Challenges from urbans to upland areas

Even in the central area of Mường Thanh ward, the shortage of teachers is no exception. At Thanh Xương Primary and Secondary School, there is a shortage of art teachers. Principal Nguyễn Duy Quảng explained: “This is not the first year we have lacked art teachers. In previous years, when management was still under the district, the local Department of Education and Training arranged for teachers from other communes such as Thanh Hưng, Thanh An, and Noong Luống to come and provide support. This year, however, there are fewer schools in the ward, each with a large number of students and limited staffing, making it difficult to help each other.”

In many upland areas, the shortage of specialized subject teachers is even more critical. At Mường Toong No.1 Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, all Grade 3, 4, and 5 classes must study compulsory English, equivalent to 80 English periods per week. However, the school currently has only one English teacher, whose regulated teaching load is 21 periods per week.

To cope, the school has had to adopt an unprecedented measure: combining direct and online teaching for the entire grade at the same time. Principal Phạm Xuân Tuyến openly shared: “This means that the whole grade learns English in the same period. One class is taught directly by the teacher, while the others follow online lessons projected on screens with the assistance of other staff. Organizing classes this way will inevitably affect teaching quality, but we have no other option.”

Mường Toong No.1 Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities has been short of English teachers since the previous year, when the Mường Nhé district Department of Education and Training arranged support from other schools. Some classes also participated in online lessons taught by teachers from Điện Biên district. This year, after administrative restructuring into two-tier local government, schools within the commune also face teacher shortages and cannot support each other, nor can they seek help from schools outside the commune or district.

In addition to English, Mường Toong No.1 Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities also lacks art and music teachers, forcing other subject teachers to take on extra duties. Principal Phạm Xuân Tuyến added: “Since the start of the school year, our staff have made great efforts to temporarily cover the shortage of specialized subject teachers. We have requested higher authorities to recruit and assign new teachers. Recently, the Department of Education and Training announced a recruitment plan, and our school has been granted three positions for English teachers. We very much hope they will arrive soon so that teaching and learning can stabilize.”

Efforts to find temporary solutions

Faced with this widespread problem, local authorities and schools have been actively seeking stopgap measures. In Mường Nhé commune, which was merged from three former communes with a total of 12 schools, there is currently a shortage of eight English teachers. Over the summer, schools that lacked teachers submitted proposals to the commune’s People’s Committee for support. The committee convened a meeting with all primary and secondary schools to discuss and agree on transferring English teachers from schools with sufficient staff to those with greater shortages.

Mường Nhé Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities is a typical example. With 1,223 students, the school’s four English teachers can only just meet its own needs, but all four have still been assigned to provide additional teaching at three nearby primary schools, amounting to 36 extra periods per week.

English teacher Đinh Tuấn Sơn, who is part of this effort, shared: “Our school has a large number of students, so our English teachers are already working overtime. Nevertheless, under the commune’s policy, I and my colleagues still go to teach at three other schools: Nậm Vì Primary Boarding School, Nậm Pố Primary Boarding School, and Trần Văn Thọ Primary Boarding School. Although travel is difficult because the schools are far apart, with the spirit of sharing difficulties, I am committed to fulfilling the tasks entrusted by the commune and the school.”

However, these efforts are hindered by financial constraints. Phan Văn Uyên, Vice Chairman of the Mường Nhé commune’s People’s Committee, explained: “The commune allocates part of its budget for regular school expenses, especially to support schools that assign English teachers to help others, by partially covering overtime allowances. But the budget is extremely limited at this point. We hope the provincial authorities will provide additional funding so we can ensure teachers’ rights and policies. In the long term, the real solution remains recruiting enough staff.”

The shortage of specialized subject teachers in Điện Biên is not new. It is not merely a matter of numbers but also a pressing concern for education quality, especially in disadvantaged areas. While waiting for long-term recruitment and training solutions, the quiet sacrifices and dedication of teachers here remain the backbone that sustains learning for thousands of students in the new school year.