The Decree regulating salary policies and allowances for teachers, which has just been announced by the Ministry of Education and Training to attract opinions, is attracting great attention among the teaching staff.
According to the draft Decree, all teachers are entitled to a "special salary coefficient". In which, preschool teachers are entitled to a special salary coefficient of 1.25 compared to the current salary coefficient; other titles of teachers are entitled to a special salary coefficient of 1.15 compared to the current salary coefficient.
For teachers teaching at schools, classes for people with disabilities, centers to support the development of integrated education, and boarding schools in border areas, an additional 0.05 is added compared to the prescribed level.
Having been in the profession for more than 14 years, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam - a teacher at a kindergarten in Dong Anh commune, Hanoi - said that her current salary is about more than 11 million VND/month.
"When I first started my career, my salary was only nearly 4 million VND/month. At that time, I was young and unmarried, so I was still temporarily balanced. But later, when I had a small child, the cost of living increased, I started to find more ways to improve my income. There was a period when I finished my class, so I took advantage of selling online" - Ms. Tam said.
According to Ms. Tam, work in class is always full of pressure. A classroom has dozens of children, from eating, sleeping, cleaning to studying, all of whom are teachers. There were almost no days off, so I had to work hard to take care of my children.
"Recently, when I heard that preschool teachers could receive special coefficients in the near future, I was very excited. That is a worthy recognition for our silent efforts" - Ms. Tam expressed.
Similarly, Ms. Dao Minh Tam - a teacher at Vu Cong Te Primary School (Dong Anh Commune, Hanoi) - said that the special salary coefficient that all teachers are expected to enjoy is a recognition and a demonstration of the State's concern for the teaching staff.
"We are very happy to hear about the draft application of a special salary coefficient for teachers. This is a practical policy to help teachers stabilize their lives, work with peace of mind, and reduce financial pressure. If implemented, teachers will have more conditions to focus on teaching instead of having to worry about finding more overtime jobs to improve their income" - Ms. Tam said.
According to teacher Minh Tam, adjusting teachers' income not only helps stabilize their lives but is also an important source of spiritual encouragement.
"In particular, for young teachers, new to the profession, receiving a special salary coefficient will create more confidence and motivation to stay in the profession for a long time. When financial worries are reduced, they can spend more time and effort improving their expertise, innovating teaching methods, giving students more effective and exciting hours of study" - Ms. Tam shared.
Also a direct teacher, Ms. Pham Thu Trang - a teacher at a primary school in Dong Anh commune (Hanoi) - expressed her hope that the proposal to apply a special salary coefficient will help improve income and create more motivation to stick with the profession.
However, Ms. Trang believes that the policy needs to be implemented transparently and promptly, while combining with reasonable allowances to ensure increased actual income and fairness among teachers in different areas.
"As a teacher, I hope this policy will be implemented soon, helping the teaching staff feel secure in their work and wholeheartedly focus on teaching and educating students" - Ms. Trang expressed.
