Implementing standards correctly, ensuring teaching quality
According to Circular No. 59/2026/TT-BGDĐT of the Ministry of Education and Training, effective from September 1, 2026, full-time contract teachers after retirement must perform many responsibilities in the teaching process.
Accordingly, teachers are only allowed to sign full-time contracts with one educational institution.
Teachers are responsible for implementing the norms correctly, ensuring the quality of teaching, scientific research and the contents agreed in the contract.
Teaching and research must comply with the provisions of law on education; ensure professional quality and comply with working hours, working regimes, internal regulations, and rules of educational institutions related to teaching content.
Teachers must also comply with regulations on professional ethics, scientific integrity and rules of conduct for teachers.
In addition, retired teachers who continue to teach need to proactively update knowledge, innovate teaching methods; participate in fostering and supporting the development of a team of successor teachers according to the plan of the educational institution.
Teachers are responsible for fully fulfilling their obligations regarding taxes, insurance if any, and other labor laws related to the signed contract.
In case of violating obligations, unilaterally terminating contracts contrary to the provisions of law or causing damage to property and reputation for educational institutions, teachers may have to compensate for damages, reimburse expenses and be handled according to the provisions of law as well as agreements in the contract.
Educational institutions must periodically assess teaching quality
According to Article 7 of Circular No. 59/2026/TT-BGDDT, educational institutions are allowed to use full-time contract teachers after retirement to improve the quality of education, training and scientific research activities.
However, the use of retired teachers does not replace the mandatory conditions for full-time teachers as prescribed by law.
Educational institutions are also mobilized to use the experience and expertise of retired teachers through a full-time labor contract mechanism to serve the goal of education development and have the right to unilaterally terminate labor contracts according to regulations.
Regarding responsibility, educational institutions must ensure that the proportion of full-time contract teachers after retirement participating in educational and training activities is converted to determine training capacity, and the enrollment scale does not exceed the maximum ratio according to regulations.
Before signing the contract, the educational institution must appraise the dossier, professional capacity, standards and health conditions of the teacher; and clearly define the authority of the head or legally authorized person in concluding the contract.
Educational institutions are responsible for ensuring working conditions, salaries, allowances and preferential treatment regimes for elderly workers in accordance with the law.
At the same time, educational institutions must manage, assign workloads, supervise teaching quality and periodically assess the level of task completion of teachers based on the work results agreed in the contract.
The evaluation results are the basis for considering commendation, implementing preferential treatment or continuing to sign contracts. In case the teacher's evaluation results do not meet the requirements according to the regulations of the educational institution, the unit has the right to unilaterally terminate the labor contract as prescribed.
The Circular also requires educational institutions to implement a reporting regime to competent state management agencies, and at the same time publicize the list and positions according to the job positions of full-time contract teachers after retirement on the unit's electronic information page to ensure transparency.
In case of breach of agreement in the contract or infringement of the legitimate rights and interests of teachers, educational institutions must be responsible according to the provisions of law.
