The Law on Teachers takes effect from January 1, 2026, marking an important turning point in perfecting the policy for teachers. The law not only enhances the position of teachers in society but also directly affects the rights, treatment regimes and working environment of the teaching staff.
For the first time, there is a Law specifically for teachers
The Law on Teachers is the first specialized law to comprehensively regulate teachers, from position, professional standards, recruitment, use, salary, treatment, training and fostering, to honoring, rewarding and handling violations.
The law not only enhances respect but also creates specific policies, supporting teachers on rights, treatment regimes, and working environment, thereby affirming the importance and position of the teaching profession in the development of the country.
Teacher salaries are ranked highest on the administrative career salary scale
An important highlight of the Law on Teachers is the orientation of placing teachers' salaries at the highest level in the administrative career salary scale system.
This priority is not only to improve income and ensure the material life of teachers, but also clearly affirms the central role of teachers in the cause of educational innovation. When the treatment regime is improved, teachers will have more motivation to contribute, feel secure in their profession, focus on innovating methods, improving professional qualifications, and investing time for students, instead of economic pressure as before.
Abolish the division of grades I, II, III, pedagogical practice is mandatory in recruitment
The Law on Teachers stipulates the content and methods of teacher recruitment more strictly; requiring pedagogical practice during the recruitment process to ensure practical professional capacity, not just a paper degree.
The Law on Teachers also abolishes the previous system of teacher classification I, II, III, replacing it with the concept of teacher title determined according to professional requirements in each level of education and training level.
Thus, all teachers are considered equal in professional values, not determined by administrative criteria that sometimes do not accurately reflect actual capacity.
Preschool teachers are allowed to retire 5 years early
Regarding the retirement regime for teachers, the Law stipulates that teachers in preschool education institutions, if they wish, can retire at a lower age than the retirement age of employees under normal conditions but not more than 5 years old. In case of having paid social insurance for 15 years or more, the pension percentage due to early retirement will not be reduced.
Teachers with the title of professor, associate professor or doctoral degree and teachers working in specific specialized fields and sectors are entitled to retirement at an older age.
Teachers no longer have a hard summer vacation of 8 weeks as at present
Article 16 of the 2025 Law on Teachers stipulates: "Annual summer vacation and other holidays for teachers are arranged appropriately for teachers at each level of education, training level and type of educational institution according to Government regulations".
Thus, when the Law on Teachers takes effect from January 1, 2026, the current strict regulation on 8-week summer vacation will no longer exist.
Teachers continue to receive seniority allowances until salary reform
The Law on Teachers has transitional provisions on seniority allowances as follows: Teachers continue to receive seniority allowances until the reform of the general salary policy is implemented.
Thus, from January 1, 2026, teachers will continue to receive seniority allowances until salary policy reform for cadres, civil servants, public employees, armed forces and workers in enterprises is implemented.
