Low pay, high pressure and what else?

The hardships of a preschool teacher, working hard from morning to night, holding and comforting children

The above figures were provided by Mr. Vu Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Teachers and Educational Managers (Ministry of Education and Training). Among the 7,215 teachers who quit their jobs, the number of teachers quitting the profession at preschool level accounted for a high percentage and decreased gradually from low to high levels of education.

Previously, statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training showed that in the 3 school years from August 2020 to August 2023, more than 40,000 teachers nationwide quit their jobs or changed jobs. Teachers under the age of 35 who quit their jobs accounted for 60% of the total number of teachers who quit their jobs. Meanwhile, the shortage of teachers is still serious across the country, at all levels of education, especially preschool teachers and teachers of new subjects.

Why have so many preschool teachers quit their jobs recently?

Work hard from morning to night

Going directly to schools and kindergarten classes, observing and experiencing the work of kindergarten teachers, we can appreciate the hard work of teachers.

Working hard from morning to evening, always busy with all kinds of tasks such as teaching, taking care of children, cleaning the classroom, not to mention the time spent making teaching aids, toys, preparing lesson plans... when they return home at night, many preschool teachers confide that they have to "lie down in the middle of the house to catch their breath, unable to do anything."

A typical day of work for a preschool teacher is usually packed from 6:30 am to 5:00 pm, or more. In the morning, they clean the classroom, prepare the learning environment, and prepare to welcome the children. Then, they organize activities for the children to participate in, learn, play, feed, and change their clothes. From 11:30 am to 12 pm, the children change clothes, lay out their mattresses to prepare for a nap, and the preschool teachers take turns sleeping.

When the children are sleeping well, each teacher has their own job. Some take care of the children's sleep, others take the time to do paperwork and school supplies for the children, prepare lesson plans, walk around the classroom to see if the children have slept well or not... Preschool teachers say that when children are sleeping is when they need to pay the most attention to their safety, to prevent the risk of choking, vomiting, difficulty breathing... When the children are sleeping well, the teachers open their lunch to eat and take turns to take care of the children's nap time, so they only dare to lie down, and when they hear the children crying, they have to get up immediately.

Not only are they the ones who take care of, educate, and raise children, preschool teachers are also the ones who clean classrooms, wipe toilets, clean classrooms, and wash children's dirty clothes...

Preschool children are at an age that requires caregivers and educators to be highly focused throughout the children's time at school to ensure the safety of all children... Teachers must always keep an eye on the children in this corner, but their eyes must also observe many other corners, ensuring the safety of the children. For example, when taking children out to the garden to water the plants, the children run fast, the teachers must also follow them quickly. There are times when they see the children about to fall, the teachers have to rush to catch them.

For preschool teachers in charge of nursery classes, especially the milk powder class (children 6 - 12 months), the hardship is multiplied many times. 6-month-old children are still very young, they cry a lot when they go to school. Some children cry for 1 month, 2 months, all day long, preschool teachers have to take turns holding and cuddling them so that the children can feel the trust and warmth of the caregivers.

Not only are they the ones who take care of, educate, and raise children, preschool teachers also clean classrooms, clean toilets, clean classrooms, wash children's dirty clothes... to ensure the children have the safest learning environment. Preschool teachers confide that if they do not love children, are patient and tolerant, it would be difficult to stick with this very difficult job, which requires a lot of understanding and love for children...

Low salary, not commensurate with the hardship

A kindergarten teacher who worked at a private kindergarten in Ho Chi Minh City for 12 years shared with Thanh Nien reporters the reason for her resignation, saying the main reason was "low salary". After taking 2 years off to give birth, she returned to work and her salary was recalculated from the beginning. Before she resigned, her salary and allowances, after deducting social insurance, were about 6 million VND.

This amount of money is not enough for her to cover living expenses, rent, and childcare (she has two young children). The female kindergarten teacher shared, "I'm at school all day long, and when I get home I have to start the housework again. There are days when I feel exhausted, and I have no time to spend with my children or teach them their lessons."

Too much pressure

Not only hard work and low salary, one of the reasons why many preschool teachers quit their jobs is also the great pressure from parents, students' families, and preschool educational institutions where preschool teachers work.

Kindergarten teachers work hard all day, holding children in one hand to soothe them, and feeding them with the other.

A female preschool teacher confided that every day she goes to work, she faces pressure from the classroom camera. The preschool she works at is a private school, with an online camera for parents. There are parents who sit all day "watching" the camera and calling preschool teachers to question, remind, and complain about the teachers. Or there are situations where parents find enough mistakes to "catch" the teachers. Unfortunately, while the child is playing at school or in class, he or she gets a scratch on his or her hand or foot. The teacher has explained, but some parents still insist on accusing the teachers of abuse and not caring for the child. There are preschool teachers who say that at 11 or 12 o'clock at night, they still hear parents calling to complain and scold. Or the case is not clear right or wrong, but parents still go online to "accuse" preschool teachers and preschools.

Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training is coordinating with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to consider classifying preschool teachers as a heavy, toxic profession. If this issue is approved, when belonging to the group of heavy, toxic, and dangerous jobs, preschool teachers will enjoy benefits such as heavy work allowances, lower retirement age, many regimes and policies...

The country currently has about 16,000 independent nursery groups, many of which have teachers who are not covered by social insurance. These are also teachers who need the attention of society.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/1600-giao-vien-mam-non-nghi-viec-luong-thap-ap-luc-cao-va-con-gi-nua-185240509181312374.htm