Half of Vietnam Teachers Regretful about Teaching Job: Survey

As many as 50% of Vietnam’s teachers said they are regretful about their teaching career as they have to work harder than the required time amid low salary, a survey showed. A survey conducted by the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences showed that half of more than 500 teachers from 27 schools of five provinces get low salaries which are not worth what they spend on teaching, Ph.D. Vu Trong Ry said. Teachers at primary schools work for average 60 hours per week, 1.5 times higher than the required time while that at secondary schools is 1.7 times and at high school is 1.8 times higher than the government-required rate. Meanwhile, they are working under strong pressure caused by their pupils, pupils’parents, education managers and the society, Mr. Ry said. A newly-graduated teacher is given around VND2 million ($95) per month that is unable to help them cover travelling cost, phone calls, and basic meals. Low salary plus strong pressure ruins their passions, the expert warned. Currently, Vietnam has 800,000 teachers. However, a number of teachers in big cities have good income from teaching as they earn a lot from private tuition. (Kienthuc.vn Oct 6, Vnexpress.net Oct 13)