Teachers get modest Tet bonuses

Every year during Tet employees in many companies expect high bonuses, while for teachers the bonuses are slim to none.

In the banking and finance industry Tet bonuses are often hundreds of millions in VND. But in the education sector there are no regulations guaranteeing bonuses for teachers.

Educational institutions receive an annual budget from the state. Only if a school is extremely adept at managing its spending does it have a budgetary surplus at the end of the year with which to reward teachers. Many schools, however, have none.

The country’s highest Tet bonuses for teachers exist in Ho Chi Minh City, at Nguyen Huu Huan High School. Here a teacher may receive up to VND28 million (USD1,400), followed by Nguyen Huu Tien High School, which gives around VND10 million (USD500), and Hoang Hoa Tham High School with VND14.5 million (USD725).

The lowest bonuses in the city hover at about VND700,000 (USD35).

Teachers in cities like Hanoi and Danang are also lucky to get average bonuses of between VND500,000 (USD25) and VND800,000 (USD40) each.

In the Mekong Delta region, bonuses vary based on the individual school’s financial situation. Vo Van Dung, Chief of An Giang Province’s Department of Education and Training, said average bonus for teachers of different levels will be VND400,000 (USD20), up VND150,000 (USD7.5) from last year.

Cao Van Hong, Chief of Ca Mau Province’s Department of Education and Training, said the department cannot afford annual Tet bonuses for teachers, but the local People’s Committee often offers a common bonus for all state cadres, including teachers. This year’s Tet bonus is to be VND300,000 (USD15) each, VND100,000 (USD5) higher than a year ago.

It is in the mountainous areas of the country where teachers receive the least. Dong Xuan Loi, Headmaster of Ban Lang Secondary School, Phong Tho District, Lai Chau Province, said he hasn’t received a Tet bonus in over 10 years.

Truong Kim Minh, Director of Lao Cai Province’s Department of Education and Training, shared, “Teachers in mountainous districts have never got Tet bonuses. Students in disadvantaged areas often drop out of school, despite being exempt from tuition fees. Teachers are sometimes forced to spend their own money on rice and instant noodles for the poorest students. Living conditions for teachers is difficult, on a salary ranging from VND2 million (USD100) and VND3 million (USD150).”

Hopes for state help

Mr. Minh says that if the state provided some financial support it might help with teacher recruitment and retention.

He also said that many educators in disadvantaged areas in Nghe An, Tuyen Quang and Quang Binh provinces hoped that the state would have specific policies on providing Tet bonuses for teachers, particularly those in mountainous areas.

One teacher in central Thanh Hoa province said, frankly, “The issue of Tet bonuses for teachers is discussed annually, but finally the situation has never been improved. We have no way of knowing whether or not to expect any bonus at all.”

To offer Tet bonuses for more than 1.2 million teachers in Vietnam, the state would spend a great deal of money. On the other hand, teachers play a very important role this society and its economic development.

This problem will remain, perhaps, until there is a solution from the Government.