Dak Lak teachers owe tens of billions of dong for extra teaching: Where to get the funds to pay?

On October 23rd, the Department of Education and Training of Dak Lak province issued a report on the inspection and handling of several issues reflected in the press related to the education sector. Among the issues, the department stated that thousands of overtime teaching hours for teachers in many schools across the province have been unpaid for the past three years.

Following media reports and directives from the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Education and Training issued a document requesting localities and educational institutions to report in detail on the payment of overtime pay to teachers.

The department also organized a survey team to conduct on-site visits to preschools and primary schools in the wards of Ea Kao, Buon Ma Thuot, Buon Ho, and the commune of Ea Wer.

Upon review, schools under the Department's direct management (high schools and vocational education/continuing education centers) did not have any outstanding debts for overtime teaching fees. The delay in payment mainly occurred in preschools, primary schools, and junior high schools managed by the People's Committees of communes and wards.

According to Government Decrees 60/2021 and 111/2025, funding for overtime teaching is allocated in the annual recurrent expenditure budget of each unit. Schools must proactively balance their budgets within the allocated funds to ensure proper payment and protect teachers' rights.

At Nguyen Duc Canh Primary School (Buon Ma Thuot ward), there are currently over 6,500 hours of overtime teaching hours in arrears.

In Buon Ma Thuot ward, there are outstanding payments for extra teaching hours owed to teachers. Specifically, Nguyen Duc Canh Primary School owes over 6,500 extra teaching hours over three school years (2022–2025), equivalent to nearly 1.2 billion VND. Meanwhile, Vo Thi Sau Primary School owes over 2,900 hours, equivalent to 582 million VND.

The schools have repeatedly reported and petitioned the People's Committee of the ward, but have not yet been allocated funds for payment. Regarding this issue, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Vu, Chairman of the People's Committee of Buon Ma Thuot ward, said: The People's Committee of the ward has directed a review and detailed inventory of each school, identifying the cause and total amount of debt, and then reporting to the competent authority for consideration and resolution.

The Department of Education and Training further informed that it is coordinating with the Department of Finance and the People's Committee of Buon Ma Thuot ward to review and clarify the reasons for the delay in paying overtime wages to teachers, and at the same time propose measures to resolve the issue definitively, reporting to the Provincial People's Committee before October 25, 2025.

So far, 16 out of 40 communes and wards have submitted reports, with a total debt exceeding 29 billion VND.

As reported by Tien Phong newspaper , on October 10th, the People's Committee of Dak Lak province issued a directive instructing the Department of Education and Training to urgently investigate and handle three cases that have caused a public outcry in recent days, directly related to educational activities in the province. These include the issue of thousands of overtime teaching hours for teachers in many schools that have not been paid for over the past three years. The provincial People's Committee leadership requested the Department of Education and Training to take the lead and coordinate with relevant units to immediately investigate and handle the matter, ensuring the legitimate rights of the teaching staff.