The Teacher Law is currently being finalized, with many important contributions. The National Assembly’s specialized meeting on March 25th received and clarified points requiring adjustment in this draft, particularly regarding teacher salary and benefits policies.
Aiming for Transparent and Equitable Salary Policies
The draft Teacher Law aims to establish a fair and transparent salary and benefits policy for teachers, ensuring motivation and encouraging the education profession. However, establishing a salary system that is suitable for the realities of the situation and avoids shortcomings is crucial and requires careful consideration.
Separate Teacher Salary Schedule or Application of Civil Service Salary Scales?
One of the points of debate centers on whether it is necessary to create a separate salary schedule for teachers. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly believes that teachers in public educational institutions are civil servants, so their salaries should be based on the current civil service salary scales. This view emphasizes uniformity in the salary system for civil servants.
A separate salary schedule for teachers has yet to be approved
However, teachers’ salaries are still ranked highest within the civil service salary scale. Additionally, teachers are still eligible for professional allowances and other benefits, depending on the nature of their work, region, and legal regulations.
Flexible Salary Regulations Based on Grade Level and Tenure?
The proposal to make teacher salary scales flexible based on grade level and tenure has also been considered. However, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly believes that further research is needed to ensure fairness and effectiveness in developing salary policies based on job positions. Therefore, this issue has not been included in the draft law.
Detailed Salary Policies
Other suggestions have called for the government to specify the salary policy for teachers, tailored to job positions, policy goals, and implementation timelines for salary reforms. Preserving tenure-based allowances for teachers has also been mentioned and included in the transitional provisions. Specific regulations on salary for trainees, probationary teachers, and guest lecturers will be detailed in implementing guidelines.
Key Adjustments to Prioritized Policies
The draft law has removed the provision that ethnic minority teachers automatically receive higher salaries and benefits. Instead, certain categories, such as preschool teachers, teachers in remote areas, teachers implementing inclusive education, and teachers in specialized fields, will receive higher salaries and benefits. The specifics of these increases will be outlined in implementing guidelines.
Salary Policies for Non-Public School Teachers
Regarding salary policies for non-public school teachers, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly has incorporated the suggestion that salary regulations for non-public school teachers should not be lower than those of public school teachers with the same level of education and position. This regulation aims to ensure fairness and prevent negative impacts on the socialization of education.
Conclusion
The draft Teacher Law is striving to create a fairer and more transparent salary policy for teachers. However, further research and discussion are necessary to ensure this policy meets the practical needs of the current education landscape.
