Vietnam: May bachelor's degree holders work as teaching assistants in public universities?

What is a teaching assistant in Vietnam?

According to Clause 4, Article 2 of Circular 40/2020/TT-BGDDT:

Codes and grading of professional titles

The professional titles for teaching public employees in public higher education institutions include:

1. Senior Lecturer (Grade I) - Code: V.07.01.01

2. Principal Lecturer (Grade II) - Code: V.07.01.02

3. Lecturer (Grade III) - Code: V.07.01.03

4. Teaching Assistant (Grade III) - Code: V.07.01.23

Thus, a teaching assistant is a professional title for public employees teaching in public universities.

May bachelor's degree holders in Vietnam work as teaching assistants in public universities in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

May bachelor's degree holders in Vietnam work as teaching assistants in public universities in Vietnam?

In Clause 2, Article 4 of Circular 40/2020/TT-BGDDT there are regulations on teaching assistant in higher education institutions as follows:

Teaching Assistant (Grade III) - Code: V.07.01.23

....

2. Qualifications:

Possess a bachelor's degree or higher suitable to the job position or teaching major.

...

According to the regulations, the qualification required for teaching assistants in public universities is a bachelor's degree or higher suitable to the job position or teaching major.

Thus, a person holding a bachelor's degree suitable to the job position or teaching major may work as a teaching assistant in a public university if he/she meets the necessary standards and conditions.

What are the duties of teaching assistants at public universities in Vietnam?

Under Clause 1, Article 4 of Circular 40/2020/TT-BGDDT, the duties of teaching assistants at public universities in Vietnam are as follows:

- Supporting lecturers (Grade III), principal lecturers (Grade II), and senior lecturers (Grade I) in teaching activities, including: preparing lectures, tutoring, guiding exercises, discussions, experiments, practice, internships, and marking.

- Engaging in study and training to improve political theory, professional skills, and teaching methods; participating in practical activities to enhance training quality and scientific research.

- Participating in management duties, CPV and mass organization work, and other duties as per the organizational and operational regulations of public higher education institutions and relevant legal provisions.

What are the standards for professional competence of teaching assistants at public universities in Vietnam?

According to Clause 3, Article 4 of Circular 40/2020/TT-BGDDT, the standards for professional competence of teaching assistants at public universities in Vietnam are as follows:

- Master the basic knowledge of the subject assigned to guide in practice, experiments, internships, and have a general knowledge of related subjects within the training major.

- Understand and properly implement the objectives, plans, content, and programs of the assigned subjects within the training major. Identify the practice and development trends of training and research in the specialization domestically and internationally.

- Effectively and safely use teaching aids and equipment.

- Possess the ability to apply information technology and use foreign languages in performing the duties of a teaching assistant (Grade III).

How much are the current salaries paid to teaching assistants at public universities in Vietnam?

Under Point c, Clause 1, Article 10 of Circular 40/2020/TT-BGDDT, the regulations are as follows:

Salary arrangement

2. The professional titles for teaching public employees stipulated in this Circular shall be subject to the professional  payroll for officials and public employees in public service providers of the State (Table 3) issued together with Decree No. 204/2004/ND-CP dated December 14, 2004, of the Government of Vietnam on salary policies for officials and public employees and armed forces. To be specific:

a) The professional title of Senior Lecturer (Grade I) applies the salary coefficient for public employees category A3, group 1 (A3.1) from salary coefficient 6.20 to salary coefficient 8.00;

b) The professional title of Principal Lecturer (Grade II) applies the salary coefficient for public employees category A2, group 1 (A2.1) from salary coefficient 4.40 to salary coefficient 6.78;

c) The professional titles of Lecturer (Grade III) and Teaching Assistant (Grade III) applies the salary coefficient for public employees category A1, from salary coefficient 2.34 to salary coefficient 4.98.

2. The salary arrangement for professional titles is performed after being appointed by the competent authority to the professional titles stipulated in this Circular, as guided in Clause 1, Section II of Circular No. 02/2007/TT-BNV dated May 25, 2007, of the Ministry of Home Affairs on guiding salary arrangement when upgrading, transferring, or changing the rank of officials and category of public employees, and in accordance with the current legal provisions.

Thus, the salaries paid to teaching assistants at public universities follow the salary coefficient of public employees in category A1, from a salary coefficient of 2.34 to 4.98 in the professional payroll for officials and public employees at public service providers (Table 3) issued with Decree 204/2004/ND-CP.

According to Clause 2, Article 3 of Decree 73/2024/ND-CP, the regulations on the statutory pay rate are as follows:

Statutory pay rate

1. The statutory pay rate shall be used as the basis for:

a) Calculating salaries in payrolls, allowances and other benefits as per the law with regard to individuals defined in Article 2 of this Decree;

b) Calculating operation funding and subsistence allowances as per the law;

c) Calculating deductions and benefits according to the statutory pay rate.

2. From July 01, 2024, the statutory pay rate is VND 2,340,000 per month.

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From July 1, 2024, the statutory pay rate will be 2,340,000 VND/month.

And according to Point a, Clause 1, Article 3 of Circular 07/2024/TT-BNV, the formula for calculating the salary of public employees from July 1, 2024 is as follows:

Thus, the salaries paid to teaching assistants at public universities from July 1, 2024 are detailed in the following table:

Note: The above salary does not include other allowances and benefits.