The journey of two contract teachers overcoming difficulties to become top civil servant graduates.

10 years, 3 diplomas andwaitopportunityto shine

"Even now, I still can't believe the results and am still waiting for the official acceptance letter," shared teacher Tran Thi Hien emotionally after learning she had become the top-scoring student.recruitment period for civil servants in the education sector2026.

Ms. Tran Thi Hien, born in 1994, graduated with honors in Biology Education from Vinh University in 2016. More than two years later, despite teaching on a contract basis at a private high school in Hung Nguyen district, she still strived to pursue and complete a Master's program in Biology Education Theory and Methods.

With a solid professional background, the female teacher from Quynh Son commune had waited for many years for the opportunity to be officially hired. However, for nearly 10 years, despite having taught at the high school level and then transferring to work at Ngoc Son Primary and Secondary School, she has remained a contract teacher, earning less than 5 million VND per month.

In 2023, with a desire to expand her career opportunities, Ms. Hien continued her studies in Primary Education at Vinh University and graduated with honors in July 2025. At her current workplace, she is one of the few teachers who can teach Natural Science at the secondary school level, while also teaching and serving as a homeroom teacher at the primary school level.

Determined to pass the civil service entrance exam, Ms. Tran Thi Hien applied for two positions simultaneously: elementary school teacher and Natural Science teacher (Biology subject). However, to ensure her health, she was only eligible to take the exam for one position on the day of the exam.

Previously, according to the allocation quota for the entire Quynh Luu (formerly) district, there were only 4 positions for Natural Science teachers, but there were 12 applications. Recognizing this as a rare opportunity after nearly a decade of waiting, Ms. Hien entered the exam with the mindset of "it only happens once every 10 years."

Throughout her preparation period, the young female teacher balanced teaching with raising her young child, taking advantage of every evening to study law, review her subject matter, and practice pedagogical scenarios. "I always thought that everyone tries as hard as I do, so the only way is to study seriously and do your best," Ms. Hien shared.

On the morning of the exam, starting at 5 a.m., she and her friend rode their motorbike over 60 km from Quynh Son commune to the exam site, feeling nervous. During the 180-minute exam, Ms. Hien completed the general knowledge section on specialized laws and professional ethics quite easily because she had memorized all the review material. For the section on professional knowledge and skills, she flexibly applied the pedagogical knowledge she had accumulated during her postgraduate studies, combined with her practical teaching experience.

Immediately after the exam ended, because her child was young and needed care, she hurriedly got into the car and returned home feeling quite relieved, knowing that she had tried her best.

Upon learning that she had achieved the top score of 96.5, Ms. Hien couldn't hide her emotion and excitement, eagerly awaiting her official start working at a new school in the field she had always been dedicated to.

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I have taught at elementary, middle, and high school levels, and the more I've been involved, the more I've come to love the profession. Although there have been many difficult and challenging times, moments when I felt I couldn't endure it, I've never thought about giving up. The most valuable thing that has helped me get to where I am today is my love for the profession and the constant encouragement from my parents, relatives, and colleagues. As long as I do my best, opportunities will come.

Teacher Tran Thi Hien

180 minutes"without having time to lift their heads”and a sweet ending

With a score of 96.5 points, teacher Ngo Thi Hang - a teacher at Nghia Hanh Secondary School - became the co-valedictorian of the 2026 Nghe An education sector recruitment exam. As a contract teacher in the former Tan Ky district, before the exam, Ms. Hang shared her mixed feelings as the school still lacked the budget to pay salaries to contract teachers by almost the end of January.

"For the past 13 years, we've lived in constant anxiety and apprehension," she confided.

Ms. Ngo Thi Hang, born in 1989, started her teaching career in 2012. After more than a decade of teaching, even at nearly 40 years old, her salary remains extremely meager. In the early years of her contract, her income was only about 1.5 million VND per month, then gradually increased to over 2.5 million VND, and currently stands at over 4 million VND. At times, her salary was delayed, and she receives no allowances or seniority pay like tenured teachers, making life very difficult for Ms. Hang.

Despite being only a contract teacher, in order to continue teaching, Ms. Hang accepted a job in her maternal hometown in Nghia Hanh commune, while her husband's family lives in Thanh Chuong district (formerly), nearly 40 km away. At the school, in addition to fulfilling her teaching duties, Ms. Hang has been assigned to mentor gifted students for many years, and many of her students have achieved high scores in Biology.

Sharing about her life, Ms. Hang said: "There were times when I felt discouraged and even thought about quitting teaching to find a more stable job. But then my love for the profession and my responsibility to my students kept me on the giảng platform."

Entering the civil service exam, due to her age and initial qualifications of only a College of Education degree, Ms. Hang faced considerable pressure. However, her more than 13 years of teaching experience became a significant advantage in the professional skills and pedagogical problem-solving sections of the exam.

"I read the entire question carefully from the beginning to get an overall picture, then worked on the problem continuously, almost without looking up because I was so focused," Ms. Hang recounted. The experience accumulated from teaching practice and training gifted students helped her confidently handle the requirements of the exam.

Looking back on the past exam, Ms. Hang said that the most meaningful aspect of this year's recruitment was its fairness and transparency. Thanks to this, long-term contract teachers like herself had the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, receive well-deserved recognition, and thus gain more confidence to continue their commitment to the profession, their students, and the education sector in this disadvantaged region.

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