I'm really looking forward to retiring at 55.

Ms. Chuong Thi Phuong Loan, 52 years old, a teacher at Tuoi Tho 7 Kindergarten, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, has 33 years of experience in the profession. Currently a teacher of class 3A (3-4 year olds), this elderly kindergarten teacher still spends her days carrying children, teaching them to dance, sing, run, jump, exercise, act in plays, tell stories, learn skills, coax them to eat, and take care of them while they sleep…

Ms. Chuong Thi Phuong Loan was constantly busy for nearly 11 hours at school.

A DAY WHEN YOU'RE ALWAYS WORKING WITH YOUR HANDS AND FEET FOR NEARLY 11 HOURS

Every day, if cleaning or preparing the classroom for the children, Ms. Loan has to be there at 6:30 AM. On days when she's assigned to greet the children at the school gate, she's allowed to arrive at 6:45 AM. By 5 PM, when all the children have gone home, the teachers can leave early. If parents pick up their children later, the teachers wait until they've safely handed them over before ending their long workday.

"Taking care of preschool-aged children (3-4 years old) is less tiring for teachers. But taking care of toddlers (6-24 months old) is extremely difficult. Many babies cry all day when they first start school, and the teacher has to carry them in her arms constantly. Even when they sleep, the teacher carries them on her shoulder and leans against the wall to rest," Ms. Loan recounted.

At around 11 a.m., when we entered class 3B at Tuoi Tho 7 Kindergarten (District 3), the children were preparing for their afternoon nap when a new child arrived, brought in by his mother. The boy was much taller than many of his classmates, but he had difficulty walking and couldn't feed himself. While Ms. Luu Thuy Anh (47 years old) wiped his face and changed his clothes, another teacher in the class fed him and helped him with his personal hygiene. After he finished eating, she cleaned the floor and toilets once more.

With dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, a haggard face, and cradling two fussy children who refused to sleep, Ms. Luu Thuy Anh explained that she has had several pre-existing health conditions, but because of her love for her profession and for children, she always strives to do her best. "I only hope to retire at 55, because in a few more years, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up or carry the children anymore," the teacher said. Around 12 o'clock, the children in the class were sound asleep, and in the dim light of the room, the teachers slowly ate their lunch after a tiring morning.

I SUPPORT IT WITH BOTH HANDS!

Ms. Luong Thi Hong Diep, Head of the Preschool Education Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, said she "fully supports" the Ministry of Education and Training's proposal that preschool teachers should retire up to 5 years earlier than the prescribed age.

Ms. Diep said: "Older teachers can't dance as well. Their smiles have wrinkles around their mouths and eyes, and their eyesight is also deteriorating. Meanwhile, preschool teachers need to be very sharp-eyed to react quickly when children try to put something in their eyes, ears, or mouths. After 55, there are many other ailments like arthritis and vertigo; not 100% of people become weaker, but clearly only a small number remain agile and energetic."

Ms. Luu Thuy Anh, 47 years old, has several underlying health conditions but still loves her profession and loves children.

Ms. Diep further shared: "Each preschool teacher is an artist in dance, singing, and physical education; they sing well, dance well, help children imitate the gestures of various animals, and can encourage their students to dance along to the music. But as they get older, most teachers find that they are no longer suited to the cheerful, childlike music that children enjoy, and dancing with the children feels forced. Parents also prefer young teachers to teach their children; teachers who are creative and have flexible thinking…"

We also gathered opinions from preschool teachers in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as management staff. Ms. Nguyen Thi My Ngoc, 51 years old (with 30 years of experience), from Phu My Preschool, District 7, confided: "We hope to retire at 55. We really want to. Nowadays, many people suffer from back pain, leg pain, arm pain, and like me, I have to go to the doctor and take medicine all day, and carrying children is even more difficult. Preschool teachers should always be neat, quick-witted, speak gently, and create a pleasant image in front of children. This is also a way to educate young children aesthetically and make classroom activities more engaging for them."

At what age did preschool teachers retire in 2023?

According to Article 169 of the 2019 Labor Code, employees who meet the requirements regarding the duration of social insurance contributions as stipulated by the law on social insurance are entitled to a pension upon reaching retirement age.

Since 2021, the retirement age for workers under normal working conditions is 60 years and 3 months for men and 55 years and 4 months for women. After that, it increases by 3 months each year for men and 4 months each year for women.

Therefore, in 2023, the retirement age for male workers will be 60 years and 9 months, and for female workers it will be 56 years (the attached table shows the retirement age in 2023 and subsequent years).

The retirement age for workers under normal working conditions will be adjusted gradually until it reaches 62 years old for male workers in 2028 and 60 years old for female workers in 2035.

Workers with reduced working capacity; those engaged in particularly strenuous, hazardous, or dangerous occupations; those working in strenuous, hazardous, or dangerous occupations; or those working in areas with particularly difficult socio -economic conditions may retire at a younger age, but not more than 5 years younger than the age stipulated above.

An anonymous 50-year-old teacher working at a kindergarten in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, confided: "After 50, my body is very worn out. If I don't dance, the children won't follow, and at this age, doing weight-loss and obesity-prevention exercises for children is very tiring. My eyesight is poor, and my hands and feet aren't as agile as when I was younger. The job is stressful and demanding; sometimes the children walk too fast and I can't get to them in time before they fall. Parents are understanding, but some still call at 10 or 11 at night to complain about their child getting a scrape on the knee..."

Ms. Pham Bao Hanh, Principal of Phu My Kindergarten, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the work of kindergarten teachers is very strenuous, demanding, stressful, and involves long working hours throughout the day, so kindergarten teachers all hope to retire 5 years earlier than the regulations.

A kindergarten administrator in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, said she supports the policy of allowing kindergarten teachers to retire at age 55. However, she suggested that there should be a policy allowing kindergarten teachers who are 55 years old, if they are still healthy, passionate about their profession, and meet all the job requirements, to continue working as they wish.

WHAT DOES THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROPOSE?

In its comments on the draft revised Social Insurance Law, the Ministry of Education and Training proposed that preschool teachers should have a retirement age up to 5 years lower than the prescribed age (female preschool teachers retire at age 55, male teachers at age 57).

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the regulations of the Education Law and the Preschool Charter stipulate that the nhiệm vụ of preschool teachers is to care for, educate, and nurture children from 3 months to 6 years old. This age group requires caregivers and educators to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the children's time at school to ensure their safety.

The Ministry of Education and Training proposed: "The Ministry believes that setting the retirement age for preschool teachers up to 5 years lower than the prescribed age is very appropriate; we request the drafting agency to research and add a case where preschool teachers can retire up to 5 years lower than the prescribed age."

Over the past three years, the Vietnam Education Union and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor have petitioned at least twice to classify preschool teachers as a strenuous, hazardous, and dangerous occupation, which would serve as the basis for preschool teachers to retire five years earlier.

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