Policy for Teachers Working in Areas with Especially Difficult Socio-Economic Conditions in Vietnam

What are policies for teachers working in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions in Vietnam?

Decree 76/2019/ND-CP stipulates the policies for officials and public employees, employees, and salaried individuals in the armed forces working in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions. Among these are the policies for teachers working in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions as follows:

(1). Recruitment Allowance

According to Article 4 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, teachers working in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions are entitled to a recruitment allowance equal to 70% of their current salary (according to the salary scale prescribed by the competent authority of the Communist Party and Government), plus their position and seniority allowances (if any) for the actual working period in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions, not exceeding 5 years (60 months).

(2). Long-term Service Allowance

According to Article 5 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, teachers working in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions are entitled to a long-term service allowance calculated monthly based on the statutory pay rate and the actual working period in such areas as follows:

- A coefficient of 0.5 for those who have worked from 5 to less than 10 years;

- A coefficient of 0.7 for those who have worked from 10 to less than 15 years;

- A coefficient of 1.0 for those who have worked for 15 years or more.

(3). Initial Allowance upon First Assignment to Areas with Extremely Difficult Socio-Economic Conditions

According to Article 6 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, teachers upon their first assignment to agencies, organizations, or units in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions are entitled to the following allowances:

- An initial allowance equal to 10 months of the statutory pay rate at the time of assignment.

- If their family accompanies them to the area, they are also entitled to:

+ Travel expenses and luggage transport costs for family members according to the actual ticket and freight prices of public transport or equivalent costs based on the actual kilometers traveled;

+ An additional 12 months of statutory pay rate for the household.

* The current statutory pay rate as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 3 of Decree 73/2024/ND-CP is 2,340,000 VND/month.

(4). Allowance for Buying and Transporting Freshwater

According to Article 7 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, teachers working in areas with seasonal shortages of freshwater are entitled to an allowance for purchasing and transporting freshwater for daily needs, after deducting the cost of fresh water included in their salary, as follows:

- Calculation basis for the freshwater allowance for one person includes:

+ Standard norm: 6 cubic meters/person/month (a);

+ Actual months of freshwater shortage per year (b);

+ Cost of buying and transporting 1 cubic meter of freshwater to the living and working place as regulated by the provincial People's Committee (c);

+ Price of freshwater included in the salary is the business price of 1 cubic meter of freshwater as regulated by local competent authorities (d).

- Calculation method:Monthly allowance = a x (c - d).Annual allowance = a x (c - d) x b.

* Areas with seasonal freshwater shortages are areas where natural conditions do not provide sufficient freshwater for at least one continuous month per year.

(5). One-time Allowance upon Transfer out of Areas with Extremely Difficult Socio-Economic Conditions or Retirement

According to Article 8 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, teachers who have worked in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions for at least 10 years are entitled to a one-time allowance upon transferring out of or retiring from such areas as follows:

Teachers currently working and having at least 10 years of actual service in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions, upon transferring out of such areas or retiring (or when the designated area is no longer classified as extremely difficult), are entitled to a one-time allowance based on their actual working period in such areas, paid by the managing agency/organization/unit before the transfer or retirement.

One-time allowance rate: Each year of service in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions is entitled to an allowance equal to 1/2 of the current monthly salary (according to the salary scale prescribed by the competent authority of the Communist Party and Government), plus position and seniority allowances (if any) at the time of transfer or retirement (or when the area is no longer classified as extremely difficult).

(6). Reimbursement of Travel Expenses

According to Article 9 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, during their tenure in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions, teachers are entitled to reimbursements for travel expenses for annual leave, public holidays, or personal leave, in addition to the salary they are entitled to by law.

(7). Allowance for Study Tours, Training, and Professional Development

According to Article 10 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, teachers working in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions are entitled to allowances for study tours, training, and professional development as follows:

- If an authorized agency/organization/unit sponsors the teacher for professional training, language training, study tours, or experience exchanges, they are entitled to allowances for study materials and 100% of tuition fees and travel expenses from the workplace to the study location;

- If the teacher self-studies minority languages to fulfill their assigned tasks, they are entitled to allowances for study materials and allowances equivalent to financial support for studying in regulated schools or classes.

(8). Occupational Incentive Allowance

According to Article 11 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, teachers working in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions are entitled to an occupational incentive allowance equal to 70% of their current salary, plus position and seniority allowances (if any) for the actual working period.

(9). Mobility Allowance and Allowance for Teaching Minority Languages

According to Article 12 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, teachers working in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions who teach minority languages are entitled to:

- Mobility allowance: teachers specializing in literacy and educational programs who frequently visit villages are entitled to a mobility allowance with a coefficient of 0.2 compared to the statutory pay rate.

- Allowance for teaching minority languages: teachers teaching minority languages are entitled to an allowance equal to 50% of their current salary (according to the salary scale prescribed by the competent authority of the Communist Party and Government), plus position and seniority allowances (if any).

Policy for Teachers Working in Areas with Especially Difficult Socio-Economic Conditions in Vietnam (Image from the Internet)

What are the areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions in Vietnam?

According to Clause 2, Article 1 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions include:

- Truong Sa, Hoang Sa, DK1 islands;

- Level 3 communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, especially difficult island communes as decided by the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam;

- Villages, hamlets, and equivalent entities (collectively referred to as villages) with special difficulties as decided by the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam.

What is the actual working time in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions used as the basis for calculating the policies for teachers?

According to Clause 1, Article 13 of Decree 76/2019/ND-CP, the actual working time in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions used as the basis for calculating the allowances and subsidies for teachers is the total time with compulsory social insurance contributions in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions (if there is a break in service without receiving social insurance benefits, it can be accumulated).