Member of Parliament: Schools that do not bear the name "teacher training school" should not be automatically eliminated.

In Notice No. 500/TB-VPCP on key tasks and solutions to fundamentally address the shortage and surplus of teachers while improving the quality of teacher training, Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau requested the Ministry of Education and Training to put an end to the practice of training teachers in non-teacher training institutions and those of poor quality; and at the same time, focus resources on developing a number of key teacher training universities with clear standards and criteria and systematic investment.

Discussing this issue, National Assembly representative Trinh Thi Tu Anh (National Assembly representative from Lam Dong province) argued that it is necessary to look at the essence of teacher training, avoiding a mechanical approach that relies solely on the name or type of training institution.

- The demand to end teacher training at non-specialized institutions is attracting attention. In your opinion, what is the core issue that needs to be addressed?

In my opinion, we first need to look at the issue from the perspective of the nature of teacher training, rather than just framing it within the context of the network arrangement of universities.

Teacher training is a field with unique requirements. The product of teacher training is not only a person with specialized knowledge but also one who possesses pedagogical competence, an understanding of educational psychology, the ability to organize teaching activities, and a professional responsibility towards future generations.

However, I believe it is necessary to distinguish between terminating teacher training at institutions that do not meet quality requirements and automatically eliminating all schools that do not bear the name "teacher training school".

The name and specialization of a training institution cannot be the sole basis for evaluating its training capacity. A multidisciplinary university, if it has a sufficiently qualified faculty, a standard curriculum, good practical facilities, and verifiable training results, can still meet the requirements for training teachers in certain fields.

Conversely, a school that bears the name of teacher training but lacks qualified staff, practical training environments, and guarantees learning outcomes cannot necessarily be considered high-quality.

Therefore, the focus of the policy should be on ending the situation of teacher training that does not guarantee quality, lacks genuine competence, or is not aligned with human resource needs. Simultaneously, there should be a focused and targeted investment in facilities that meet the criteria to develop into high-quality teacher training centers.

This needs to be done based on transparent criteria, independent evaluation, and a clear roadmap, avoiding a mechanical approach that relies solely on the type or name of the training institution.

- One of the concerns when narrowing the training network is the risk of a shortage of teachers. How do you view this issue?

That risk is entirely possible if the reduction in the training network is not implemented in conjunction with teacher demand planning and mechanisms to ensure recruitment.

However, it's crucial to distinguish between a "shortage of training facilities" and a "shortage of teachers." Having many training institutions doesn't necessarily mean we have enough teachers in the subjects, grade levels, and geographical areas where there's a real need.

In reality, teacher shortages and surpluses can coexist not only between localities but also within a single locality, across different educational levels, and across different subjects. Some training programs attract many students but offer limited job opportunities, while other subjects struggle to recruit, attract, and retain teachers.

If policy planning is based solely on the total number of training programs or the total number of graduates , it can easily lead to training that does not meet the actual needs.

Therefore, network planning must begin with forecasting teacher needs in the medium and long term, taking into account student numbers, subject structure, population dynamics, school network planning, and the budgetary capacity of each locality.

In particular, it is necessary to build an interconnected database between the Education sector, the Interior sector, and training institutions to determine with relative accuracy the number and structure of teachers to be recruited each year and each locality.

For subjects facing a shortage of applicants, the principle of narrowing down the scope should not be applied rigidly. Training can be maintained or commissioned at institutions with suitable capabilities, including multidisciplinary universities in the locality, if they meet the necessary standards.

For programs with small enrollment sizes, training can be organized through collaboration between universities, sharing faculty and practical facilities. However, a single entity must be clearly identified as responsible for quality and output standards.

Along with training, policies for attracting and utilizing teachers must also be considered. In disadvantaged areas, remote regions, or for subjects lacking manpower, there should be mechanisms for commissioned training, scholarships linked to employment commitments, support for living expenses, and opportunities for career development.

At the same time, policies on salaries, public housing, and the working environment must be improved so that teachers, after graduation, are motivated to choose and stay in these areas.

So, according to you, the problem of teacher shortage cannot be solved simply by reorganizing training institutions?

That's right. It's crucial to address three aspects simultaneously: training that meets needs, timely recruitment, and teacher retention.

If we only narrow down the training facilities without addressing the shortcomings in recruitment, staffing, and remuneration, then even with enough graduates, the teacher shortage may still persist.

