Brian Jeffrey
Huyen Thanh, who works at a primary school in Bac Giang’s Luc Ngan district, describes her multiple responsibilities as a stationary officer, which include managing paperwork, equipment, and sometimes performing medical duties—yet she receives no additional financial assistance.
With 17 years of service, Thanh earns a monthly salary of only VND6.659 million. Her daily tasks involve various activities like cleaning, washing cups, delivering reports, watering plants, and organizing files, leaving her sometimes returning home in unclean clothes.
Due to her low salary, Thanh takes on extra work, selling items like sweet potatoes and prepared meals online, and caring for students who stay at school for lunch.
She expresses concern that unlike teachers, administrative staff are not provided allowances and hopes the government will consider providing them with additional compensation, ideally 20-25 percent of their salaries.
Similarly, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huong, a librarian at Moc Bac Secondary School in Duy Tien Town, has a bachelor’s degree, 14 years of experience, and receives just over VND6 million monthly after insurance deductions.
Despite working long hours and handling considerable responsibilities, Huong feels overlooked since there are no financial benefits for her position. She notes the struggle to make ends meet, questioning how to save for future needs.
Though Huong has considered leaving her job because of inadequate pay, she ultimately feels reluctant to abandon the investment she made in her education.
She warns that without allowances, many clerical staff may opt to resign, given that their earnings are comparable to those of household helpers.
In agreement, Nguyen Cao Cuong, head of Thai Thinh Secondary School in Hanoi, acknowledges the heavy workloads faced by school clerks but emphasizes that their salaries remain unlivable. This situation leads to difficulty in hiring, as jobs elsewhere may offer double the pay.
