What is the special salary coefficient of teachers and why is it controversial?

The story of teachers' salaries and special salary coefficients is attracting public attention, especially there are many debates about the draft on 'the need for a special salary coefficient for teachers'.

What is the special salary coefficient for teachers?

The Ministry of Education and Training has published a draft Decree regulating salary and allowance policies for teachers to solicit public comments from relevant agencies, organizations and individuals on the Ministry of Education and Training's Electronic Information Portal. According to the draft Decree, all teachers are entitled to a "special salary coefficient".

Teachers and students in Ho Chi Minh City on the opening day of the 2025-2026 school year

PHOTO: NGOC DUONG

According to the draft, preschool teachers are entitled to a special salary coefficient of 1.25 compared to the current salary coefficient; other teaching positions are entitled to a special salary coefficient of 1.15 compared to the current salary coefficient.

Teachers teaching at schools and classes for the disabled, centers supporting the development of inclusive education ; primary and secondary boarding schools in land border areas are entitled to a special salary coefficient of 1.2 compared to the current salary coefficient.

Teachers teaching at schools, classes for the disabled, and centers supporting the development of inclusive education for preschool children are entitled to a special salary coefficient of 1.3 compared to the current salary coefficient.

The special salary coefficient is calculated with the salary level and is not used to calculate the allowance level. The formula for calculating the salary level for teachers when applying the special salary coefficient is as follows:

Salary effective from January 1, 2026 = Basic salary x Current salary coefficient x Specific salary coefficient

Also according to the Ministry of Education and Training: "The specific salary coefficient is not used to calculate the allowance level, not used to calculate the amount of the reserved difference coefficient according to Circular No. 07/2024/TT-BNV dated July 5, 2024 of the Ministry of Home Affairs guiding the implementation of the basic salary level for salary and allowance recipients in agencies, organizations, and public service units of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations and associations. Therefore, the specific salary coefficient does not break the structure of the current salary system. On the other hand, when implementing the new salary policy, the conversion is still guaranteed to be convenient and retain the specific coefficient for teachers".

Ministry of Education and Training affirms the need for a special salary coefficient for teachers

PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE

Why do teachers need special salary coefficients?

According to the press release of the Ministry of Education and Training on the afternoon of November 14: "Since determining that "education and training is the top national policy" and teachers "are the decisive factor in the quality of education and are honored by society" (from the Resolution of the 2nd Conference of the 8th Party Central Committee in 1996), the Party also determined the policy of ranking teachers' salaries "highest" in the administrative and career salary scale system to match the position and role of teachers. But the actual ranking of teachers' salaries is not as the policy that the Party has determined over the past 29 years, teachers' salaries are not currently ranked highest in the administrative and career salary scale system, and the majority of teachers are even ranked at a lower salary scale".

School staff feel hurt because they feel "on the sidelines" in the teachers' salary increase campaign.

In recent days, many readers have sent comments to the Thanh Nien Newspaper editorial office sharing their views on the draft special salary coefficient for teachers.

Reader Khoa Nguyen shared: "We need to review the regime for school staff such as accountants, librarians, clerks, medical staff ... some people have worked for 24 years but their salary is less than 8 million VND, they can live on their salary for about 20 days, the remaining 10 days they live on bank overdrafts."

Speaking with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters on the morning of November 15, Dr. Huynh Trung Tuan, a school health worker at Trung Trac Primary School, Phu Tho Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, with nearly 30 years of experience working in schools, said: "If there is a policy such as a special salary coefficient for teachers, it is also necessary to apply a special salary coefficient for school staff, to recognize their role and contribution in the education and training career."

"Many school staff in general, and school health workers in particular, feel very "aggrieved" and sad. Because they are all officials in the education and training sector, they are school health workers, librarians, school equipment workers, clerks, accountants... who make very important contributions to the education cause. Schools cannot operate well, students cannot study with peace of mind, teachers cannot concentrate on teaching if the school only has teachers but no school staff. However, because they are not teachers, they do not receive preferential allowances for their profession, seniority allowances..., a few have insignificant toxic allowances, many school staff have low salaries, and life is very difficult," Dr. Tuan shared.

