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

On October 23, the Department of Education and Training of Dak Lak province reported on the inspection and handling of some press reports related to the education sector. In particular, the department reported that thousands of extra teaching hours of teachers in many schools in the area have been owed for the past three years.

After receiving information from the press and instructions from the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Education and Training issued an official dispatch requesting localities and educational institutions to report in detail the situation of payment for extra teaching hours for teachers.

The department also organized a direct survey team at kindergartens and primary schools in Ea Kao, Buon Ma Thuot, Buon Ho wards and Ea Wer commune.

Through review, schools under the Department (high schools and vocational education centers - continuing education centers) do not have debt for extra teaching hours. The situation of late payment mainly occurs in kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools managed by the People's Committees of communes and wards.

According to Decree 60/2021 and Decree 111/2025 of the Government , the cost of paying for extra teaching hours is arranged in the annual regular expenditure estimates of each unit. Schools must proactively balance within the allocated budget to ensure proper payment and protect teachers' rights.

At Nguyen Duc Canh Primary School (Buon Ma Thuot ward), there is a debt of more than 6,500 extra teaching hours.

In Buon Ma Thuot ward, there is a problem of teachers owing money for extra teaching. Specifically, Nguyen Duc Canh Primary School owes more than 6,500 extra teaching hours in three school years (2022-2025), equivalent to nearly 1.2 billion VND. Meanwhile, Vo Thi Sau Primary School owes more than 2,900 hours, equivalent to 582 million VND.

The schools have reported and petitioned the ward People's Committee many times but have not been allocated funds to pay. Regarding this issue, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Vu - Chairman of Buon Ma Thuot Ward People's Committee, said: The ward People's Committee has directed to review and specifically count each school, determine the cause and total debt amount, then report to the competent authority for consideration and resolution.

The Department of Education and Training added that the unit 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 teachers for extra teaching hours, and at the same time propose a definitive solution, reporting to the Provincial People's Committee before October 25, 2025.

Currently, 16/40 communes and wards have sent reports, with a total debt of more than 29 billion VND.

As Tien Phong reported, on October 10, the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee issued a document directing the Department of Education and Training to urgently inspect and handle three cases that have "stormed" public opinion in recent days, directly related to educational activities in the province. Among them is the content of thousands of extra teaching hours of teachers in many schools that have not been paid for the past three years. The Provincial People's Committee leaders requested the Department of Education and Training to preside over and coordinate with relevant units to inspect and handle immediately, ensuring the legitimate rights of the teaching staff.