Can Tho reports that 41 schools owe teachers nearly 30 billion VND.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - On the afternoon of October 16th, at the third quarter press conference organized by the People's Committee of Can Tho City, the acting Director of the Department of Education and Training of Can Tho City frankly provided information about the shortage of staff and the outstanding payments for teaching hours owed to teachers in the area.

Ms. Tran Thi Huyen, Acting Director of the Department of Education and Training of Can Tho City, said that the shortage of teachers is not unique to Can Tho but also occurs in many other provinces and cities. In particular, after the merger of educational institutions from the former Hau Giang, Soc Trang provinces and Can Tho City, the city's education sector inherited many long-standing problems "as they are".

Ms. Tran Thi Huyen, Acting Director of the Department of Education and Training of Can Tho City (Photo: Contributor).

Teachers are owed tens of billions of dong in unpaid salaries.

One of the most pressing issues is that 41 schools in the former Soc Trang province are in arrears with teachers' exam preparation and teaching fees.

Ms. Huyen affirmed that the Department of Education and Training had received the information and was working with the Department of Finance and the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to find a solution.

"When the funds were returned to Soc Trang province in their original state, there was still 16 billion VND remaining. The education sector will use that amount to reimburse teachers' salaries and simultaneously save on other educational expenditures to cover the costs. If there is still a shortfall, the sector will submit a request to the Department of Finance for supplementary funding," Ms. Huyen shared.

According to the Acting Director of the Department of Education and Training of Can Tho City, this is a plan that has been concluded by the Standing Committee of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, aiming to definitively resolve this debt as soon as possible.

Previously, at a meeting with the Can Tho City National Assembly Delegation on October 14th, Ms. Huyen also informed about the fact that 41 schools in the former Soc Trang province owe teachers nearly 30 billion VND for the 2024-2025 school year, with An Lac Thon school alone owing more than 2 billion VND. This issue seriously affects the lives and morale of the teaching staff.

Teacher promotion and staffing issues

Regarding teacher promotion, after many years without organizing it, the Department of Internal Affairs has agreed on a solution for the Can Tho Department of Education and Training to conduct promotion reviews according to Document 64 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, this requires reviewing job positions in schools to ensure that the ratio does not exceed 10% of Grade 1 and not exceed 50% of Grade 2 of the total number of staff in the unit.

After compiling the job position proposals, the Department of Education and Training will forward them to the Department of Internal Affairs to submit to the City People's Committee for approval of the promotion quotas for each unit, and only then will they proceed with receiving applications for review.

Ms. Huyen also emphasized that this content applies to units directly under the Department, while secondary schools, primary schools, and kindergens in communes and wards will be managed and implemented by the People's Committee of the commune or ward.

Another worrying issue, according to representatives from the Can Tho City Department of Education and Training, is the shortage of qualified pedagogical staff in 40 out of 103 communes and wards responsible for education. Many places have to assign staff with expertise in technical fields, land administration, resources, or veterinary medicine to handle this work.

Ms. Huyen argued that this is a major shortcoming, affecting the rights of teachers related to assignments, recruitment, and promotion. Although the Department has provided training and support, communes and wards already have sufficient staff and cannot accept additional professional staff.

Following the merger of three localities, Can Tho City's education sector currently has over 38,000 staff members across 1,252 schools from preschool upwards. However, the mechanism and funding for paying salaries to contract teachers remain unclear.

"The Department of Finance has instructed us to use the school's operating budget to pay for the contracts. However, schools don't have much funding for operations, so while a shortage of 1-2 teachers can be managed, a shortage of 20 teachers will be impossible to resolve," Ms. Huyen expressed her concern.

Information from the Department of Education and Training of Can Tho City indicates that the city's education sector is facing many major challenges, requiring close coordination among departments and agencies, as well as the attention of city leaders, to ensure the quality of education and the rights of teachers.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/can-tho-thong-tin-ve-viec-41-truong-hoc-no-giao-vien-gan-30-ty-dong-20251016182416081.htm