Preschool teachers look forward to shortening retirement age

At 5:30 p.m., Nguyen Thi Mai and Phan Thi Duyen, public kindergarten teachers in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, are busy cleaning the classroom, arranging toys and supplies, and scrubbing the toilets. Some children are still waiting for their parents or playing in the schoolyard. The teachers will wait until their parents pick them up before leaving.

"Many days I have to go to bed by 7pm, I'm exhausted," said Mai, 43 years old.

Ms. Duyen, 53 years old, said that when she gets home, she is tired and has no desire to do anything. Thinking about the 7 years until retirement, Ms. Duyen feels exhausted.

The Labor Law stipulates that the retirement age will increase gradually, reaching 62 years old for men in 2028 and 60 years old for women in 2035. According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc An, Chairman of the Vietnam Education Trade Union, when the law took effect in 2020, the organization received many opinions that the extension of the retirement age was not suitable for preschool teachers.

The Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor later repeatedly proposed to include this group in the list of arduous, toxic, and dangerous occupations, allowing workers to retire early (no more than 5 years). However, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs rejected it, saying there was no basis.

In the draft Law on Teachers that is being consulted, the Ministry of Education and Training continues to include this proposal. Specifically, preschool teachers can retire from age 57 for men and 55 for women without having their pension rate deducted.

According to a 2020 survey by the Vietnam Education Trade Union, 10,700 people (accounting for 96% of the total number of respondents) petitioned for female preschool teachers to retire at the age of 55.

Knowing the Ministry's proposal, Ms. Duyen, Ms. Mai and many teachers were excited. Ms. Thanh Hai, 37 years old, in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, really hopes this will be passed.

According to her and many colleagues, the work of preschool teachers is very specific. They have to work with their hands and feet continuously, requiring good health, agility and creativity. Ms. Hai gives an example: each class has 30-40 children but only two teachers. Sometimes when the back is turned, the children start scratching and biting each other, causing scratches. To ensure the safety of the children, Ms. Hai has to be quick-handed and quick-eyed, but the older she gets, the slower her reflexes become.

"Moreover, both children and parents prefer younger teachers," Ms. Hai acknowledged.

The working hours of preschool teachers are also longer than other levels, usually from 6:30 to 17:00, or even longer. They work continuously, but during lunch break, they hardly get to sleep because they have to look after, hold and comfort the children. Ms. Mai said that during the day, the children do not feel tired, but after the age of 40, she feels overloaded, often has headaches, fatigue, and has to take medicine. Many of her colleagues suffer from laryngitis, bone and joint pain...

In addition, teachers want to shorten their retirement age because of the stressful working environment, when they are constantly exposed to noise. They have to be patient when in a classroom with dozens of students, some of whom are well-behaved and healthy, but also some who are naughty or in poor health. Even after work, the pressure does not end when parents call to ask about their children's situation.

"Human emotions are spontaneous, but we have to control ourselves to avoid inappropriate behavior," said Ms. Duyen. "If I retire at 60, I don't know if I will be able to hold my grandchild anymore."

In private kindergartens, teachers also want to retire early. With nearly 20 years in the profession, Ms. Tran Thi Kim Nhung, Principal of Hiep Thanh Kindergarten, Ho Chi Minh City, said that it is rare for teachers to wait until the right age to retire. Most of them retire between the ages of 50 and 55, accepting a deduction from their pension.

"On the other hand, private schools are not interested in older teachers because their productivity is not as good as that of young people," said Ms. Nhung.

Mr. An said the proposal for early retirement is reasonable. The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Science confirmed in March that preschool teachers are eligible to be classified in Group IV, which is the group of occupations and jobs that are heavy, toxic and dangerous.

Ms. Luong Thi Hong Diep, Head of the Preschool Education Department, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, also agreed. She said that especially in preschools, most teachers are female. Over 50 years old, their health declines, their bones and joints begin to degenerate and many other diseases occur. Women at this age also have psychological and physiological fluctuations, many of them have erratic temperaments.

Meanwhile, in preschools, teachers have to set an example for children to follow, such as dancing, singing, doing gymnastics, not to mention playing and playing with them. With young children (6-12 months), teachers have to hold them constantly.

"A teacher's energy directly affects the care and education of children. When a teacher's health declines, children do not receive the best education," Ms. Diep explained.

There are currently about 372,000 preschool teachers nationwide, both public and private. Public school teachers typically earn between VND5.8 million and VND18 million a month, lower than their counterparts at other levels. The Ministry of Education and Training said preschools are short more than 51,000 people compared to the norm (1.2-2.5 teachers per class, maximum class size is 29).

Managers recognize the need for better compensation policies for preschool teachers. Reducing the retirement age is also a boost and motivation for them to stick with the profession.

The draft Law on Teachers will be discussed in the National Assembly on November 9. For preschool education, in addition to the proposal to reduce the retirement age, the drafting committee recommends increasing the preferential allowance for teachers by 10% (currently 35-50%). In addition, newly recruited teachers at all levels will receive a salary increase of one grade compared to the regular salary scale.