School accountants and other non-teaching staff in Vietnam are advocating for increased allowances, citing high pressure, significant responsibilities, and inadequate compensation. Thi Hoang, a school accountant in Vinh Long, exemplifies this struggle. She, along with many others, has been circulating an online petition to demand better benefits. By 4/12, over 13,700 individuals had signed the petition, and the topic has generated tens of thousands of interactions on social media.

Hoang, who works as an accountant at a junior high school, explained that her job involves far more than just payroll and financial ledgers. She highlighted dozens of unlisted tasks, such as processing travel expenses. This requires not only disbursing funds but also collecting and cross-referencing invitations and travel vouchers. Each task involves multiple verification steps, as every signature and spending decision carries professional risks. During the beginning or end of the school year, Hoang often brings work home, staying up late to complete reports.

"The work is high-pressure, highly responsible, and comes with significant risks. Even a small error can lead to disciplinary action, compensation, or even criminal prosecution", Hoang stated. She noted that school accountants currently lack appropriate allowances or incentives.

After 15 years of service, Hoang earns a salary coefficient of 2.67 and a 0.1% allowance, resulting in a net monthly income of approximately 6 million VND after deductions for insurance and other fees. She added that many new graduates receive only 85% of their salary, about 4 million VND, which is "not enough to support themselves, let alone a family or young children".

Thanh Thuong, 34, an accountant at a kindergarten in Thanh Hoa, faces a similar situation. For over 10 years as a contract employee, she struggled with a monthly salary of 4-5 million VND. Her salary only increased to over 7 million VND after she was officially hired as a permanent staff member.

"Working at the same school, but seeing the vast difference between my salary and that of other colleagues makes me disheartened", Thuong shared.

A school accountant's office. Illustration: AI

Dinh Phu Cuong, Principal of Nguyen Van Luong Junior High School in TP HCM, acknowledged the heavy workload and high responsibility required of accountants. He noted that beyond their core duties, all school reports, ledgers, and activities are linked to the accounting department. While teachers have free periods, school staff must work full days.

"It pains me to approve their payroll. One teacher confided that if it weren't for family support, she would have quit long ago", Cuong said. "Teachers receive allowances of 30-70% of their salary depending on their role, but these staff members only get 0.1-0.2%, which is negligible".

The circulating petition proposes allowances of 50-70% for school accountants and staff. Thuong stated that she and many colleagues do not expect such a high figure but participate in the hope of adding their voices to improve their benefits. "We want our efforts to be recognized fairly, reflecting the reality of our work. This is what school accountants have been patiently waiting for for many years", Thuong expressed.

Vu Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Teachers and Education Administrators, told VnExpress on 4/12 that he has repeatedly received appeals from accountants and school staff regarding their allowance policies. He mentioned that Politburo Resolution 71 addressed allowances for this group, setting a maximum of 30%. When drafting policies for salaries and allowances, the Ministry proposed a two-phase roadmap to "balance the state budget". Phase one, from 2026 to 2030, would provide school staff with a 20% allowance. Phase two, from 2031 onwards, would implement the 30% preferential allowance as outlined in Resolution 71.

Currently, there are approximately 246,800 non-teaching staff, including accountants, administrative staff, and medical personnel, working in schools nationwide. These individuals are categorized as "specialized and common professional public employees". Of these, 95,600 are permanent staff, while the remainder are on contract.

According to Government Decree 204, the salary coefficient for school staff ranges from 1.86 to 4.89, corresponding to a monthly salary of 4.35-11.4 million VND. Depending on their position, they are required to have at least an intermediate-level degree and relevant professional certificates.

Within this group, medical staff currently receive a 20% preferential allowance, while accountants, treasurers, and laboratory equipment managers receive a responsibility allowance of 0.1-0.2%. Administrative staff, librarians, and information technology personnel do not receive any allowances.

Le Nguyen

*Teacher names have been changed