Minister Nguyen Kim Son announced on 17/11 that the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has proposed a specific salary coefficient for teachers in the draft decree on educator salary and allowance policies. This new coefficient would be in addition to current benefits, such as professional preferential allowance, seniority allowance, and position allowance.

This proposal aligns with Politburo Resolution 71, which focuses on breakthroughs in education and training development. The resolution stipulates that teachers will receive special preferential policies, with the professional preferential allowance for preschool and general education teachers to be raised to a minimum of 70%, reaching a maximum of 100% for those in exceptionally difficult, border, and island regions. School staff are also slated to receive a 30% allowance.

According to Mr. Son, MOET proposes a two-phase implementation for this increase. From 2026 to 2030, the allowance for preschool and general education teachers will increase by an additional 15% from current levels, reaching 50-85%.

During this first phase, university and vocational education systems will see their allowance increase by 5%, bringing their total to 30%. School staff, a group not currently receiving professional preferential allowance, are proposed to receive a 20% allowance.

MOET anticipates that phase two, from 2031 onwards, will fully implement the preferential allowance levels outlined in Resolution 71.

Regarding resources, Mr. Son stated that the state budget would allocate funds annually. However, he expressed hope that localities would be more proactive in balancing their budgets and prioritizing education. This approach aims to ensure the policy genuinely improves teachers' lives, motivates them, and encourages long-term commitment to the profession.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son addressing the press at the start of the new academic year. Photo: MOET

Nationally, over 1,05 million preschool and general education teachers receive state-funded salaries. Current teacher salaries range from 4,9 million to 15,87 million VND per month, depending on the educational level. Including various allowances, the total monthly income is approximately 6,6 million to 30 million VND.

The Law on Educators, passed by the National Assembly last June, stipulates that teachers' salaries should be prioritized as the highest in the administrative and public service salary scale. In the draft decree on salary policies and allowances for educators, released last week, MOET proposed applying a specific coefficient of 1,25 for public preschool teachers and 1,15 for general education teachers. This would result in a monthly salary increase of 0,8 million to 3,7 million VND for teachers, with a common increase of 1-2 million VND. The estimated monthly budget expenditure for this proposal is 1.652 billion VND.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs argues that teachers' salaries are already the highest, and adding a specific coefficient could disrupt the current salary system, leading to income imbalances.

Duong Tam