Doctor Huynh Trung Tuan joined the front line of the fight against the epidemic during the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City.

PHOTO: PH

Regarding allowances for school health workers, Dr. Tuan reiterated: "Directive 25-CT/TW of the Secretariat has identified school health as a grassroots health level - equal to ward and commune health stations, therefore, I respectfully request the leaders of relevant ministries and branches to consider the salary and allowance regime for school health workers as for ward and commune health workers, with a clear decision in the official document on the salary and allowance regime according to the monthly salary for school health workers of 30% or more - that is, the allowance must be at least 30%. And this allowance is not determined according to the unit's income or the decision of the unit's head".

Because according to Dr. Tuan, as in current regulations, school health workers have a maximum allowance of 20% - the head of the unit considers and decides based on the nature of the work and the source of income. Because of this "depending on" word, in many localities in the country, according to Dr. Tuan, some school health workers receive an allowance, some do not, some schools give them a 10% allowance, some schools only give them a few hundred thousand dong per month...

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that the regulation of a special salary coefficient for teachers has no political or legal basis; the Ministry of Education and Training provides information to clarify the political and legal basis.

Commenting on the draft Decree of the Government regulating salary policy and allowance regime for teachers, the Ministry of Home Affairs sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Education and Training.

The Ministry of Home Affairs cited the Party's viewpoints and policies on reforming salary policies, especially Conclusion No. 83-KL/T.TW of the Politburo on salary reform, adjusting pensions, social insurance benefits, preferential benefits for people with meritorious services and social benefits from July 1; current legal regulations and opinions of the National Assembly Party Committee (on amending and abolishing financial mechanisms and special incomes of central state administrative agencies and units), then the regulation of special salary coefficients for teachers has no political or legal basis.

The Ministry of Home Affairs stated that, according to the design principles of the current salary regime, civil servants in all sectors apply a common salary table to facilitate salary arrangement when transferring and rotating in state agencies and units; specific industry policies are implemented through allowances.

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of November 14, the Ministry of Education and Training issued a press release clarifying the regulation on "special salary coefficient" in the salary policy and allowance regime for teachers, providing additional information to clarify the political and legal basis of this proposal.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training: "Special salary coefficient" is a specific policy solution to make teachers' salaries ranked highest in the administrative career salary scale system, with political and legal basis".

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, over the past 29 years, the policy of "teachers' salaries are given the highest priority in the administrative career salary scale system" and in addition to salaries, teachers "have additional allowances depending on the nature of work, by region" has always been identified as a consistent task and solution in the resolutions and conclusions of the Party, from the Resolution of the Second Conference of the 8th Party Central Committee in 1996 on strategic orientation for education and training development in the period of industrialization and modernization; Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW in 2013 on fundamental and comprehensive innovation of education and training; Conclusion No. 91-KL/TW in 2024 on continuing to implement Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW. Most recently, the Politburo issued Resolution 71-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in education development, which clearly stated: "There are special and outstanding preferential policies for teachers".

"The above documents are important political bases for the National Assembly to stipulate that "Teachers' salaries are ranked highest in the administrative career salary scale system" at Point a, Clause 1, Article 23 of the Law on Teachers and stipulate "Preferential allowances for jobs and other allowances according to the nature of work, according to the region as prescribed by law" at Point b, Clause 1, Article 23 of the Law on Teachers. From there, establish a legal basis for the Government to concretize the contents in the Decree regulating salary policies and allowance regimes for teachers according to the requirements of the National Assembly. Thus, the specific salary coefficient is a specific policy solution to implement teachers' salaries ranked highest in the administrative career salary scale system, with political and legal bases", the Ministry of Education and Training affirmed.

Thuy Hang - Thu Hang

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/he-so-luong-dac-thu-cua-nha-giao-la-gi-vi-sao-dang-gay-tranh-luan-185251115110731202.htm