Teacher recruitment: From 'rock bottom' to 'ceiling'

2017 was probably the year when teacher training enrollment “hit rock bottom” when many training institutions had admission scores of only 9, 10, 12, and 15 points. Faced with this situation, the Ministry of Education and Training decided to set a quality assurance threshold (floor score) for the Pedagogy and Medicine sectors, effective from 2018; at the same time, it tightened the academic requirements (grade 12 must be classified as excellent if considering the transcript). That year, candidates applying to teacher training universities must have a minimum score of 17 points; and teachers training colleges must have a score of 15 points or higher.

Since 2018, the entrance score for pedagogy has been increasingly improving and really "exploded" in the 2025 admission season, when many majors have surpassed the top positions of the medical and pharmaceutical sector for many years. The record is for English Pedagogy and Chinese Pedagogy (University of Foreign Languages - Hue University) with the highest score of 30 points. Next is History - Geography Pedagogy, University of Education (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) - 29.84 points; History Pedagogy, Hanoi Pedagogical University takes 29.06 points.

Ho Chi Minh City University of Education also has 2 majors with scores above 29 this year, namely Chemistry Pedagogy and Literature Pedagogy. In addition, many pedagogical majors have benchmark scores of 27 or higher in this year's admission season. This positive change not only shows a change in social awareness but also a positive signal about the quality and future of the teaching profession.

According to the analysis of Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quy Thanh, Principal of the University of Education (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), in addition to the "floor score", the improvement in the quality of teacher training input is the result of a series of influencing factors. First of all, it must be mentioned that with the promulgation of Decree 116/2020/ND-CP, teacher training students are not only fully supported with tuition fees, but also receive living expenses support of 3.63 million VND/month.

The Party's and State's policies on "ranking teachers' salaries at the highest level in the administrative salary scale" also strongly influence candidates and their families' decisions to choose to study pedagogy. In addition, from 2021, teacher training targets will be determined based on local needs and orders.

However, the actual number of teachers ordered is only about 70% compared to the period before Decree 116. This leads to a paradox: The desire to register for the teaching profession has increased sharply, but the quota is controlled. Unlike other majors, the teaching quota is directly assigned by the Ministry of Education and Training (related to the budget), making the competition even fiercer. There are majors at the University of Education that record a ratio of 1:100, even 1:200.

In addition, the shift in social psychology also plays an important role. In the context of economic fluctuations, a stable, socially useful job such as teaching becomes a safe and sustainable choice for many families.

To maintain the development momentum and ensure the sustainability of teacher recruitment, preferential policies for the teaching profession need to be maintained and improved; along with that, creating an environment for teachers to develop and have motivation to develop.

At the same time, invest adequately in teacher training colleges, so that these colleges have a team of excellent lecturers, modern facilities, and advanced curriculum. Closer links between teacher training colleges and general education institutions. Continue to promote communication about the image of teachers in modern society, honoring dedicated and creative teachers; thereby, strengthening the confidence and pride of young people in the teaching profession...

Currently, the country has 135 teacher training institutions, including 15 pedagogical universities, 16 pedagogical colleges, training 31 university-level majors and 1 college-level preschool education major. Pedagogical schools have focused on innovating teaching methods, enhancing pedagogical training, applying information technology, using modern equipment; facilities have been invested, most of them have pedagogical practice schools/facilities.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/tuyen-sinh-su-pham-tu-cham-day-den-kich-tran-post745796.html