Speaking to a reporter from Lao Dong newspaper on December 9, a female private kindergarten teacher in Kim Chung commune (Dong Anh district, Hanoi) said that up to this point, she has not received any information about this year's Tet bonus.
"Every year, I get a Tet bonus equal to one month's income, about 10 million VND. This year, the school hasn't announced it yet, but it's probably the same as last year," she said.
The principal of a private kindergarten in Yen Nghia ward (Ha Dong district, Hanoi) said that in 2024, the rent will double, while it is difficult to increase tuition fees, which has affected the school's revenue.
"Therefore, this year's Tet bonus is still available, but certainly not as good as other businesses. The school's Tet bonus is 60-70% of actual income plus seniority pay (VND200,000/year). Thus, the longer a teacher has worked, the higher the Tet bonus," said the female principal.
According to the female principal, although there has been no official announcement, the highest Tet bonus is about 5-5.5 million VND; the lowest is about 3 million VND.
While private preschool teachers get a Tet bonus - although not much - public preschool teachers do not get a Tet bonus.
Talking to a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phan (name changed, public preschool teacher in Bac Giang city, Bac Giang province) sadly said: "We have no source for Tet bonuses."
Ms. Phan said that at the end of the year, when she heard workers in the industrial park talk about Tet bonuses, she was "a bit sad" and wondered if her industry would ever get such Tet bonuses?
But she told herself, once she was committed to public education, she had to accept that, "It's not like I'm the only one who doesn't get a Tet bonus, I have to learn to accept that."
Speaking to reporters on December 9, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc An - Chairman of the Vietnam Education Trade Union - said that public teachers usually do not receive Tet bonuses; the law does not have "hard" regulations on this.
"Schools are not businesses so they do not have surplus funds to give Tet bonuses," Mr. An shared.
According to the Chairman of the Vietnam Education Trade Union, at public kindergartens and primary schools, especially in disadvantaged areas, the People's Committees of communes and districts usually allocate a local budget to support those who have no source of income other than salary, including teachers.
Mr. An said that the Vietnam Education Trade Union always recommends that the People's Committees at the commune and district levels set aside a budget to support and encourage teachers at preschool, primary and secondary levels.
According to Mr. An, many public schools try to balance and find external sources of income to support teachers, but teachers there do not expect Tet bonuses like businesses and large universities.
Mr. An pointed out that in reality, universities are autonomous, self-balancing their own revenue and expenditure, and at the end of the year, they have the right to deduct from that autonomous revenue and expenditure source to support the 13th and 14th month salary; but public preschools, primary schools, secondary schools, and high schools do not have that.
The revenue of these schools is provided by the State, used to pay salaries, pay for activities, there is no Tet bonus, how much is given is used to pay salaries, pay for activities, there is no Tet bonus...
To take care of teachers, this year, the Vietnam Education Trade Union has implemented the guidance of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor. Accordingly, workers in difficult circumstances are supported with 1 million VND, of which no more than 700,000 VND is in cash and no more than 300,000 VND is in gifts.
In addition, the Vietnam Education Trade Union also mobilized philanthropists and businesses to support and give gifts to teachers in kindergartens and primary schools who are still facing difficulties...
