Tet bonus for teachers in remote areas: A number that few people expect

Teacher Mot said that most teachers in remote areas do not expect any Tet bonuses. As long as all students come to school and are well-behaved, that is the greatest reward for teachers.

The closer we get to Lunar New Year, the more attention is paid to the story of Tet bonuses. However, for teachers in mountainous areas, Tet bonuses seem to be a distant dream.

Speaking with VietNamNet , Mr. Ngo Van Huynh, Principal of Pa Lau Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities (Tram Tau, Yen Bai ) said that teachers here have almost no concept of Tet bonuses, because if there is any, this amount is insignificant.

Pa Lau Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities has 28 staff members, teachers and employees. Each teacher will receive a bonus of about 500,000 VND on the occasion of Tet, plus 200,000 - 300,000 VND in encouragement from the school's union. Explaining the low Tet bonus, Mr. Huynh said that every year the school saves about 10% of expenses so that at the end of the year there will be a small amount to encourage the teachers' spirit.

students in remote area1.jpg — *Students at Pa Lau Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities. Photo: NTCC.*

“The operating budget depends on the conditions of each locality and unit, so the school balances and saves at most a few hundred thousand each year to encourage teachers after a year of hard work. What I find most fortunate is that despite many difficulties and shortages, the school's teaching staff always maintain an optimistic spirit and love for their profession,” said Mr. Huynh.

Mr. Truong Cong Mot, Principal of Tra Tap Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities (Nam Tra My District, Quang Nam ) said that for teachers who teach in difficult areas like his school, Tet has more spiritual value. Many schools in the city give big bonuses, but teachers here only know how to encourage each other to overcome challenges, no one thinks of big Tet bonuses.

"The annual budget for education is limited, every expenditure is planned and carefully calculated and considered, so there is no revenue, nor surplus. Every year, the school and the union try to motivate each contract teacher with about 1 million," said Mr. Mot.

According to Mr. Mot, Tet gifts for teachers do not have much material value. The concept of "Tet bonus" is still a luxury for teachers in remote areas. Everyone understands the nature of the job, so they accept it willingly and do not feel upset about it.

“People’s lives are difficult, so there is no concept of giving gifts to teachers during Tet. Most teachers in remote areas believe that as long as students attend school regularly and are well-behaved, that is the greatest reward for teachers,” said Mr. Mot.

Teacher Le Thi Hoa (teacher in Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang) shared: “After decades of working in this profession, I have never heard of the concept of Tet bonus. But we are used to it and consider it a natural thing, of course we are happy if we have it, but if we don’t have it, we don’t worry or get bored with the job.

Most of our students are children of ethnic minorities, who work hard all year round on the fields, and many people do not have the means to send their children to school. I cannot remember how many times after Tet, students dropped out of school, and I had to go to their homes to persuade families to send their children to school. Therefore, for me, every Tet, I just hope to have good health to continue to contribute and stick with my job."

Tet bonuses for teachers in general and teachers in disadvantaged areas in particular, although not new, are a concern every Lunar New Year. In reality, most teachers have very limited Tet bonuses, except for a few schools in areas with favorable conditions. In some schools, teachers are even given Tet bonuses of 50,000 - 100,000 VND/person. This depends largely on the school's revenue.

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