Especially because behind it is the 3-year persistent journey of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters and insiders to find recognition for a force that has long stood behind the "stage lights" of the education sector.
In schools, people often mention teachers, curriculum innovation, teaching quality or student achievements. But for a school to operate normally every day, there are many other silent people.
They are library staff, clerks, accountants, school health workers, equipment, cashiers... They are the ones who prepare dossiers, manage books, take care of teaching equipment, process papers, support students, ensure logistics for teachers, and keep the school apparatus operating smoothly.
Their work is quiet but indispensable. However, for a long time, this group has suffered many policy disadvantages. Many people have to concurrently do many jobs, work pressure increases but income is limited.
There are school staff who have been attached to the profession for decades, but their salaries are still struggling to cover living expenses. Meanwhile, they are almost outside the professional preferential allowance policies that are considered a special recognition for the education sector.
Therefore, the Government's issuance of Decree 182/2026/ND-CP, for the first time including "education support personnel" in the category of enjoying professional preferential allowances at a rate of 20%, shows the official listening and recognition that they are also an important part of the education environment.
What is more noteworthy is that this result has a significant contribution from the reporters of Lao Dong Newspaper. Over the past 3 years, Lao Dong Newspaper has published more than 100 articles reflecting the lives, thoughts and inadequacies in policies for school staff.
Three years is a long enough period to see that many social issues cannot be changed with only temporary recommendations. Sometimes, to change a policy, persistent pursuit is needed, continuous voices are needed, and a connection between real life and management agencies is needed.
And in that journey, the press, especially Lao Dong Newspaper, has played a very important role in becoming a bridge between workers and policies.
The thank-you letter from the school staff sent to Lao Dong Newspaper is also a reminder that, behind each school, each profession, there are always people who silently contribute, and if their voices are not fully heard, policies related to them are very easily forgotten.
Of course, the Government's issuance of Decree 182/2026/ND-CP, for the first time putting "education support personnel" into the category of enjoying professional preferential allowances at a rate of 20%, is only the starting step.
Because the gaps in regimes between regions, the pressure of concurrent work or the long-term income problem of school staff still need to be further removed.
But the fact that for the first time, school staff are entitled to professional preferential allowances is a memorable milestone, proving that the inadequacies of life, if persistently proposed, reflected, and pursued, will have the opportunity to be transformed into specific beneficial policies.
