Teachers in mountainous areas wait wearily to receive overtime pay

For the past two years, dozens of teachers in the former mountainous district of Muong Lat, Thanh Hoa province, have taught tens of thousands of extra hours but have not received overtime pay as required.

English class at Trung Ly Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, Trung Ly Commune, Old Muong Lat District, Thanh Hoa Province - Photo: HA DONG

According to Tuoi Tre Online 's investigation, the situation of teachers teaching beyond the norm but not being paid for overtime has been happening in many schools in the old Muong Lat district, lasting from the second semester of the 2023-2024 school year until now, causing difficulties for teachers.

Two years of studying waiting for money for overtime teaching

Teacher Le Van Quang - English teacher at Trung Ly Ethnic Boarding Secondary School, Trung Ly highland commune, old Muong Lat district - said: "Because the school lacks English teachers, from the second semester of the 2023-2024 school year, I have to teach 42 classes/week. While according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training , teachers at boarding schools only teach 17 classes/week, so each week I teach 25 extra classes.

Up to now, I have taught more than 900 extra classes but have not received any overtime pay. We hope that the Department of Education and Training and the People's Committee of Trung Ly commune will pay attention and resolve the overtime pay policy for teachers."

According to Trung Ly Secondary School for Ethnic Minority Boarding Students, due to a severe shortage of teachers, from the second semester of the 2023-2024 school year and the 2024-2025 school year, the school's teachers taught thousands of extra hours, with the total cost to pay teachers being more than 1.2 billion VND.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Thuy - Principal of Trung Ly Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities - said that the school had sent documents to the People's Committee of Muong Lat district since the previous school year, so that the district could resolve overtime payments for teachers according to regulations, but there have been no results yet.

However, from July 1, there is no longer a district level, the budget allocation mechanism has changed, the Commune People's Committee manages schools locally, so teachers who teach overtime have to continue to wait for superiors to resolve overtime pay.

"Most of the school's teachers come from other places to work in the highlands. Their income depends on their salary and allowance for difficult areas. The delay in paying overtime pay by superiors has been affecting the teachers' lives," said Mr. Nguyen Duy Thuy.

At Muong Ly Ethnic Boarding Secondary School, Muong Ly Commune (also in the old Muong Lat mountainous district), due to a serious shortage of teachers, from the second semester of the 2023-2024 school year and the 2024-2025 school year, the school's teachers taught 5,344 extra periods.

Mr. Nguyen Van Quy - Vice Principal of Muong Ly Secondary School for Ethnic Minority Boarding Students - said that the school had repeatedly requested the old district to pay teachers for overtime teaching, but it had not been resolved.

"Teachers teach overtime because of their responsibility to the school and their love for their students. When teaching overtime, their efforts must be recognized and paid according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training. The school hopes that superiors will soon resolve the payment of overtime to teachers, to ensure the rights of teachers who are contributing to the education sector in mountainous areas," Mr. Nguyen Van Quy added.

The province has directed the old district's work to be transferred to the commune for settlement.

Also according to Tuoi Tre Online 's research, previously the funding for paying for overtime teaching was allocated through the district budget.

The Department of Education and Training coordinates with the Department of Finance and Planning to make a payment list based on the records submitted by schools. The Chairman of the District People's Committee signs the decision to allocate payment funds.

However, from the second semester of the 2023-2024 school year and the entire 2024-2025 school year, the People's Committee of the old Muong Lat district did not pay teachers for overtime teaching, leaving dozens of teachers waiting wearily.

A class at Quang Chieu 2 Primary School, Quang Chieu Commune, former Muong Lat District, Thanh Hoa Province - Photo: HA DONG

According to statistics from the People's Committee of the old Muong Lat district, from the second semester of the 2023-2024 school year to the end of May 2025, teachers at schools in the area taught more than 46,000 extra hours. Before the district level stopped operating, the District People's Committee reported to the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province.

Then, the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province assigned the Department of Education and Training to preside over and coordinate with the Department of Finance to urgently research, guide and respond to the proposal of the People's Committee of the old Muong Lat district, with the deadline being June 29, 2025.

After receiving instructions from the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Education and Training sent a document to the People's Committee of Muong Lat district stating that the Department of Education and Training could not resolve the issue because the funding for overtime teaching is the responsibility of the district level. The Department of Finance allocates the budget to the district, and the district allocates it to the schools (before July 1, 2025 - PV).

From the 2025-2026 school year, under the new mechanism, schools under commune management will receive funding directly from the Commune People's Committee.

However, on June 30, just one day before the district level stopped operating, the People's Committee of Muong Lat district issued an official dispatch handing over all data on overtime teaching by teachers of schools in the district to the People's Committees of the new communes.

Communes are required to review and pay teachers for overtime. The hasty transfer has caused confusion in many communes because they do not have complete records and are unclear about the source of funding.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Tran Van Thang - Chairman of Trung Ly Commune People's Committee - said: "On June 30, Muong Lat District People's Committee issued an official dispatch to the commune to pay for overtime teaching from the second semester of the 2023-2024 school year and the 2024-2025 school year in the commune, but the district did not hand over funds to the commune to pay for teachers.

Currently, the commune is waiting for instructions and guidance from the province and relevant departments to resolve this issue, in order to ensure the rights of teachers."

HA DONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giao-vien-o-vung-cao-mon-moi-cho-nhan-tien-day-thua-gio-2025120710582353.htm