Tet bonuses for teachers: Positive signs.

(Baonghean.vn) - As the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Dragon approaches, most schools have finalized their 2011 budgets to allocate funds for Tet bonuses for teachers. However, with 75% of the budget allocated to salaries, and even over 80% in remote and mountainous areas, having surplus funds at the end of the year is not easy, making Tet bonuses a "luxury" in the education sector. Nevertheless, according to a survey of schools in the province this year, most have accumulated funds to give Tet bonuses to their teachers.

Regarding the issue of Tet bonuses for teachers, Mr. Nguyen Trong Hoan, Deputy Chief of the Office of the Department of Education and Training, stated: "How to provide additional Tet bonuses for teachers mainly depends on the 'flexibility' of the school principals, the joint efforts of local authorities and parents, as the Department of Education and Training does not have the resources to provide support."

Due to the "actual situation" and "flexibility" of each school, the amount of Tet bonuses varies significantly from school to school. Schools in cities and towns have the means to accumulate funds from sources such as: universities in the area renting space to organize entrance exams; foreign language and computer centers renting locations for evening classes, etc.

Furthermore, schools that effectively promote the socialization of education also save a small amount from their budget, thus allowing teachers in these schools to receive a better Tet bonus compared to others. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhan, Principal of Hoa Sen Kindergarten (Vinh City), said: "This year, the Tet bonus for teachers at our school is between 1 and 1.5 million VND. To provide this bonus, in addition to mobilizing teachers to make teaching aids to save on purchasing, stationery, electricity, water, and welfare funds, the school also has revenue from renting out business stalls..."

Meanwhile, schools in mountainous, remote, and disadvantaged areas have nowhere to turn for Tet (Lunar New Year) gifts for their teachers. The principal of a high school in a mountainous region stated: "In these areas, all school expenses depend solely on the budget from higher levels. And that budget is only enough to pay teachers' salaries. Without money for extra classes, additional teaching hours, or support from parents, school leaders, despite wanting to provide teachers with a decent Tet, are powerless to do so." Many schools have "creatively" used funds from overtime pay, grading fees, stationery, and year-end performance bonuses to give teachers extra money for Tet.

However, according to the general survey, this year, the leaders of the units have tried their best to ensure that the staff and teachers receive better Tet gifts than last year. Last year, among the 30 high schools we surveyed, only Dien Chau 5 High School had a Tet bonus of 1,000,000 VND.

However, at the same level, this year there are 9 units (including the high schools: Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School, Ha Huy Tap High School, Bac Yen Thanh High School, Phan Thuc Truc High School, Do Luong 1 High School, Nguyen Thuc Tu High School, Cua Lo High School, Nghi Loc 5 High School and Continuing Education Center 2); 4 units awarded 600,000 VND; 6 units awarded 500,000 VND; 1 unit awarded 400,000 VND; 11 units awarded 300,000 VND; 3 units awarded 200,000 VND, and 2 units awarded 100,000 VND.

The units (kindergartens, primary schools, and junior high schools) belonging to 9 out of 12 surveyed Education and Training Departments had an average bonus of 200,000 VND; the unit with the lowest bonus was 30,000 VND (in Con Cuong) and the unit with the highest bonus was 400,000 VND (in Cua Lo and Yen Thanh).

However, there are still quite a few units that do not give Tet gifts to their staff and teachers. Among the 45 high schools we surveyed, 9 units did not give Tet bonuses (including 4 high schools: Tuong Duong, Tay Hieu, Do Luong 3, Dien Chau 4; 3 continuing education centers: Que Phong, Yen Thanh, Anh Son; and among the 12/20 education departments surveyed, 3 units belonging to the Education and Training Departments of Quy Chau, Nam Dan, and Tuong Duong did not give Tet bonuses).

Recently, the Nghe An Education Union received 100 million VND from the Can Tho Education Union and 6 million VND from the Provincial Labor Federation. This money was distributed to 335 teachers in difficult circumstances. Most recently, Vinh University donated over 41 million VND to teachers and students in Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts to help them have a warmer Tet holiday. However, relying solely on the self-funding efforts of schools and local authorities still results in inconsistent support – some areas receive more, others less, or none at all. Perhaps a truly clear policy at the macro level is needed so that teachers can also fully enjoy the joy of receiving Tet bonuses like other officials and civil servants in other sectors.

Thanh Phuc - Thao Nhi