000 schools nationwide.
Even if each school has one consultant, with thousands of students, one person cannot afford to take on all the work. Having a team of part-time workers is for sharing. It is necessary to consider psychological counseling and support not only for a job position, but also for all teachers, the sharing of parents, socio-political organizations... to be able to ensure - the Minister affirmed.
15:00: Delegates propose the Minister to answer why the budget for higher education is being reduced
Delegate Nguyen Truong Giang (Dak Nong Delegation) said that according to the Ministry's report 179, the budget for higher education in 2013 was VND 19,271 billion, equivalent to 0.43% of GDP and 9.3% of total budget expenditure for education and training.
In 2022, it will decrease to more than 10,000 billion, accounting for 0.11% of GDP, 3.4% of total state budget expenditure on education and training.
The report clearly states that the average of the world is about 18 - 23% of total expenditure on education. Thus, after 10 years, the budget for higher education has decreased in both absolute and relative values, while the budget for education is relatively stable. The Minister said the reasons for the reduction, what recommendations?
Responding to the delegates, Minister Nguyen Kim Son acknowledged that this is a reality. The budget expenditure for investment in higher education over the past 10 years has been adjusted and changed, in fact it has decreased.
According to the Minister, the reason is that over the past 10 years, the trend of university autonomy has been strongly implemented. Some schools are partially autonomous in regular expenditures, some schools are fully autonomous in regular expenditures, some schools are autonomous in both regular expenditures and investment expenditures.
Every time schools are approved for autonomy, the financial sector cuts funding to support regular expenditures. By cutting out regular expenditures, in the past 10 years, the number of autonomous schools has increased, the state budget support has gradually decreased.
This is a reality, causing difficulties for universities in investing in the development of the teaching staff, said the Minister.
According to the head of the education sector, schools being autonomous means being financially self-sufficient with shortcomings. This has been recognized by the Party and the State and in recent directives, the Ministry of Education and Training has also coordinated with the Ministry of Finance to adjust financial factors in university autonomy, so that schools have a high level of autonomy, but are still mainly supported by the State in higher education.
The two groups of issues that will be questioned by the National Assembly at the 9th session are finance and education - training, corresponding to the responsibility of the forum of Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son.
Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son is the one who answered the second group of questions in the field of education and training.
This group of issues includes the current situation and development solutions, improving the quality of higher education in conjunction with the requirement of training high-quality human resources, meeting the requirements of socio-economic development.
The implementation of legal regulations on extra teaching and learning is a current issue that will also be clearly answered by the Commander of the Education sector this afternoon.
Minister Nguyen Kim Son also answered about the work of ensuring a safe, healthy and friendly educational environment; preventing and combating school violence; ensuring food safety and hygiene in schools.
National Assembly delegate Nguyen Thi Ha (Bac Ninh delegation) expressed her hope that during the question-and-answer session, the Minister of Education and Training, as the industry commander, will clearly and frankly explain and propose truly fundamental and fundamental solutions of a breakthrough nature with a clear commitment to thoroughly resolve existing problems and remove difficulties, thereby creating positive and sustainable changes for the country's education system.
