Speaking at the workshop, which was attended by education officials and university and college representatives from the southern provinces, Bach Van Hop, principal of the HCM City Pedagogy University, said such co-operation helped improve the quality of training and education in the country.

Tran Thanh Duc, head of the Tien Giang Province Department of Education and Training, said his province wanted to provide excellent training to students and for this it needed qualified teachers.

"For this, the department has to focus on improving the quality of teachers by co-operating with universities like the HCM City Pedagogy University and the National Universities of HCM City and Ha Noi."

His department sends teaching and administrative staff from the province to these universities to attend teaching and management courses.

Phan Sy Gian, head of the Binh Phuoc Province Department of Education and Training, said his province too sent 460 teachers to the HCM City Pedagogy University.

Delegates also said that the departments should co-operate closely with each other to start teacher training courses in their own localities to overcome the shortage of teachers.

Duc concurred, saying it is "very necessary" since through that way, they would know their requirements.

His province has a shortage of teachers of geography and English.

Hop said his university would work with education departments from this year to better understand their needs.

(Source: SGGP)