A commitment to the teacher

GD&TĐ - Currently, teachers' salaries are paid according to Decree No. 204/2004/ND-CP, with the starting level determined based on educational qualifications.

In addition to their salaries, teachers also receive seniority allowances; and preferential allowances for those directly involved in teaching, ranging from 25% to 70%. Teachers working in specialized schools or areas with particularly difficult socio -economic conditions receive certain corresponding allowances and subsidies.

In some job positions and with certain types of work, teachers also receive additional allowances, subsidies, and other remuneration. These allowances and subsidies contribute to improving income, creating motivation for teachers to work with peace of mind, and encouraging them to stay committed to the profession.

However, the salary, allowance, and incentive policies for teachers still have many shortcomings. The majority of teachers (excluding college and university lecturers and vocational education teachers) currently receive lower salaries compared to civil servants in many other sectors. The policy of ranking teachers at the highest salary level in the administrative and public service salary scale, although long-standing, has yet to be realized.

Furthermore, the income gap between newly hired and long-serving teachers remains large. Teaching the same curriculum and facing similar professional pressures, yet experienced teachers receive higher salaries and allowances; while their preferential allowances are the same, they are calculated based on salary coefficients, further widening the disparity.

During their first five years of service, teachers only receive salaries based on a coefficient and preferential allowances, without seniority allowances. Many are forced to take on additional jobs to make ends meet, or even leave the teaching profession altogether. It's not difficult to understand why the number of teachers quitting or changing careers is on the rise, especially among younger teachers.

Currently, the education sector shoulders many important responsibilities aimed at creating breakthroughs in the development of education and training. A series of new policies are being implemented, requiring both an increase in the number of classroom teachers and an improvement in the quality of the teaching staff. These include the implementation of universal preschool education for children aged 3 to 5; the implementation of a two-session-per-day schooling system; and the enhancement of foreign language proficiency for students, gradually making English the second language in schools…

However, the shortage of teachers persists in many localities. As of April 2025, the country still lacks 102,097 teachers at all levels of preschool and general education in the payroll compared to the quotas stipulated by the Ministry of Education and Training . Not only is there a shortage of personnel, but it is also difficult to attract talented individuals to the teaching profession.

In this context, the draft Decree on salary and allowance policies for teachers, published by the Ministry of Education and Training, has received special attention. The most important new point is the proposal for a special salary coefficient of 1.25 for preschool teachers and 1.15 for other teachers, aiming to gradually realize the principle of "teachers' salaries being ranked highest" in the public administration sector.

Furthermore, the draft also adds categories of people eligible for job responsibility allowances; adds categories of people eligible for mobility allowances… This is a positive sign, demonstrating greater respect and appreciation for the value of teachers' labor in the context of fundamental and comprehensive educational reform.

Once salaries are sufficient to live on and truly reflect the mission of the profession, teachers will dedicate themselves wholeheartedly. And when policies are fair and respectful, teaching will once again become the choice of talented and passionate individuals. Salary reform is not just about numbers or scales; it is a commitment from society to those who are sowing the seeds of knowledge for the future.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/loi-cam-ket-voi-nguoi-thay-post755374.html