Attracting high-quality human resources
According to the draft Decree regulating salary policies and allowances for teachers announced by the Ministry of Education and Training for comments, all teachers will be subject to a special salary coefficient. Preschool teachers are entitled to a coefficient of 1.25 compared to the current salary; other titles of teachers are entitled to a coefficient of 1.15.
According to the Ministry, although the specific salary coefficient does not help teachers' salaries be ranked highest, it will help teachers' salaries be ranked higher than that of civil servants with the same salary scale applied. The team of teachers nationwide looks forward to the consensus of competent authorities on the regulation of specific salary coefficients to gradually resolve the shortcomings of the current salary scale system, while implementing the policy of "the highest teacher salary in the administrative career salary scale system".
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, Associate Professor, Dr. Do Van Dung - former Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education - said that in reality, the salary of the teaching staff is lower than many other professions in the public sector.
The underlying reason for this situation is that the current salary system is still average and equal, not properly reflecting the value of labor and work productivity. Although teachers have high professional qualifications and many years of experience, the salary increase depends mainly on seniority and rank, not directly linked to teaching performance or professional achievements.
Therefore, increasing salaries and benefits will ensure fairness and attract high-quality human resources, attract good students to study pedagogical subjects, teachers will feel secure in sticking with and contributing long-term. Reasonable salaries are a motivation for teachers to invest more in their expertise, be creative in teaching and actively innovate methods, contributing to improving the quality of comprehensive education.
Appropriate treatment policy
Discussing the significance of the Law on Teachers, Ms. Nguyen Thi Viet Nga - Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society - said that the most breakthrough new point is the regulation that teachers' salaries are given the highest priority in the administrative career salary scale system. This is a historic change.
For many years, teachers have been professionally respected by society, but in reality, their income is not commensurate with their efforts and status.Many teachers have to work other jobs to make ends meet, even having a "grey bleeding" phenomenon when good teachers leave their jobs.
The highest salary for teachers has two levels of significance: First, in terms of material things, it helps improve income, ensure a stable life, and motivate teachers to wholeheartedly and wholeheartedly devote themselves to the education career.Secondly, in spirit, this is an honor, affirming that the teaching profession is not inferior to any other profession, but on the contrary, it must be prioritized for directly contributing to the quality of national human resources.
Along with that, the Law on Teachers also adds many specific allowance regimes: preferential allowances, regional allowances, support for public housing, support for trains and buses, allowances for enhanced teaching, inter-school teaching or at small school locations.In particular, for teachers in remote areas, border areas, and islands, where socio-economic conditions are particularly difficult, these policies will be a " supported" for them to work with peace of mind, stay long-term, and contribute to narrowing the educational gap between regions.
"international experience shows that countries with developed education such as Finland, Japan, and South Korea all have high policies on teacher treatment.In Finland, the income of primary school teachers is equivalent to the average income of engineers.In Korea, high school teachers have a higher starting salary than many other professions in the public sector.
It is that satisfactory treatment that has attracted talent to the education sector, ensuring the quality of training for the younger generation. Vietnam, with the Law on Teachers, has begun to follow that correct path" - Ms. Nga emphasized.
