On April 5, information from teachers of Song Hong Technical - Professional Secondary School (abbreviated as Song Hong Secondary School), after nearly 20 months, the school transferred from the Ministry of Construction to Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee, they were newly received by Phu Tho Vocational College. However, dozens of officials and teachers have not yet received salaries, paid social insurance, and it is not clear whether they are civil servants or employees.
Uncertain like Song Hong Intermediate School
Song Hong Intermediate School was established in 1971. In 2015, the school was transferred to the Ministry of Construction. For many years, this place has trained and provided tens of thousands of technical workers for the market.
On August 29, 2024, Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 1761/QD-UBND, receiving the school in its original state from the Ministry of Construction to the province, assigning the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (old) to directly manage. However, before the reception was completed, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs ended its operations.
On February 26, 2025, the People's Committee of Phu Tho province issued Decision No. 442/QD-UBND on transferring state management functions and tasks for public non-business units. Accordingly, Song Hong Intermediate School was transferred from the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to the Department of Education and Training.
On September 25, 2025, the Minister of Education and Training issued Decision No. 2681/QD-BGDDT on merging Song Hong Intermediate School into Phu Tho Vocational College. On that basis, on November 27, 2025, the Department of Education and Training issued Decision No. 1964 on handing over the school in its original state.
However, since being transferred to Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee (September 2024) to date, nearly 20 months have passed, many officials and teachers of the school have not received salaries, and social insurance regimes have also been interrupted.
Present at Song Hong Intermediate School, we recorded that the campus of more than 2ha is in a state of degradation, many items are abandoned. The lives of officials and teachers are facing many difficulties.
Teacher Ta Van Thanh (40 years old), lecturer at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, has to work as a construction worker every day to support his family and three young children. In the situation of "single father raising children", unstable income from manual work makes life fall into a dead end, exhausted both mentally and physically. "The most painful thing is not only poverty, but also the gossip when people see me. A teacher works manually," teacher Thanh shared.
Not only losing income, dozens of teachers have also been stopped from paying social insurance and health insurance since the end of 2024. Many people who are being treated fall into difficult circumstances.
Teacher Mai Ha Thanh (59 years old, Engine Department), has 24 years of service, currently undergoing stomach cancer treatment. Previously, he enjoyed health insurance, but for nearly two years now he has had to pay for all treatment costs himself.
Working with Lao Dong Newspaper, Phu Tho Provincial Department of Home Affairs confirmed that from September 2024 to now, all officials, teachers, and staff of Song Hong Intermediate School have not been paid salaries and policies have not been implemented. Phu Tho Provincial Social Insurance also confirmed that this unit is owing more than 1 billion VND in social insurance.
Ambiguity in identifying officials or employees
Answering reporters of Lao Dong Newspaper about Song Hong Intermediate School, on March 18, Ms. Tran Thi Thuy - Head of the Department of Civil Servants and Public Employees of Phu Tho Provincial Department of Home Affairs - said that after the merger, the Department of Home Affairs had a document directing and urging the School.
The Department of Home Affairs directed Phu Tho Vocational College to coordinate with Song Hong Intermediate School to receive people. Ms. Thuy said that receiving people in their original condition here is not just about facilities but must include people.
Regarding the salary regime, Ms. Thuy said that to pay salaries, first of all, Song Hong Intermediate School must calculate, because this is an autonomous unit.
Providing information to Lao Dong Newspaper, Phu Tho Vocational College provided a document signed by Mr. Luong Chi Cuong - Principal of Phu Tho Vocational College - dated March 20, stating that there is no legal basis to carry out personnel reception steps according to regulations.
The process of receiving cadres, teachers, and staff of Song Hong Intermediate School is as follows: Regarding the work of receiving cadres, teachers, and staff: From November 2025 to now, Phu Tho Vocational College has coordinated with relevant departments and branches of Phu Tho province such as: Home Affairs, Finance, Education and Training, Provincial Social Insurance, Department of Organization - Personnel (Ministry of Construction)... to provide cadre dossiers for consideration and guidance to remove difficulties in determining the civil servant payroll of Song Hong Intermediate School.
According to Phu Tho Vocational College, based on the response of the Department of Home Affairs in document No. 1388/SNV-CCVC dated February 27, 2026 and the document of the Ministry of Construction in document No. 2106/BXD-TCCB dated February 13, 2026, along with the actual records of 29 cases provided by Song Hong Intermediate School, there is not enough legal basis to determine that these 29 cases are civil servants.
Answering about financial work, Phu Tho Vocational College said that according to Project No. 2861/DA-UBND dated June 2, 2025 of Phu Tho Provincial People's Committee promulgating the Project to merge Song Hong Intermediate School into Phu Tho Vocational College stipulates: Regarding finance, Song Hong Intermediate School is responsible for handling debts (debts to be collected, debts to be paid) and social insurance for officials, teachers and employees before merging into Phu Tho Vocational College and is responsible for debts that have no source of payment or are not recoverable.
Phu Tho Vocational College receives the financial status of Song Hong Intermediate School (excluding debts that have no source of payment or are not recoverable) at the time the decision of the competent authority takes effect on arrangement and merger.
Phu Tho Vocational College proposes as follows: Implementing according to regulations, Song Hong Intermediate School will close accounting books, inventory assets, determine outstanding debts, prepare financial statements; hand over all assets and unpaid debts, make a handover record and record accounting books according to the handover record; hand over all accounting documents to the merged accounting unit.
However, to date, Song Hong Intermediate School has not implemented the contents of closing accounting books, inventorying assets, determining outstanding debts, and preparing financial statements to hand over financial books to Phu Tho Vocational College according to regulations.
