The number of students is increasing rapidly, but there is still a shortage of teachers.
At Song Tri Secondary School (Song Tri Ward), in the 2026-2027 school year, the school will have 3,142 students, an increase of 250 students and 5 classes compared to the previous school year. Currently, the school has 107 tenured teachers and 13 contract teachers, still lacking 20 tenured teachers to meet the needs.
To ensure the curriculum is completed, the school has to arrange for teachers to teach extra classes. According to regulations, secondary school teachers are supposed to teach 19 classes per week, but currently many teachers have to teach 21-22 classes per week, concentrated in subjects such as Natural Sciences, History, Geography, Physical Education , Physics, Chemistry, and Biology...
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, an English teacher at Song Tri Secondary School, increasing class hours helps the school address some of the immediate difficulties, but in the long term, it is still necessary to supplement the teaching staff with sufficient teachers according to the subject structure to reduce pressure on the teaching staff and ensure the quality of teaching.
According to Mr. Nguyen Viet Thu, Principal of Song Tri Secondary School: The shortage of teachers has forced the school to flexibly create timetables and arrange for extra classes to maintain teaching activities. Meanwhile, after reorganizing the school network, coordinating teachers between school locations has also faced considerable difficulties.
Not only is there a shortage of teachers, but the school's facilities are also under pressure due to the increasing number of students. Some classrooms have had to have extra desks added, while some subject rooms have been converted into classrooms to meet immediate needs.
Following the reorganization of the school network, Song Tri ward now has 4 public schools with 241 classes and over 8,000 students. This reorganization has contributed to streamlining the system, concentrating resources, and improving management efficiency. However, the locality still faces difficulties due to a shortage of teachers, especially at the secondary school level. Therefore, the locality requests that the competent authorities pay attention to supplementing the teaching staff; continue investing in classrooms, functional rooms, equipment, and auxiliary facilities to meet the learning needs of children in the area and the children of workers who come to work in the area.
Ms. Doan Thi My - Vice Chairperson of the People's Committee of Song Tri Ward
School pressure increases with population growth.
Not only in Song Tri, but also in Vung Ang ward, the number of students is increasing rapidly along with population growth, creating additional pressure on the school system, especially at the preschool and secondary school levels.
For the 2026-2027 school year, the entire ward will have over 5,500 students from preschool to high school. Specifically, for first grade enrollment, schools are allocated 15 classes with 445 students; for sixth grade enrollment, there are 15 classes with 663 students.
In this context, ensuring sufficient teachers, classrooms, and teaching facilities is becoming an urgent requirement. With the demand for schools and teachers increasing rapidly, while investment in infrastructure takes time, some schools have to proactively arrange and utilize existing classrooms and functional rooms to meet immediate needs.
This reality necessitates that Vung Ang ward regularly review the student population, teaching staff, and facilities of each school. Based on this, they should proactively propose investment plans and allocate resources appropriately to match the rate of population growth.
At the high school level, the pressure regarding student numbers, teaching staff, and facilities is becoming increasingly evident. At Le Quang Chi High School (in Tan Long residential area, Vung Ang ward), there are currently 33 classes with 1,571 students and 72 teachers. The average class size is 47.6 students per class, among the highest in the province, leading to a growing demand for classrooms and teachers.
For the 2026-2027 school year, the school will add 3 classes with 135 students. To ensure teaching activities continue, the school will be seconded or assigned 7 teachers and contracted an additional 8 teachers. Some subject-specific classrooms will also be converted into regular classrooms.
For the 10th grade admissions alone, Le Quang Chi High School received 872 applications for 486 available spots. The number of applications exceeding the quota has increased the pressure on the school's admissions and teaching organization.
According to Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Principal of Le Quang Chi High School: In areas with developed industrial and economic zones like Vung Ang, the concentration of labor is increasing, leading many families to relocate, and students follow their parents to study. Therefore, the number of students is increasing faster than in many other localities.
"To meet enrollment demand, the school has added one more class this year, from 10 to 11 classes. However, the rapid increase in the number of students has also caused difficulties for the school in terms of facilities and teaching staff, while there is still a shortage of classrooms for teaching," Mr. Tuan shared.
According to forecasts, by the 2029-2030 school year, Le Quang Chi High School could expand to approximately 52 classes. At that time, the demand for teachers, classrooms, and functional rooms will continue to increase.
Faced with this pressure, the Provincial People's Committee approved the investment plan for a three-story building with 18 classrooms for the school. Construction is expected to begin and the building will be put into use from the 2027-2028 school year.
We need to proactively secure educational resources.
The reality in Song Tri, Vung Ang, and Hoanh Son wards shows that the development of the Vung Ang Economic Zone is creating significant changes in population size and educational needs.
In the short term, increasing class hours, hiring contract teachers, and assigning or seconding teachers are solutions to help schools maintain teaching activities. However, if the number of students continues to increase, these solutions may not be sustainable in the long term, especially in schools that are already experiencing teacher shortages according to subject structure.
Along with supplementing the teaching staff, investment in school facilities also needs to be planned early on. The education sector and local authorities need to regularly review and forecast student numbers for each year, each grade level, and each area; based on that, they should develop plans for recruiting and assigning teachers, investing in classrooms, and other supporting facilities accordingly.
In particular, the planning of the school network needs to be considered in relation to residential planning and the development orientation of the Vung Ang Economic Zone. Proactively preparing educational resources not only addresses immediate pressure but also contributes to ensuring learning conditions for the children of local people and workers, meeting the long-term development requirements of the region.
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/vung-ang-tang-toc-truong-hoc-can-them-giao-vien-phong-hoc-post318131.html
