Many candidates who could not pass civil-service examinations or only passed minor examinations became village teachers. Sometimes, a prominent laureate of a court exam would chose to teach because he did not want a mandarin’s career.
The village teacher taught elementary (mông học) and primary levels (ấu học) in a private village school building or at his home, or served as a private tutor in others’ homes. Some teachers were themselves studying as candidates for examinations, while others had baccalaureate (tú tài) or bachelor (cử nhân) degrees.
These teachers were either inhabitants of the village or were invited by the village from other places. They received modest remuneration, paid by village contributions or by the head of the household (in the case of a tutor). Village teachers formed a class of popular intellectuals.
