Vietnam to raise teacher salaries and reform education staffing for 2026‑27

General Secretary and President Tô Lâm directed the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance and local authorities to raise the base salary of teachers to the highest level in the career wage scale as part of preparations for the 2026‑27 school year. He also ordered stricter control of tuition, exam fees and private tutoring, and called for measures to curb the pressures of “exam fever” on families.

The directives include converting surplus government buildings into schools or health facilities, accelerating policies to build elite universities and training centers, and introducing a flexible staffing system that allows the transfer of teachers within districts. Authorities are to study shifting from rigid staff allocations to a more adaptable model, increase teaching staff relative to administrative staff, and ensure that wherever there are students there are teachers. The government will also streamline data management, reinforce cyber‑security and plan a national conference on the new school year.

These reforms aim to improve education quality, reduce inequities, and make the system more financially sustainable.