Schools complain about teaching aid shortage

VietNamNet Bridge – The new pre-school education programme is considered an advanced programme because it helps create an active environment for students. However, schools complain that there is a serious shortage of teaching aids, a very important part of the programme, , making the implementation unfeasible.

Every year, teachers of Nguyen Van Troi Primary School in District 4 have to go to school in early August, though the new academic year only begins in late August or early September. Teacher Bui Thu Dung said they have to go to school early because they have to make teaching aids themselves to prepare for the academic year. “Everything needs to be attractive to students. Lessons will be successful only if we can make them entertaining,” she said.

“It will be impossible to renovate teaching methods with just black board and white chalk. Teaching aids are very important,” said a headmaster of a primary school in Hanoi.

Old cartons, spoiled films or old milk cans, which are the castoff for other people, turn out to be very useful for nursery and primary school teachers. These could be very important materials for them to make teaching aids. Especially, teachers of Nguyen Van Troi School even encourage parents to bring to school the things they do not use any more.

Nguyen Nu Lan Huong, Headmaster of Nursery School in District 8, HCM City, said that the school does not force teachers to make teaching aids, but teachers still have to make them, because they are requested to provide interesting lessons.

“When I talk to children about trains, I need to show them how a train looks and how it runs,” Dung said.

However, teachers complain that it is really unfair to require them to make teaching aids themselves.

According to Huong, a working day of a teacher of a nursery school begins at 6.30 am and finishes at 4.30 pm. However, in reality, working days may last until midnight, because teachers still have to make teaching aids and toys for pupils at home.

“Everyone in our family, my husband, my children, has to help me in making teaching aids,” headmaster of Hoa Lu Nursery School in District 1 said.

In fact, the current regulations do not stipulate that teachers have to make teaching aids. However, the Ministry of Education and Training requires teachers to renovate their teaching method. Education inspectors assess teachers’ quality after considering a lot of criteria, including the use of teaching aids.

According to Pham Thuy Ha, Headmaster of Nguyen Van Troi Primary School in District 4, at the beginning of every academic year, the school gives 300,000 dong to every teacher, so that they can buy materials to make teaching aids. However, in many cases, teachers have to prepare teaching aids with their own money, because the sum of 300,000 dong would be not enough to cover all expenses, especially when everything is getting more and more expensive.

Source: Nguoi lao dong