Despite receiving few Tet gifts, many teachers still deduct their salary to provide Tet gifts for poor students.
(Baonghean.vn) - Tet bonuses are quite strange to many teachers, but many teachers do not hesitate to spend part of their income to take care of poor students during Tet. Understanding this reality, many activities have been implemented to join hands to take care of Tet for teachers in difficult circumstances, sick...
Don't expect Tet bonus
Having worked in the education sector for nearly 20 years in a mountainous district of Nghe An province, teacher Phan Hang said she does not think about Tet bonuses, simply because it is something they have never had. During Tet, the most support they receive is about 500,000-1 million VND, usually taken from the agency's union money.
Sharing about this, teacher Phan Hang added: “Because there has been no Tet bonus for many years, we consider this normal. However, looking at some other industries and professions, it is also heartbreaking. Some teachers have money for extra teaching, so it is better, but the remaining teachers only live on their real salary, which is really hard. When holding a monthly salary in hand, they have to be frugal and save enough to buy Tet gifts for their children and both sides of the family. For the rest, I myself often do not dare to buy anything.”
Mr. Dang Van Bang - Principal of Muong Qua High School (Con Cuong) said: Giving Tet bonuses to schools is very difficult, because schools are public service units, have no income, so there is no 13th month salary.
Therefore, it is called “Tet bonus” but in fact it is just “Tet gift” with a very small amount of money that the school saves from regular expenses to give as Tet gifts to staff, teachers and employees. In addition, the school will have more special gifts for teachers with difficult circumstances or illnesses.
Ms. Tran Thi Cuc - Principal of Chau Tien Kindergarten (Quy Chau) shared that, up to this point, the school has not thought about Tet bonuses for teachers or if there is, it is only "so-called".
Despite not having a Tet bonus, teachers at Chau Tien Kindergarten are still rushing to prepare the “Tet and Spring” program for the school’s students. In addition to activities to welcome the New Year, in this program, the school plans to give gifts to disadvantaged students. All Tet gifts for students are voluntarily contributed by teachers in the school, with each person contributing at least 500,000 VND.
Another school in Quy Chau district that has also had a difficult year is Chau Hanh Primary School – one of the schools most severely damaged in the flood that occurred in late September 2023.
“We are trying to make sure everyone gets a Tet gift, but perhaps this gift will be “very small” because our school has absolutely no source of income…
Having spent many years in a school in a particularly difficult area, Ms. Le also said that, although she knew it was very difficult, the teachers all shared the hardships of the school and most of them no longer thought about Tet bonuses. What is admirable is that although there was no Tet bonus, each staff and teacher of the school voluntarily donated a day's salary to take care of Tet for poor students.
In addition, the school will also organize a “learning encouragement” meal for nearly 150 students from Ta Soi and Thuan Lap schools to celebrate Tet at the main school. These are also the only two satellite schools of the school that have not been “covered” with Information Technology and Foreign Languages. Therefore, twice a week, the children still have to bring their meals to the main school to study these two subjects, which is very difficult to travel to.
Share with teachers
A month before Tet, a delegation of the Nghe An Education Trade Union visited and presented a Tet gift worth 3 million VND to teacher Ho Quy Hoi - a teacher at Co Do High School, who was diagnosed with leukemia nearly a year ago. His current situation is difficult, because both he and his wife are teachers, his wife teaches elementary school and their children are still young. The serious illness makes his life even more difficult, because almost every month he has to go to the Provincial Oncology Hospital or the Central Cancer Hospital for check-ups and blood transfusions.
Chairman of the Trade Union of Co Do High School, teacher Ho Vinh Duong said: “This year, our school has 2 teachers who are seriously ill and living in extremely difficult and arduous conditions. For nearly a year, the school has regularly visited and shared with the teachers, but this is a disease that requires long-term and expensive treatment, so the teachers are all facing difficulties. Therefore, the fact that the Trade Union of the industry has visited and encouraged the teachers early during Tet is very meaningful. On the school side, despite great efforts, the Tet bonus for teachers is only from 1 to 1.2 million VND.”
In addition to teachers with serious illnesses, many teachers and staff in Nghe An are still struggling with meager salaries, not enough to cover their living expenses. Ms. Do Thi Le - an office worker at Yen Thanh 3 High School said: "15 years ago, when I first started working, my salary was 700,000 VND/month and I wished it would increase to 5 million VND. But up to now, I still have not reached this salary. The income is so low that I have thought twice about quitting my job to go abroad to work and I just hope that the departments and sectors will pay attention so that we can improve our lives."
Teacher Do Thi Le is one of nearly 200 teachers and staff who have just participated in the Program.“Happy Tet – Sharing Spring”implemented by the Education sector in preparation for the Lunar New Year 2024. This year's program is organized earlier than every year with a larger number and wider scope.
This year, the industry also gives special priority to teachers and staff working in special positions in schools, such as accountants, librarians, medical staff, etc.
The program "Tet Sum Vay" is one of the practical activities, demonstrating the profound humanity, always caring, encouraging, and sharing with cadres, teachers, and workers in difficult circumstances of the trade union organization.
This year, we are targeting staff members at schools. They are people who, despite low salaries and inadequate mechanisms and policies, still silently and diligently stick to their jobs, contributing their strength and intelligence to help schools do a good job of teaching and learning.
As planned, this year, the Education sector will spend more than 1.3 billion VND to give gifts to nearly 1,500 teachers and students in difficult circumstances, suffering from serious illnesses, and severely affected by natural disasters and floods. The sector has also issued documents requesting schools and grassroots unions to proactively grasp the situation, inspect and supervise employers in implementing legal regulations on salary and Tet gifts for teachers.
