(Source: Viet Nam Social Security)

The Ministry of Education and Training has proposed free tuition for public elementary and secondary schools as part of draft amendments to the Law on Education which has been submitted to the Government. Per the amendments, public schools will charge no fees until students reach further education at universities and colleges. The draft also proposes the educational system be redesigned in an open and flexible manner that links all levels of education and training.

Accordingly, high school students will be allowed to switch to vocational training programmes if they qualify and those who finish high school can choose to pursue university education or vocational training programmes.

Provincial People’s Councils will be responsible for determining tuition fees for public schools based on proposals by local People’s Committees. Meanwhile, private schools, and top quality education facilities will be allowed to decide their own tuition fee structures to recover costs and make a reasonable profit.

Regarding teachers, the draft stated teachers’ salaries should have the highest coefficient in the national salary scale for lower-level employees in public institutions. The ministry said that teachers’ salaries are still low, especially those are teaching at kindergartens and primary education schools and high schools. Notably, the draft also proposed higher qualification requirements for teachers at elementary schools. They should hold college diplomas instead of an intermediate-level vocational training certificate.

The ministry said that standardisation of teaching is an important part of the revised Law on Education. Redesigning textbooks is also a focus of the draft.

International Cooperation Department