This is also why the reorganization of the teacher training network needs to be considered within the overall planning of educational human resources, rather than simply viewing it as a matter of reducing or increasing the number of training institutions.

- Announcement 500/TB-VPCP also raises the issue of focusing resources on developing a number of key teacher training universities. According to you, how can this concentration of resources create high-quality training centers while maintaining an balance of educational opportunities across different regions?

Focusing resources on developing a few key teacher training universities can facilitate the formation of high-quality training and research centers. However, concentrated investment does not mean concentrating all training activities in a few schools.

In my opinion, it is necessary to clearly define the roles of key teacher training colleges and the network of teacher training institutions nationwide.

Key universities need to take on a leading role in curriculum standards, educational research, faculty training, teaching methodology development, and educational technology transfer.

Meanwhile, local training institutions can undertake teacher training based on regional needs, especially in subjects with local characteristics or those that are difficult to attract students to.

Therefore, it is necessary to build a training network that is both decentralized and interconnected, instead of concentrating resources in a few institutions and leaving the rest to fend for themselves.

Schools with strengths can share programs, digital learning materials, faculty, and training management experience with other institutions in the network. However, the collaboration must aim to genuinely enhance the capabilities of participating schools, rather than merely signing cooperation agreements or organizing formal exchange activities.

So how should investment resources be allocated to avoid a situation where some areas receive heavy investment while others struggle to maintain essential training programs?

Investment policies should be based on mission and capacity. Key universities need substantial investment in faculty, laboratories, practice schools, research facilities, and digital infrastructure. Local universities need targeted support to maintain essential training programs that meet the workforce needs of the region.

Budget allocation should be based on quality, assigned tasks, and output effectiveness, while also taking into account the specific characteristics of areas with small enrollment sizes but very high teacher demand.

Another issue requiring special attention is access to education for students in disadvantaged areas. If concentrating schools in key areas increases tuition and living costs and geographical distance becomes a barrier, the policy may inadvertently narrow the pool of teachers from the very areas already facing shortages.

Therefore, scholarships, appropriate credit policies, housing support, and training programs linked to specific employment needs are necessary.

A blended learning model combining in-person and online instruction can be explored for suitable modules, but it cannot replace practical teaching and professional development activities in secondary schools.

Therefore, the effectiveness of developing key teacher training colleges should not only be judged by the scale of investment or academic ranking, but also by their ability to improve the overall quality of the training network, the extent to which they meet teacher needs, and their ability to narrow the gap in educational quality between regions.

- Based on the teacher training experience, do you think there should be a move towards a more specialized model for each higher education institution?

I believe we need to approach this from the perspective of the principles of division of labor, stratification, and specialization within the higher education system.

It is not necessary for every university to offer a wide range of disciplines and fields to be considered developed. An effective higher education system needs diversity in its models, with each institution having a clear mission, strengths, and priority areas of study, aligned with its capabilities and societal needs.

However, specialization does not mean that each school should only train in a single discipline, nor should a rigid model be applied to all institutions.

Certain fields require specialized training and stringent standards regarding practice, professional ethics, and social responsibility, such as pedagogy, medicine, and law. Meanwhile, emerging fields like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, new materials, and energy demand interdisciplinary collaboration.

Therefore, training models must stem from the specific characteristics of each profession, not just from the desire to expand the scale or range of training programs offered by individual schools.

For teacher training, professional competence must be closely linked to pedagogical skills and practical experience in secondary schools. A single set of criteria, focusing on the number of instructors or physical facilities, cannot be used to assess the quality of all professions, which have vastly different characteristics.

In my opinion, we need to shift strongly from managing training programs based on categories to managing based on actual competencies and output results. First and foremost, we must clearly define the mission and core training areas of each higher education institution, based on network planning, human resource needs, and actual capabilities.

Next, it is necessary to establish a separate quality standard system for each industry group, accompanied by an independent inspection mechanism and regular monitoring. For industries that directly affect the health, rights, and safety of the people, the requirements for training conditions, practices, and accountability must be even higher.

Thank you very much, ma'am!

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/dai-bieu-quoc-hoi-khong-nen-mac-nhien-loai-bo-cac-truong-khong-mang-ten-truong-su-pham-238261003095137108.htm