Concerns about the salary of preschool teachers in border areas
The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) is developing and soliciting opinions on the content of the draft Decree regulating salary policies, allowances for teachers, and instructions for implementing the Law on Teachers.
Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training also informed about the reason for proposing that all teachers are entitled to the "Special Salary Coefficient" as stipulated in the draft.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, currently, 12% of teachers are classified into 3 groups: A1 - A2.1 - A3.1 but nearly 100% of civil servants in other sectors and fields are classified into these 3 groups.
88% of teachers are ranked below the salary of civil servants in other sectors and fields: 88% of these teachers can enjoy the highest salary coefficient of 6.78; while civil servants in other sectors can enjoy the highest salary coefficient of 8.0 (about 1.18 times higher). Meanwhile, teachers must have a training level that meets the prescribed standards.
100% of preschool teachers are currently ranked with the lowest salary in the administrative career salary scale system.
In fact, many preschool teachers have expressed concern that their income is not commensurate with the amount of work they have to undertake.
After nearly 19 years of working in the profession, teacher Nguyen Thi Nhan - a teacher at Huoi Luong Kindergarten (Phong Tho commune, Lai Chau province) - is still teaching tirelessly at a remote school located deep in the border area. But besides her love for the job, there is a concern that has lasted for many years: The income level is not really commensurate with the effort and work pressure.
In 2006, when she first started her career, her salary was only nearly 3 million VND/month. After nearly two decades of working, income has increased, but according to Ms. Nhan, "the increase cannot keep up with the standard of living". Raising two children alone, including education, rent, living expenses and a series of other expenses have made the life of a teacher in the highlands always full of worries.
She shared that the school where she works is a border commune with a sparsely populated population, so organizing classes is difficult and the road to school is far away. "Students are few but are of many different ages, so most classes have to be combined from 3 to 5 years old" - she said.
That means that, in the same class, she has to constantly move between groups of children, take turns teaching, both taking a 3-year-old child to practice speaking and instructing a 5-year-old child to get used to the letters.
"At preschool level, teachers have to be present at school from early morning to late afternoon to look after children's eating - sleeping - living, the working time is much longer than at other levels. However, this group is the ones who are often disadvantaged by the treatment regime" - she expressed.
For her, raising salaries and adding a specific salary coefficient is not only to stabilize her personal life, but more importantly, to motivate preschool teachers in mountainous areas and gain more confidence to continue to persevere with this silent work.
"We hope to have a more worthy salary and allowance regime, so that we can feel secure in sticking with the job and taking good care of students in mountainous areas" - Ms. Nhan shared.
Expectations for new policies to help improve life
Also born from a love for children, Ms. Ly Gio Pu - a teacher at Mu Ca Kindergarten (Lai Chau) - has been in the profession for nearly 18 years.
When she first started her career, Ms. Pu's salary was only 1.6 million VND/month. She said that at that time she was young and unmarried, so she was still able to temporarily balance. Currently, her income is better, but in a family of three, she alone has a salary. Relatives are often sick and need medicine and medical examination and treatment, so that salary is still not enough, life is always difficult.
"At my school, we pick up students every morning at 6:30 am. The house is far away so I have to leave at 5am, and I leave school late in the afternoon. There is no time to work extra or increase production, life depends only on monthly salary" - Ms. Pu expressed.
Ms. Pu believes that the upcoming information that preschool teachers can enjoy a special coefficient makes her very happy. This is a worthy recognition for the silent efforts of the preschool teachers over the past time.
"I just hope to have a slightly more stable income to be able to take care of my family, reduce my daily worries about food and clothing and feel secure in sticking with the job for a long time" - she expressed.
