“It is unfair on the part of thousands of teachers who have to surmount many difficulties to bring general knowledge and the light of life to ethnic minority pupils living in especially difficult circumstances. Since 2009, the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has worked with provincial People’s Committees to move teachers who have taught for between 5-10 years in disadvantaged areas to better areas if they wish,”

This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan in a letter sent to teachers and pupils’ parents on the occasion of Vietnam Teachers’ Day, November 20.

A Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reporter interviewed the Deputy Head of the MoET’s Teachers’ Department, Truong Dinh Mau on how to care for the material and spiritual lives of voluntary teachers in remote and mountain areas or on islands.

Reporter: In his letter to teachers on Vietnam Teachers’ Day, Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan underlined the need to do more to improve the living standards of teachers in disadvantaged areas. Could you tell us about the education sectors’ efforts to do this over the past year?

Mr Mau: Currently, as many as 1 million teachers are sent to different parts of the country. The fact is that teachers in remote and mountainous areas are coping with numerous difficulties such as low salaries, harsh natural conditions and a different cultural life.

According to the MoET, most nursery teachers in disadvantaged areas have only low incomes, therefore, the Teachers’ Department has proposed an allowance of VND500,000 per month for them.

Meanwhile, teachers in Hanoi, HCM City and other urban areas enjoy much higher allowances that still do not compensate them for the intensity of their work and the contribution they make.

At present, the State has issued several incentive policies to support teachers in disadvantaged areas by providing them with more allowances and offering them houses or land so that they can feel secure in the long-term.

The National Assembly has approved a project to support experienced teachers, showing that the Party and State pay due attention to the “education cause”. The State also will issue more incentives to improve the living standards of teachers. In particular, a series of incentives for teachers in mountainous areas will get underway in 2010.

Reporter: Sending teachers from advantaged to disadvantaged areas and vice versa is a practical project. How does the Ministry of Education and Training move nearly 15,000 teachers who have fulfilled their duties in disadvantaged areas?

Mr Mau: The Ministry has conducted a survey on this and has realised that many localities did not collect all the required information. Dong Van district in the northern province of Ha Giang reported that out of 800 teachers who were due to be moved to advantaged areas, only around 100 had been.
The ministry will complete a project to send teachers who have finished their working term in mountainous areas and submit it to the Government in 2010 to ensure the best interests of teachers.

Provinces can train nursery and primary school teachers themselves so the ministry will limit the rotation of teachers from other provinces. Several provinces, such as Dien Bien, sent their trainees to refresher courses and gradually replace those who had retired. The Ministry is actively encouraging provinces to accelerate the progamme.

Reporter: After teaching in disadvantaged areas for a long period of time, some teachers do not posses the quality or the requirements demanded in delta areas. What do you think of this?

Mr Mau: We can iron out these snags. Before, the rotation was mainly between the northern delta and northern mountain provinces. Currently, this is controlled by the individual provinces, from low lying to mountain areas, from one district to another and from one commune to another. Therefore, the provinces have experience in dealing with the quality of teachers and developing suitable incentives to help them work in disadvantaged areas.

Reporter: Thank you very much.