Nguyen Thi Bich Hao, Director of Tam Sinh Loc Joint Stock Company, which owns Nguyen Du Plus International Kindergarten, stated on the morning of 3/8 that the teachers work at the facility on Le Van Thiem street, Thanh Sen ward, Ha Tinh. Among them, about 40 individuals who had previously submitted contract termination requests will have new contracts signed.
The teachers' return follows a two-day strike last weekend, when over 50 educators simultaneously stopped teaching to pressure the school for salary adjustments. They claimed their net monthly income, after insurance deductions, was about 5,7 million VND, which was insufficient to cover basic living expenses.
In addition to salary concerns, teachers also requested a review of the school's tuition waiver policy for their children. Under the existing policy, teachers needed a long-term contract and a commitment to work for a minimum of two years to receive tuition support. Otherwise, they faced repaying the full amount of waived tuition fees if they resigned prematurely.
The strike caused significant disruption, forcing many parents to take their children home and seek childcare from relatives. Many parents expressed concern, stating they would consider transferring their children to other schools if the situation persisted. The school also found itself in a passive position regarding its educational operations.
According to Hao, following a dialogue on the evening of 1/8, the company leadership decided to maintain the original salary plan. However, they agreed to drop the requirement for teachers to repay waived tuition fees for their children if they resigned.
Hao explained that a teacher whose child attended the school for five consecutive years would receive a tuition waiver of nearly 200 million VND. She noted that some individuals joined the school primarily for their children to receive free education, then resigned once their children reached first grade age. To counter this, the school previously included a tuition compensation clause in contracts, aiming to stabilize its teaching staff.
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Nguyen Du Plus International Kindergarten on Le Van Thiem street, Thanh Sen ward, Ha Tinh. Photo: Duc Hung
Nguyen Du Plus International Kindergarten has operated in Ha Tinh since 2018 and comprises three facilities. The Le Van Thiem street campus employs 111 staff members, including 69 teachers. Last academic year, it enrolled approximately 650 children aged 15 months to six years, with about 400 children attending during the summer program.
The cost per student is about 4,6 million VND per month, which includes tuition (3,4 million VND), meals, and other fees. Teachers' salaries range from 6,3 to over 9 million VND per month, averaging about 6,9 million VND, depending on their seniority. Recently, the school planned to increase salaries by a minimum of 500.000 VND per month starting 1/8, but the teachers proposed an increase of at least one million VND.
The school stated that its revenue was "modest", making the aforementioned teacher salaries (excluding breakfast and lunch allowances) appropriate given the financial situation.
Duc Hung
