Principal of 'Super School' with Over 10,500 Students Proposes Three Recommendations

Nha Trang Elementary School in Khanh Hoan Province, known as Vietnam's largest school, manages 287 classes, over 10,500 students, 13 campuses, and nearly 580 staff members. The principal, Ms. Chau Dinh Mai Phuong, has presented three key recommendations to the Ministry of Education and Training's Standing Deputy Minister, Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuong, addressing operational challenges. Ms. Phuong highlighted difficulties such as managing specialized teams with 64-70 teachers, leading to issues in coordination and oversight. She also pointed out the lack of clear regulations for teachers who concurrently hold leadership roles in professional teams or youth organizations, particularly concerning reduced teaching loads and additional compensation. The school's financial management is also strained, with only two accountants handling the workload. The principal's recommendations include: 1. Developing a management mechanism suitable for large-scale schools with multiple campuses. 2. Establishing staffing norms for administrators, accountants, youth organization leaders, and teachers with concurrent duties, based on student and campus numbers. 3. Providing guidelines for reduced teaching hours and allowances for teachers serving as professional team leaders and deputy leaders. Deputy Minister Thuong acknowledged the inherent challenges of expanding school sizes but stressed the importance of timely identification and resolution of issues. He advocated for a shift in management thinking, emphasizing clear responsibilities and outcomes rather than constant direct supervision. He also proposed increased use of data for management, reducing meetings and competitions to focus resources on educational quality, and diversifying evaluation metrics beyond academic performance to avoid undue pressure and the "achievement disease." Local authorities have been instructed to compile a detailed report on these recommendations, particularly concerning specialized fields, institutional policies for large schools, and teacher welfare, to facilitate further consideration. Source: VnExpress