Immediately after Lao Dong Newspaper reported the "reversal of overtime pay" of teachers at An Binh Kindergarten (Dong Cuong Commune, Lao Cai Province), the Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee immediately directed the inspection, the Department of Education and Training and the Provincial Police quickly took action.
Within just a few days, violations were peeled off, fake records were discovered, and violators including the Principal and accountants were prosecuted for the act of "abusing position and power while performing official duties".
That quick, direct and transparent handling of the Lao Cai provincial government is an important factor in helping to strengthen the trust - not only of the teaching staff but also of the whole society, in the educational environment, in the strictness of the law and the spirit of "no forbidden zones" in handling violations of public duties.
This incident also shows that the role of the press and citizens in the social supervision mechanism is increasingly promoted. Without the brave voices of teachers and the timely voice of press agencies, especially Lao Dong Newspaper, it is likely that violations will not be handled quickly as seen.
The prosecution of the Principal and accountant of An Binh Kindergarten for the act of "abusing position and power while performing official duties" is also a lesson for schools in financial management.
The fact that the Principal and the school's accountant "colluded hands" with each other for nearly 3 years to complete their documents and documents to work overtime, thereby withdrawing the difference to spend illegally, causing a loss to the state budget of 580 million VND - as concluded by the authorities - shows a loophole in the system, lacking effective monitoring tools for school finance.
Therefore, along with handling violating individuals, the education sector needs to learn from experience: tighten the spending approval process, publicize salary and allowance tables, and strengthen cross-checking between management levels.
Another big lesson is in public service integrity. In the educational environment, where children are taught the honesty and ethics of teachers every day, it is even more necessary to be strictly screened.
Just one deceitful act of a leader can hurt the whole group, fading the image of a devoted teacher.
Intactness in public service is not only a slogan or self- reminder, but needs to be institutionalized through mechanisms of inspection, independent reporting and periodic financial disclosure.
The case at An Binh Kindergarten ended with a prosecution order, but also opened a new beginning in cleaning up the grassroots education environment, contributing to strengthening the trust of teachers, parents and society in education.
