Nguyen Thi Ngoc, a primary school teacher in Phu Tho, could not hide her joy after receiving an 11 million VND bonus last week. "I am very excited because this money arrived right before I start my maternity leave. Last year, this amount was only just over 5 million VND", Ngoc shared.

The increase in bonuses stems from Government Decree 73, which took effect in July 2024. This decree outlines policies for unexpected bonuses and performance-based bonuses for public employees. Under this policy, the bonus fund in schools is set at 10% of the total salary fund for teachers and staff, excluding allowances.

Last year, typical bonuses ranged from 4-7 million VND because calculations only covered the final five months of the year. This year, with the policy applied for a full 12 months, the amount teachers received has increased by 1,5 to 2 times.

Schools generally base bonus payments on academic year performance ratings, considering criteria such as: labor discipline, teaching effectiveness, and achievements. The specific payment levels for each category are determined collectively by the school staff.

At Ngoc's school, teachers rated as having "Excellent performance" received nearly 14 million VND. This group typically includes management staff or teachers with outstanding achievements, such as winning provincial-level excellent teaching awards or mentoring students to achieve national awards. Ngoc, who was rated as having "Good performance", received 11 million VND. Teachers on maternity leave or those with "Satisfactory performance" received lower amounts, calculated based on their actual working months.

Similarly, in Ninh Binh, Nguyen Thi Hue also received over 11 million VND. Her school distributed a bonus fund of nearly 280 million VND using a coefficient system: 0,7 for "Satisfactory", 0,9 for "Good", and 1 for "Excellent". The three teachers who achieved "Excellent" ratings received 12,3 million VND each. Most other teachers, like Hue, received bonuses at the "Good" level.

"The bonus is double what I received last year, so I am very happy. It helps me with extra funds for Tet shopping", Hue stated.

Teachers and students at Bui Van Moi Primary School, Phuoc Long ward, TP HCM, September 2025. Photo: Quynh Tran

Teachers and students at Bui Van Moi Primary School, Phuoc Long ward, TP HCM, September 2025. Photo: Quynh Tran

Nguyen Hue Secondary School in Da Nang opted to distribute bonuses in two installments, corresponding to the two semesters. Principal Vo Thanh Phuoc reported that the total bonus fund for over 90 teachers amounted to approximately one billion VND.

In the second installment, distributed five days ago, the school applied coefficients of 0,8, 1, and 1,2 for the three performance levels. With additional responsibility coefficients ranging from 0,15 to 0,5, teachers rated as "Excellent" commonly received over 7 million VND, with the highest reaching 8,5 million VND. Most other teachers, who achieved "Good performance", received 5-6 million VND.

In Ha Noi, Nguyen Cao Cuong, principal of Thai Thinh Secondary School, said the method and amount of bonuses had not yet been finalized, but the intention was to follow a similar approach to last year.

All teachers at the school were categorized as either "Good performance" or "Excellent performance". Bonuses for these two groups were approximately 9 million VND and over 10 million VND, respectively.

"We also aim to balance the bonus levels to avoid significant disparities. The reason is that a maximum of 20% of teachers can be rated 'Excellent', while all teachers have worked hard throughout the year", Cuong explained. "This is a meaningful gift for teachers during Tet".

A high school principal in suburban Ha Noi mentioned that because their school is part of a pilot program for educational service ordering (considered self-reliant), the Decree 73 bonus had "not yet arrived". However, the school has developed a bonus distribution plan based on three coefficients: 0,8, 1, and 1,2.

"Teachers will receive around 13-14 million VND at the highest, with 10 million VND being common", the principal stated.

In TP HCM, Hoang, vice principal of a high school, reported that the school had received over 730 million VND in bonuses for 82 staff members. Individual payments are expected to range from 6-9 million VND.

Thanh Hoa, a preschool teacher in Cho Lon ward, TP HCM, was informed by her principal that bonuses would be distributed in early January. Hoa "heard" that colleagues at many other schools had already received their payments, with a common range of 7,5-9,5 million VND, and some schools reaching up to 11 million VND.

"I am eagerly anticipating this bonus", Hoa expressed. "Historically, teachers have not received Tet bonuses, so this amount serves as recognition for our efforts over the year and motivates us to strive harder".

Thanh Hang - Tam Le - Nguyen Dong