The Director of the Department of Education speaks out.

TP - Everyone longs for a warm and joyful Tet holiday with their family after a year of hard work. Although the era of "overcoming difficulties in education " is over, for many teachers, Tet remains a hidden secret they don't know how to express to anyone.

TP - Everyone longs for a warm and joyful Tet holiday with their family after a year of hard work. Although the era of "overcoming difficulties in education" is over, for many teachers, Tet remains a hidden secret they don't know how to express to anyone.

While teachers nationwide are delighted to receive bonuses, including both extraordinary and annual rewards, thousands of teachers in Hanoi risk not receiving them.

Government Decree 73, issued in mid-2024, stipulates the salary and bonus system for civil servants, public employees, and military personnel (referred to as Decree 73). In this decree, bonuses are calculated based on outstanding achievements and the results of annual performance evaluations and rankings. The bonus fund is 10% of the total salary fund (excluding allowances) and must be disbursed before January 31st of the following year. This is the first time civil servants and public employees have received this bonus. Observations from several localities indicate that schools typically divide bonuses into three levels: completed, well completed, and excellently completed, commonly ranging from 4 to nearly 7 million VND per teacher.

In Hanoi, some schools have completed the payment mechanism and disbursed funds to teachers. However, teachers in schools participating in the city's pilot program for ordering educational services starting from the 2023-2024 school year are at risk of not receiving this payment. The reason is that on December 10, 2024, the Hanoi City People's Council passed Resolution 46, which stipulates the payment of additional income to officials, civil servants, and employees working in state agencies, political organizations, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations, and public service units whose regular operating expenses are covered by the state budget under the management of Hanoi City.

Every Lunar New Year, the Hanoi Education Union and the Hanoi Department of Education and Training organize visits and gift-giving to teachers in difficult circumstances. (Photo: NAM DU)

With this resolution, many teachers in Hanoi working in educational institutions participating in the pilot program of ordering educational services are classified as units that self-finance their operating expenses (autonomous units) and are therefore not eligible for bonuses under Decree 73.

Representatives from Le Loi Secondary School in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, stated that the school has recently implemented a pilot program of autonomy. This autonomy is not essentially due to an increase in school revenue, but rather a change in the allocation method from budget allocation to a procurement-based system. The fact that some schools are classified as fully autonomous and have registered to procure educational services at their own prices means that teachers are not receiving the additional income stipulated in Decree 73.

Although the funds received were only a few million dong, this was a great source of encouragement for teachers nationwide. Because for the first time, teachers in disadvantaged areas also learned about bonuses, especially since this initiative was implemented at the end of the year, with the Lunar New Year approaching.

Ms. Do Thi Kim Oanh, a teacher at Ngoc Tao Secondary School (Phuc Tho district), stated that, in essence, schools are still public service units whose entire budget is guaranteed by the state. Schools are tasked with collecting tuition fees, but that money is deducted when the higher authority allocates the budget; the school is not allowed to distribute it to its staff, teachers, or employees.

On the other hand, when registering the price of educational services for the 2024-2025 academic year, the price at that time was determined based on the basic salary of 1,800,000 VND and did not include the bonus funds according to Decree 73, nor the increased income sources according to Resolution 46. “The fact that schools are classified as completely autonomous means we are not entitled to the additional income under Decree 73. Clearly, this policy applies to officials, civil servants, and public employees, but we are being excluded,” Ms. Oanh said.

Sending an open letter to city leaders.

Faced with shortcomings related to Resolution 46, nearly 600 teachers in Hanoi have written a petition urging city leaders to reconsider the matter. Hanoi has 119 high schools under the management of the Department of Education and Training that are classified as having "autonomous recurrent expenditure." In addition, 30 districts each have approximately 3-9 schools from preschool to junior high school selected for piloting the outsourcing of educational services. It is estimated that at least 200 schools are affected.

Previously, at the end of September 2024, the People's Committee of Phuc Tho District, Hanoi, sent a document requesting the Department of Internal Affairs and the Department of Finance to reconsider the draft Resolution 46, ensuring the rights of teachers. This district has 9 educational institutions that are piloting a procurement system. Essentially, these are units that are self-sufficient in recurrent expenditures, not due to increased revenue, but rather a change in the allocation method from budget allocation to procurement. Not applying the additional income payment to these pilot procurement units will discourage them from continuing the program, causing inadequacies in management.

Mr. Tran The Cuong, Director of Hanoi's Department of Education and Training, said that the department had received the information and deeply sympathized with the concerns of teachers and the difficulties faced by schools. He explained that if the 10% reward allocation were included in the schools' autonomy budget, many schools would certainly not have enough funds to implement it. "I have signed a document reporting and proposing to the city leadership to consider ensuring the rights of teachers," Mr. Cuong stated.

Wishing you a warm Lunar New Year.

Teachers expressed their belief that these bonuses would serve as encouragement and motivation for teachers, especially in remote and disadvantaged areas. Furthermore, striving to achieve the highest possible bonus levels in teaching is also a way to foster dedication in each teacher's work, thereby improving the quality of teaching and learning in each school.

Before the implementation of the bonus scheme under Decree 73, many teachers in particularly disadvantaged areas received little to no year-end bonuses. However, the enactment of this Decree has created a uniform level of bonuses nationwide. This is because the additional 10% of the total salary fund will be available to almost all teachers in every school. Therefore, it creates both equality and sustainability.

NGHIEM HUE

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguy-co-mat-thuong-vi-chinh-sach-giam-doc-so-giao-duc-len-tieng-post1708282.tpo