On June 16, the National Assembly officially passed the 2025 Teachers' Law. This is considered the first law specifically for the Vietnamese teaching staff. One of the most notable points is the policy of prioritizing the highest salary in the career administration system and more flexible regulations on retirement age.
Teacher salaries are ranked highest in the public service sector
According to Article 23 of the Law, teachers' salaries at public educational institutions will be ranked at the highest level in the administrative career salary scale system.
In addition, teachers also enjoy preferential allowances, along with support according to regions and the nature of their work. Specifically, teachers work at:
Kindergarten;
Particularly difficult areas such as ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas, border areas, and islands;
Specialized schools will receive higher salaries and allowances than teachers working under normal conditions.
Preschool teachers are allowed to retire 5 years early
A notable new point in Article 26 of the Law is that preschool teachers can retire up to 5 years earlier than the prescribed age, if they wish and have paid social insurance for 15 years or more. In this case, the pension rate will not be deducted.
For example, in 2025, the normal retirement age for male workers will be 61 years and 3 months; for female workers will be 56 years and 7 months.
Accordingly, preschool teachers can retire from about the age of 56 for men and 51 for women and still receive a full pension if they are eligible.
Teachers will have their working time extended by 10 years
According to Article 27, the Law on Teachers also stipulates the retirement mechanism at an older age for those with specific titles or expertise:
No more than 10 years old for professors
No more than 7 years old for associate professors
Not more than 5 years old for a PhD
The extension of working time must be based on the health, voluntary participation of teachers and the actual needs of educational institutions. However, during this time, teachers do not hold management positions.
According to many teachers, the Law on Teachers is considered an important milestone, marking the first time teachers have their own law. Prioritizing salary arrangement and flexible retirement age adjustment not only shows recognition of the special role of the teaching profession, but also contributes to retaining talented people, attracting high-quality human resources to the industry. The Law on Teachers will take effect from January 1, 2026.
