Teachers are eagerly awaiting their new salaries.

Notably, according to information from the regular press conference on the afternoon of June 20th, citing the resolution on salary reform, initially nine new types of allowances were planned, including allowances for concurrent duties, seniority exceeding the standard rate, job responsibility, and professional incentives. However, as of July 1st, the conditions for implementing these nine types of allowances were not yet met, so the Government proposed maintaining the current allowances such as leadership position allowance, concurrent duty allowance, seniority exceeding the standard rate, and professional responsibility allowance.

Teachers are hoping that the new salary system will help improve their lives and accurately reflect each person's contributions.

Now, in the first week of July 2024, teachers are eagerly anticipating how much their new salary will be.

Wages haven't increased, but prices have risen.

Mr. NL, a teacher at a high school in Binh Thanh District (Ho Chi Minh City), said that he has been closely following information channels regarding salary increases for civil servants and public employees, including teachers. "We've been calculating how much we'll receive starting July if the base salary is increased while the current allowances remain the same. However, we haven't actually received our salaries yet."

A school administrator at a high school in Tan Phu District (Ho Chi Minh City) said he received his July salary and found it to be similar to June's. He said, "Perhaps when calculating the new salary later, teachers will be entitled to retroactive payment of the increased amount." He also stated that he was aware of the decision to implement the new salary from July 1, 2024, increasing the basic salary from 1.8 million to 2.34 million VND per month, a 30% increase, while temporarily maintaining the current allowances.

"This means that teachers will still receive allowances. Increased salaries and allowances will help teachers feel more motivated and secure in their work. We very much hope that in the future, along with the salary increase, teachers will still receive the same allowances, such as professional allowances and seniority allowances, because in addition to the basic salary, these allowances also provide some support and motivation for teachers in their work. Especially for education , we think it's also necessary to consider a special preferential salary and allowance system. Teachers all hope that when Resolution 27 (the resolution on salary policy reform) is implemented, the special salary and income policy will create motivation for teachers to stay committed to the profession," this official emphasized.

A primary school teacher with 11 years of experience, working in Go Vap District (Ho Chi Minh City), also said that she only received her July salary on the morning of July 3rd and had not seen any increase (compared to her June salary and previous months' salaries). "I'm also looking forward to the new salary, which will be recalculated when the base salary increases and the allowances for teachers remain the same. Right now, the salary hasn't increased yet, but the prices of everything have risen sharply. Going to the market, I see the prices of vegetables, meat, fish, and other food items increasing dramatically," this teacher said.

Mr. Le Tan Thoi, a teacher at Nguyen Dang Son Secondary School in Cho Moi District (An Giang Province), said that all the workers were happy about the salary increase. He shared: "Although there is still a gap between the cost of living outside and the income from salary and other allowances, teachers still have something to manage. In rural areas, after teaching hours, teachers have to do extra work to supplement their family income and keep their passion for teaching alive…"

Schools are awaiting guidance on calculating new salaries.

A school administrator at a junior high school in District 5 (Ho Chi Minh City) said they had just heard about the increase in the basic salary for officials, civil servants, and public employees from July 1, 2024. However, to apply this to teacher salaries, the school is waiting for specific guidance documents from the District Department of Education and Training, the District Department of Finance and Planning, etc.

WILL THE INCOME GAP AMONG TEACHERS WIDEN EVEN FURTHER?

A literature teacher (Grade II, Level 1) at a junior high school in An Giang province said that while the increase in basic salary and the maintenance of allowances from July 1, 2024, has brought joy to teachers, it will also significantly widen the salary gap between teachers in different schools.

This teacher gave an example: in the past few months (when the base salary was 1.8 million VND), a teacher at a secondary school with a grade II salary, level 6, and 33 years of service, without holding any other positions, had a total monthly income of 16.8 million VND. Meanwhile, a teacher with a grade 1 salary, level III, and 4 years of service had a total monthly income of 5.2 million VND. Thus, the salary difference between the two teachers was 11.6 million VND per month.

From July 1st, 2024, when the base salary increases to 2.34 million VND, the gap will widen even further, and the income difference between two teachers in the same school, doing the same job, and in the same subject group will be even greater. The aforementioned teacher calculated as follows: A teacher with 33 years of service would have a salary at level 6, grade II with a coefficient of 5.70 + 30% preferential allowance (coefficient 1.71) + 32% seniority allowance (coefficient 1.82) = 9.23 (total salary coefficient). Coefficient 9.23 x base salary of 2,340,000 VND = 21,598,200 VND in salary.

Meanwhile, a teacher with a salary at level 1, grade III, without seniority allowance, has a total salary coefficient of 2.34 + 30% preferential allowance (coefficient 0.70) = 3.04. The salary would be 3.04 x base salary of 2,340,000 VND = 7,113,600 VND. The salary difference between the two teachers is over 14.4 million VND.

According to this teacher, there is also a paradox: many heads of subject departments, and even vice principals of schools, earn only half or two-thirds of the monthly income of some teachers in the same department and school (because they have fewer years of seniority). Meanwhile, since the implementation of the 2018 General Education Program, the roles and responsibilities of heads of subject departments and vice principals in charge of subject matters are much heavier than those of subject teachers who do not hold these positions.

A literature teacher, who is also the head of the subject department at a junior high school in Ho Chi Minh City, sighed: "Like me, even though I have more responsibilities and have to do more work, my salary is much lower than many teachers with more than 20 years of experience. I feel like the salary system is still based on the principle of 'long service makes you a veteran.' Getting promoted seems simple, but not everyone can, due to the numerous regulations and paperwork."

Teachers participate in teaching students according to the 2028 General Education Program.

The contributions of long- serving teachers cannot be denied.

From another perspective, a math teacher at a junior high school in Tan Phu District, who has been teaching for over 10 years, said that all teachers are eagerly awaiting the new salary increase, which will raise the base salary while keeping allowances unchanged. This teacher stated that having a seniority allowance for teachers is very humane, accurate, and necessary. Furthermore, the salaries of teachers in different categories, such as III, II, and I, will also differ.

"There's no denying the value of experienced teachers. Older teachers in the past were at a great disadvantage, teaching in poorly equipped conditions, and their first month's salary was barely enough to buy a raincoat. Or, to give you an example, experienced teachers make fewer mistakes on exam questions, while many newly graduated teachers make mistakes repeatedly. They review the questions multiple times without finding the errors, while experienced teachers spot them in 15 seconds. I also question why teachers with university degrees in category III don't strive to upgrade to category II or I instead of remaining in category III?" this teacher countered.

"Salaries should gradually change according to job position."

Mr. TTL, an English teacher at a junior high school in An Giang, told Thanh Nien Newspaper: "Salary increases are a good social welfare policy, but there are quite a few civil servants and public employees who rely on their seniority and high salaries without paying attention to work efficiency."

Teacher TTL stated that some older teachers nearing retirement still fulfill their responsibilities and make significant contributions to the institution, while others who haven't reached retirement age lack a sense of responsibility. Some only teach the required number of hours without participating in any other school activities, yet still receive their salaries at the end of the month as if they were teachers involved in other school activities besides teaching. "Many arrive later than their colleagues every day and try to leave early before the end of the workday with various excuses like caring for young children, elderly parents, or preparing meals for their families... Hopefully, in the near future, the salary system will gradually change based on job position and productivity to create more motivation for those who perform well," Teacher TTL shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giao-vien-trong-ngong-luong-moi-185240703184214401.htm