The situation of unpaid salaries, overtime pay and allowances at the Vietnam - Korea College in Quang Ngai is causing much frustration among the teaching staff. Many people said they have been continuously owed since the 2015 - 2016 school year until now, despite having repeatedly petitioned and complained to the authorities.
Long-term debt, lecturers call for help
A lecturer (who asked to remain anonymous) working at the Vietnam - Korea College in Quang Ngai shared: "There was a year when we were not paid any overtime. Recently, official salaries and allowances have also started to be delayed for many months."
According to the reflection of the teaching staff, they have sent a petition to the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province and related agencies. Although the province has directed the school to pay off all debts for overtime teaching in the 2015-2018 and 2020-2021 periods, the payment has not been made yet.
Inside Vietnam - Korea College Quang Ngai
PHOTO: PA
Notably, lecturers said that the payment was also unfair. Specifically, guest lecturers from other places with few hours were paid the full 285 million VND, while full-time lecturers, those who teach regular courses and manage students, were owed nearly 1 billion VND in overtime.
"This situation, which has lasted for many years, has seriously affected our lives, especially when prices are rising and salaries are unstable," said an indignant lecturer.
Fully financially autonomous, schools face difficulties
Speaking with Thanh Nien reporter, Mr. Vo Dinh Ta, Principal of Vietnam - Korea College Quang Ngai, admitted that the school is facing many financial difficulties since switching to 100% autonomy from 2023.
Mr. Ta said: "The total debt for overtime teaching in the period 2015 - 2018 is about 936 million VND. Since then, more than 1.3 billion VND has been incurred. In addition, the school still owes 50% of June salary and all July salary of staff and employees."
The school currently has 117 staff and workers. The annual enrollment plan is 950 students, but in reality, only about 80% is achieved. Each student pays about 18.5 million VND/year, but most of them are exempted and the budget support is delayed.
Due to financial difficulties, teachers are owed salaries, overtime pay, and allowances.
PHOTO: PA
According to Mr. Ta, from 2024, salary payments will become increasingly difficult because tuition fees will not increase while operating costs and basic salaries will increase. Each month, the school needs about 1.4 billion VND to pay salaries, not including insurance.
Prioritize paying off guest lecturers' debts due to lawsuit threats
Explaining why the school prioritizes paying guest lecturers in full while still owing regular lecturers, Mr. Ta frankly said: "They are outsiders, calling many times, even threatening to sue, so we have to find ways to pay in advance to avoid legal trouble. As for internal lecturers, they understand the situation well, so we balance the payment gradually."
The school is expected to pay off part of the debt in August thanks to tuition fees from returning students. At the same time, the school is also developing a plan to streamline its apparatus to reduce expenses.
However, when asked about the specific number of lecturers and administrative staff, Mr. Ta said he "did not know the exact number". Meanwhile, some lecturers said that the current staff structure is unreasonable, and the cumbersome administrative apparatus causes costly expenses.
Mr. Ta further explained: "Quang Ngai province is currently reviewing all public service units in the province. The school has requested to streamline after the conclusion, to avoid multiple changes."
Vietnam - Korea College Quang Ngai was established in 2013 under the decision of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, under the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province, operating under the revenue-generating autonomous model. However, the financial problem is increasingly complicated when the source of students decreases, costs increase, the apparatus lacks flexibility and the debt to lecturers is increasing.
The story at Vietnam - Korea College Quang Ngai is not only about budget, but also about how to treat the teaching staff, who are directly contributing to improving the quality of training.
If not resolved soon, the consequences will not only affect the lives of staff and lecturers but can also affect the quality of teaching and learning, reducing the reputation of the school in the fiercely competitive vocational education environment.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/truong-cao-dang-hut-hoi-tai-chinh-giang-vien-bi-no-luong-tien-day-vuot-gio-185250726072551186.htm
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