Proposal to exempt tuition fees for teachers' children is the wish of teachers

Mr. Vu Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Teachers and Educational Managers, answered on October 11.VnExpresson some new proposals of the draft Law on Teachers - to be submitted to the National Assembly for discussion at the next session (opening October 21).

- According to the draft Law on Teachers, the Ministry of Education and Training proposes to exempt tuition fees for teachers' children, from kindergarten to university. Why did the Ministry make this proposal?

- The Draft Law on Teachers is built with 5 important policies including: identification of teachers; standards and titles of teachers; recruitment, use and working regime of teachers; training, fostering, treatment and honoring of teachers; state management of teachers. These policies have been approved by the National Assembly and the Government.

Since the draft was published in May, we have made adjustments but still adhere to those five policies. Exempting tuition fees for teachers’ children is one of the proposals related to teacher treatment, stemming from a number of reasons.

The first is from the common wishes of the teaching staff. When the Ministry asked for opinions, many teachers wanted to have their children's tuition fees exempted to help improve their lives, feel secure in their work, and stay with the profession.

Second, in reality, there are industries with special characteristics that give preferential treatment to relatives of workers in the industry. For example, relatives of officers and soldiers in the armed forces are exempt from health insurance.

Therefore, with the hope that the Law on Teachers will create new policies, helping teachers feel secure in their work and attract talented people to the profession, the drafting committee put this proposal up for discussion.

- This proposal is currently receiving mixed opinions, many people think it is likely to cause injustice. What do you think about this?

- We are in the process of drafting the Law and it is completely normal for public opinion, voters and people to contribute their opinions. The drafting committee is always open-minded and listens to continue researching and perfecting policies to include in the draft law.

We will carefully evaluate the impact of the policy, the country's socio-economic conditions, and the harmony between the policy and teachers and civil servants in other sectors and professions to make appropriate adjustments.

The National Assembly and the Government have directed that "issues that are ripe and clear should be included in the law. Issues that are not yet ripe, unclear, or have many different opinions must continue to be researched."

Therefore, with the proposal of exempting tuition fees for teachers' children, we will study and calculate further.

- The Ministry also proposed to increase one salary level compared to the regular administrative salary scale for newly recruited teachers, and increase preferential allowances for preschool and primary school teachers. How did the Ministry calculate when making these proposals?

- Currently, teachers receive seniority allowances and professional incentives, along with some other support, such as allowances for those working in particularly difficult areas.

As for preferential allowances, preschool and primary school teachers receive 35-70% of the basic salary, depending on the level of education and working region; university lecturers receive 25-40%.

According to the survey, teachers at these two levels work longer hours at school, have more difficult working conditions, and earn the lowest income. National Assembly deputies have repeatedly expressed their concerns and their desire to increase preferential allowances.

Therefore, we expect that preschool and primary school teachers will enjoy higher professional incentives than other levels, increasing by 10 and 5% respectively. This is to help them have a better life, feel secure in their work, and stay with their profession. This level, according to our calculations, is also in line with national resources.

The proposal to increase the salary of newly recruited teachers by one level also comes from reality. Young teachers currently have low starting salaries. Those with a university degree receive a salary coefficient of 2.34, with many people earning a total income of 6.8 million VND. Those with a college degree receive even less.

The Ministry has reported that about 61% of teachers who quit their jobs are under the age of 35, which means they belong to the group of young teachers. This group has to support themselves, their families and have to study to improve their expertise. To retain them, income must increase.

This proposal also aims to specify the highest teacher salary policy in the administrative career salary scale. According to calculations, if increased by one level, teacher salary will only be 14% higher than other industries and professions.

- Another new point of the draft Law is that information about teachers' violations will not be made public until there is a conclusion from a competent authority. What solutions does the Ministry have for society to monitor and detect negative issues?

- This proposal aims to protect teachers in their professional activities. Teachers, in addition to imparting expertise, must also set an example for students.

Meanwhile, social networks are currently posting a lot of information about incidents involving teachers that have not been verified, and there is no conclusion as to whether they have committed any wrongdoing. This creates great pressure, affecting the reputation and honor of teachers, especially with students and parents.

However, this does not mean that social supervision of teachers is limited. Parents, students, and the public still have the right to supervise and report to the authorities. When there is an official conclusion, they are made public as usual.

- What does the Ministry expect when making the above series of proposals?

- Since July, teachers' salaries have increased when the basic salary has increased, similar to civil servants in other professions. This helps improve living standards, but there is still a gap between desires and needs.

We want to come up with better policies, at an appropriate level, to continue improving teachers' lives, helping them feel secure in their profession, and attracting more talented people to the profession.

We also believe that treating and honoring teachers is not only reflected in salary policies, but also in many other policies such as regulations on teachers' positions, roles, and titles; and teachers' rights and obligations.

In the coming time, the Ministry will continue to study proposals to include in the draft Law on Teachers so that they are appropriate and receive high consensus.