News and Events

Young teachers in HCM City are facing tough competition, with about double the number of applicants for available school positions.

In 2013, HCM City Department of Education and Training received 1,131 applications for 443 high school teacher positions, and in 2014, 949 applications for were filed for 555 positions.

The same pressure occurred in primary schools.

Nguyen Huynh Long, the head of the department's Personnel and Organisation Office, cautioned local universities to reduce the number of education graduates for city schools as the market for teachers had reached saturation point.

Private schools are targeting experienced teachers, with limited opportunities for new teachers, apart from working as teaching assistants or supervising playground activities or lunch time.

Schools in other districts and provinces are in need of teachers, but many graduates do not want to leave the city.

Most applicants were for such subjects as math, literature and physics. In 2014, 148 people applied for 77 math teacher positions. Some subjects, such as home economics and industrial arts are more open, with 10 applications for nine positions.

The surplus in teachers continues to put pressure on teaching salaries, with many employed teachers having to do extra work to support their income.