The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) is seeking opinions on the draft Decree detailing a number of articles of the Law on Teachers. In which Article 32 on policies to support teachers attracts great attention from the teaching staff.
Compared to previous regulations that were still scattered and lacked synchronization, this draft shows efforts to concretize the policy of "setting teachers at the center" with more practical support mechanisms, directly linked to professional characteristics and working conditions.
Periodic health check-ups
A noteworthy new point is the clear regulation that teachers are entitled to periodic health check-ups and treatment of occupational diseases according to legal regulations. In particular, for teachers who are subject to heavy, hazardous, and dangerous allowances, the frequency of health check-ups is increased to at least 2 times/year.
Previously, health check-ups for teachers were mainly carried out in general according to the labor regime, not taking into account the specific nature of teaching with high intensity and great psychological pressure, especially in physical education, defense - security or difficult areas. The addition of this regulation is not only humane but also demonstrates an approach that considers teacher health as a prerequisite for the quality of education.
Hourly allowance
The draft Decree for the first time proposes a method of calculating allowances based on the salary level of 1 lesson, applicable to teachers teaching Vietnamese to ethnic minority children before grade 1 and teachers teaching in combined classes.
Teachers teaching combined classes of 2 levels are entitled to an allowance of 50% of the salary of 1 lesson; teaching combined classes of 3 levels is entitled to 75%. The salary for 1 lesson is calculated according to a clear formula, based on the total 12-month salary in the school year, the number of teaching weeks and the lesson norm/year.
Compared to before, the regime for teachers teaching combined classes was mainly scattered in guiding documents, the level of support was not uniform and lacked specific calculation bases, but this proposal helps to transparentize the payment method, accurately reflecting the increased workload of teachers. This is a positive sign, especially for teachers in remote and isolated areas - where the combined class model is still common.
The draft also stipulates that this allowance is paid at the end of the school year and is not used to calculate social insurance and health insurance contributions and benefits.
Housing support
Another highlight of Article 32 is the policy of housing support for teachers working in ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas, border areas, islands and areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions.
According to the draft, teachers who do not have housing are allowed to rent official residences or arrange collective accommodation. In case they cannot arrange it, teachers will be supported with rent at a rate not lower than the rent for official residences.
Compared to before, when many localities were confused in arranging official residences, leading to the situation that teachers had to manage their own accommodation in deprived conditions, the new regulations have clarified the responsibilities of management agencies and educational institutions. In particular, allowing the accounting of housing rental support costs into regular expenses helps increase feasibility in implementation.
Article 32 also allows teachers to enjoy additional support regimes according to current regulations and regulations of localities and educational institutions. This regulation creates room for localities, depending on budget conditions, to issue specific policies, avoiding the situation of "equal treatment" in remuneration.
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