Abolish junior high school diploma, principals issue high school diplomas

The Ministry of Education and Training proposed to abolish the junior high school graduation certificate, give the authority to grant high school graduation certificates to principals, remove the regulation that the Ministry of Education and Training approves local educational materials, and add subjects exempt from tuition fees...

The Ministry of Education and Training has just announced a draft law amending and supplementing a number of articles of theEducation Law to solicit public opinion, including many important changes.

Time for comments from now until July 9.

The Ministry of Education and Training plans to abolish junior high school diplomas and give the power to grant high school diplomas to principals.

PHOTO: PHC

Abolish secondary school diploma

According to the draft, in the diploma system, the Ministry of Education and Training will abolish the junior high school diploma and assign educational institutions to confirm completion of the junior high school program.

The Ministry of Education and Training believes that this is consistent with the policy of organizing two-level local government (according to the current Education Law, junior high school graduation certificates are issued by the Department of Education), consistent with the goal of universal education and with international trends.

Specifically, many developed countries (such as the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Finland) do not issue junior high school diplomas but use the principal's confirmation of academic performance in lower grades to consider higher education or stream students.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, confirmation of completion of secondary school program does not affect the rights and obligations of learners.

Abolish the concept of secondary school

The draft removes the concept of secondary school, changes it to vocational secondary school and adds vocational secondary school as a level of education in the national education system. Vocational secondary schools will integrate vocational knowledge and high school curriculum knowledge.

Accordingly, in the vocational secondary school program, students have 2 options: to be granted a primary vocational certificate or a secondary vocational certificate. After finishing grade 9, students have 3 options: to enter high school, to study vocational secondary school with a primary certificate or to study vocational secondary school with a secondary vocational certificate.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the above amendments and supplements create opportunities for learners to have more options after secondary school, create opportunities for bridging studies... and are consistent with UNESCO's systematic approach.

Principal awards high school diploma

The draft law transfers the authority to grant high school diplomas from the director of the Department of Education and Training to the school principal. According to the drafting committee, this is to implement the policy of decentralization and delegation of power.

The draft law also decentralizes the management of preschool, primary and secondary education facilities to the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level when implementing two-level local government, high schools or general schools with many levels under the management of the Department of Education and Training (except for schools under the authority of the Minister of Education and Training).

Building a digital diploma and certificate database

The draft law states that the Ministry of Education and Training will take the lead in building a database of diplomas and certificates of the education sector that is synchronous, compatible, and connected to the national database on education and training.

The Ministry of Education and Training will issue a Circular with specific regulations on digital diplomas and certificates and a roadmap for granting and using digital diplomas and certificates (which will specifically stipulate the processing and use of digital data, and a roadmap for implementation to ensure suitability, feasibility, and safety...).

Provincial level reviews and approves local educational materials

The draft law separates the provisions on local educational materials into a separate clause, not included in the provisions on textbooks, to clearly define that local educational materials are not textbooks.

The authority to compile and appraise local educational materials will be assigned to the Director of the Department of Education and Training to organize the compilation of local educational materials, assign the provincial appraisal council to appraise and the provincial People's Committee to approve local educational materials instead of the Ministry of Education and Training approving as at present.

The Ministry of Education and Training believes that the fact that local educational materials are understood as textbooks leads to the Ministry of Education and Training being responsible for approving and setting maximum prices that are not suitable to reality and unreasonable.

Add tuition exemption objects

Updating the new direction of the Politburo , the draft law adds regulations on tuition exemption for preschool children and high school students in public schools, and tuition support for preschool children and high school students in private educational institutions.

Private schools are invested in facilities and teaching equipment.

The draft law stipulates: "Private and non-public preschools and private general education institutions are entitled to policies supporting minimum facilities and teaching equipment; the level of support is decided by the provincial People's Council."

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, this is to encourage and facilitate the development of non-public schools in accordance with the Party and State's policies on socialized education. This is also a proposal from some localities.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-bang-tot-nghiep-thcs-hieu-truong-cap-bang-tot-nghiep-thpt-185250511220607955.htm