LookAtVietnam – Professional training of teaching and management staff would ensure higher quality of education at local kindergartens, a seminar was told yesterday in HCM City.

Currently, HCM City has 56 kindergartens, both publicly and privately owned, meet national standards.

Pham Thi Hai Thi, administrative manager of KinderWorld Kindergarten, said that teachers must possess skills but also be enthusiastic for the job and love children.

Schools should organise more outside activities, including picnics or trips to zoos and parks, and should have more facilities for students to play, dance and sing.

Toys in kindergartens must be of high quality as well, said Quach Thi Thuy Quynh, principal of a HCM City kindergarten.

Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, head of DoET’s Preschool Education Office, said school fees at high-quality public kindergartens should be increased, with fees based on classroom size.

She said the typical class size of at least 40 students in public kindergartens should be reduced to 20 or fewer at some high-quality schools, and the monthly fee raised to VND1-2 million ($56-$112) per month.

Currently, most public kindergartens charge about VND100,000 ($6) monthly.

Vu Thi Xuan Lien, principal of District 5’s Vang Anh Kindergarten, said principals and teachers should have more information on how budget is allocated for public school’s operations.

Teachers need more training on teaching skills, computers and English as well, she added.

During the seminar, teachers from both public and private kindergartens also spoke about their difficulties in reaching national standards, saying that some criteria were not suitable and should be changed.

Currently, HCM City has 56 kindergartens, both publicly and privately owned, meet national standards.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News