Ministry of Education and Training: Salary policy and allowance regime for teachers still have many shortcomings.

TPO - The Ministry of Education and Training said that the implementation of salary policies, allowances, and preferential policies for teachers still has some shortcomings, including the fact that preschool teachers' salaries are ranked lowest compared to other teaching positions and almost lowest compared to civil servants in other sectors and fields.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training , teachers' salaries are being applied according to the professional and technical salary scale for cadres and civil servants in state-owned enterprises, with starting salaries corresponding to regulations on training levels (type B for intermediate level, type A0 for college level, types A1, A2, A3 for university level and above).

In addition to salary, teachers are also entitled to a number of allowances including: seniority allowance; preferential allowances according to the profession for teachers directly teaching at all levels, subjects, teaching objects and working regions with levels from 25% - 70%.

In addition, teachers working in specialized schools and areas with especially difficult socio -economic conditions are also entitled to a number of corresponding allowances and subsidies.

Preschool teachers have the lowest salaries among all levels of education.

In addition, in some job positions, for some types of work, teachers are also paid additional allowances and other remunerations such as position allowance, job responsibility allowance, heavy, toxic, dangerous allowance, mobility allowance, preferential policies in inclusive education ...

These allowances and subsidies contribute to improving income and creating motivation for teachers to work with peace of mind, especially teachers working in ethnic minority areas and areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions.

However, the Ministry of Education and Training said that the implementation of salary policies, allowances, and preferential policies for teachers still has some shortcomings.

That is the failure to implement the policy of teachers' salaries being given the highest priority in the administrative career salary scale. The salary scale applied to civil servants in general includes 10 salary scales (from civil servants of type C3 to A3.1) with levels from 1 to 12.

However, currently, only 3 teaching positions are subject to the salary of A3 civil servants, including: senior university lecturers (professors and associate professors), senior vocational education lecturers, senior vocational education teachers, accounting for about 1.17% of the total number of teachers, while other sectors and fields have about 10% of civil servants subject to A3.

Only 3 teaching positions are subject to the salary of A3 civil servants, accounting for 1.17%.

Except for university and college lecturers and vocational education teachers, teachers are also classified into 3-4 ranks (from rank IV to rank I), most of whom are receiving salaries from A0 - A1 - A2.2 - A2.1 including: preschool, general education, university preparatory, and continuing education teachers (accounting for about 88% of the total number of teachers).

Also according to the Ministry of Education and Training, the Law on Teachers stipulates that “preschool teachers... are entitled to higher salaries and allowances than teachers working under normal conditions”. However, currently, the salary of preschool teachers is ranked lowest compared to other teaching positions and almost lowest compared to civil servants in other sectors and fields.

Meanwhile, according to the Summary Report of the scientific research topic "Research on the current status of working conditions of preschool teachers as a basis for proposing a classification of the list of heavy, toxic, and dangerous occupations" researched by the Institute of Labor Safety and Hygiene Science, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the assessment score on working conditions of preschool teachers is in the range of 3.37 - 4.56 corresponding to type IV working conditions (heavy, toxic, and dangerous work).

In addition, there are still vocational education teachers who are only ranked at salary scale 4 with a starting salary coefficient of 1.86, the salary according to the coefficient of new teachers is more than 4.3 million VND.

The Ministry of Education and Training also believes that the difference in salary coefficients between the salary tables of civil servants is not similar, there are salary tables where the difference between the starting salary coefficients is too small, or there are salary tables where the difference between the starting salary coefficients is quite large.

For example, the difference in starting salary coefficient between A0 (coefficient 2.10) and A1 (coefficient 2.34) and A2.2 (coefficient 4.0) and A2.1 (coefficient 4.4) is very small. This does not create motivation for teachers to study to improve their professional qualifications, skills and career advancement.

In fact, the current way of paying salaries according to tables, types, and levels is based on the appointed title, training level, and seniority. There is a big difference in the salaries of new teachers and experienced teachers.

Preschool teacher salary can be up to nearly 19 million VND

In September 2025, the Ministry of Education and Training sought opinions on the Circular regulating codes, appointments and salary classification for public school teachers, in which the salary of teachers in general schools has a coefficient of 2.1 - 7.55, equivalent to a salary of 4.9 - 17.6 million VND.

Specifically, preschool teachers have the lowest coefficient according to their professional title of 2.1 and the highest is 6.38. For preschool teachers who have not yet reached the standard level, the salary coefficient ranges from 1.86 to 4.06.

For primary, secondary and high school teachers, the salary coefficient according to job title is lowest at 2.34 and highest at 7.55. Primary school teachers who have not reached the standard level have a salary coefficient ranging from 1.86 to 4.06. The group of senior teachers has their coefficient increased to more than 1.0.

On November 2, the Ministry of Education and Training announced the Draft Decree regulating salary policies and allowances for teachers, in which all teachers are entitled to a "special salary coefficient". In particular, preschool teachers are entitled to a special salary coefficient of 1.25 compared to the current salary coefficient; other teacher positions are entitled to a special salary coefficient of 1.15 compared to the current salary coefficient.

Teachers teaching at schools, classes for the disabled, centers to support the development of inclusive education, and boarding schools in border areas are given an additional 0.05 compared to the prescribed level.

The formula for calculating teachers' salaries, if applied from January 1, 2026, will be: basic salary x current salary coefficient x specific salary coefficient.

For example, a grade II, level 5 preschool teacher has a current salary coefficient of 3.66. After the new specific salary coefficient, it will be calculated as: 2.34 (base salary) x 3.66 x 1.25 = 10.7 million, an increase of more than 2 million VND compared to the current salary.

Kindergarten teachers grade I, level 8 will be the group with the highest new salary, up to 18.66 million VND per month, an increase of more than 3.7 million VND compared to present.

In addition, teachers will receive additional allowances for inter-school teaching assignments, mobility allowances of about 0.2; toxic and dangerous allowances for teachers teaching in environments with health risks, with allowances ranging from 0.1 to 0.4.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/bo-gddt-chinh-sach-tien-luong-che-do-phu-cap-doi-voi-nha-giao-con-nhieu-bat-cap-post1792917.tpo