The education department of Phan Rang – Thap Cham City in the south central province evoked outrage after it issued cards identifying teachers as “below standard”.

Pham Manh Hung, head of the Teachers’ Department under the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), on Tuesday told Thanh Nien that the city had “damaged the teachers’ honor” in requiring some of them to wear cards labelled “Giao vien chua chuan” (“Teacher below standard”).

“What would their students think when the teachers stand lecturing them with that card?” Hung said.

He said instead of issuing such a card, local authorities should have offered conditions for teachers to improve themselves and meet required standards.

MoET will review the situation and order the city department to stop using the cards, Hung added.

Following a decree issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the department at the beginning of the school year early this month issued civil service cards to teachers and education officers.

Nearly 40 nursery, primary and junior high teachers who were yet to meet certain standards were given the card with their name, their photo, a code and the “Teacher below standards” label.

The teachers said though they might not have met some academic requirement or other, they’ve been teaching for years.

Some of them who are attending training courses said they were “shocked” and insulted.

Tran Dinh Tuan, teaching at Le Van Tam Junior High in the city, said the cards look like punishment for teachers.

Tuan said education authorities are supposed to keep track of teachers under their control, but such a card is not the way.

“It’s been considered by many as an insult to the teacher in front of their students, parents and colleagues.”

One Thanh Nien reader, Khoa, wrote in calling the policy “ridiculous”, while another, Hoang Tu, said standards change over time and teachers on their own cannot decide whether or not to meet them.

“Teachers need better conditions and better treatment,” Tu said.

Nguyen Hong Lieu, deputy director of Ninh Thuan Department of Education and Training, also told Thanh Nien on Tuesday the card should not include the denigrating label, because the code by itself signifies the standards that have been met.

Lieu said the cards will be withdrawn and modified.

Nguyen Thi Mau Don, head of Phan Rang-Thap Cham education authority, was quoted by the newswire Vnexpress on Wednesday as saying officers who made the cards might have misunderstood the instructions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Reported by Thanh Nien staff