On November 20, can teachers and students have a half day off?

'November 20 is a special holiday, showing students' gratitude to their teachers. However, former students who have graduated cannot visit their teachers because many schools still teach both morning and afternoon classes...'.

"November 20th is a special holiday"

That is the sentiment of a parent sent to Thanh Nien Newspaper. In the letter, the reader introduced himself as H.Nam, a parent living in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City. This reader shared that on the occasion of November 20 - Vietnamese Teachers' Day this year, students at many schools, including his child's school, still went to school as usual.

Former students of generations of Hung Vuong High School (District 5, Ho Chi Minh City) met to visit the school, organized to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the school's founding right before Vietnam Teachers' Day.

"Former students who have graduated cannot visit their teachers because the school still has classes both morning and afternoon," said parent H.Nam. The wish of this parent - also a former student - is that teachers and students should be given a day off on November 20, at least half a day, because the morning of November 20 can be a day to honor teachers at each school, but the afternoon should be given to teachers and students.

"November 20 is a special holiday, showing students' gratitude to their teachers. I think that giving students a day off to organize activities to celebrate and show gratitude to their teachers is completely reasonable and necessary. This not only helps students express their gratitude deeply but also contributes to creating a healthy and warm educational environment. I really hope the editorial board will publish this letter so that the voices of parents and students can be heard," said parent H.Nam.

Do teachers and students get a day off on November 20?

Generations of Vietnamese students know that November 20 is Vietnamese Teachers' Day, honoring educators and promoting the spirit of respecting teachers. 2024 will be the 42nd anniversary of Vietnamese Teachers' Day (the first anniversary was 1982).

Teachers and students of a kindergarten in Ho Chi Minh City during the celebration of Vietnamese Teachers' Day in previous years.

According to Article 112 of the 2019 Labor Code, Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20, is not included in the list of holidays and Tet holidays for which employees are entitled to take days off and receive full pay. The 2019 Labor Code stipulates that employees are entitled to take days off and receive full pay on the following days: New Year's Day; Lunar New Year; Victory Day, April 30; International Labor Day, May 1; National Day; and Hung King's death anniversary.

Therefore, there is no document stipulating that teachers and students are off on November 20. However, each school in each locality will have different plans and school programs - reported to the management agency such as the Department of Education and Training; People's Committee at district level for approval. Therefore, some schools have students off for half a day on November 20, while others still teach both morning and afternoon on November 20 as usual.

For example, on the occasion of Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20 this year, some primary schools in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City organized activities to show gratitude to teachers on the morning of November 20. After that, students had lunch at school and were picked up by their parents. The students had the afternoon off.

However, there are also elementary schools in District 1 where students still study until the afternoon. Parents of children studying at an elementary school in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City also said that on November 20 this year, according to the announcement, the school still teaches all day, morning and afternoon as usual.

Can November 20 be added to the annual holiday for teachers and students?

Sharing with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporter, the Head of the Department of Education and Training of a district in Ho Chi Minh City said that many teachers are thinking and hoping to have a half-day off on November 20, meaning that after the cultural activities, gratitude to teachers, and commemoration of Vietnamese Teachers' Day in the morning, the students will have a day off in the afternoon. So that former students can return to visit their school, teachers also have the opportunity to visit their teachers, chat with colleagues and former students. However, there are some very difficult things.

"Firstly, November 20 is not a holiday or Tet holiday as stipulated in the Labor Code. Second, localities and schools can also flexibly arrange school plans to give students an afternoon off. However, when there is a problem with students or teachers, we are very afraid that there will be opinions blaming that it is because of the November 20 holiday - Vietnam Teachers' Day - that such an incident happened. Or there are parents who complain "we still work all day, we don't have a day off on November 20, why are you asking us to pick up our children at noon?" We, the teachers, are also very hurt and sad," said the head of this department.

A parent in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City said that her generation had the afternoon off on November 20th so that students could visit their teachers. Teachers were also former students, so teachers had more time to pay their respects to their teachers. Therefore, she thought it was reasonable for students and teachers to have the day off on November 20th.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ngay-2011-thay-co-hoc-sinh-nghi-nua-ngay-duoc-khong-185241116180936109.htm