Education policies take effect from May

Removing the requirement that teachers must have a certificate according to rank and the highest-ranking teachers not need a master's degree are prominent education policies that took effect from May.

Eliminate the requirement that teachers must have a certificate according to rank

Circular 08/2023 amends and supplements a number of articles of Circulars 01, 02, 03, 04 of 2021 on professional title standards and appointment and salary classification for preschool and general education teachers, effective from May 30. In particular, the Ministry of Education and Training removes the regulation that teachers must have a certificate according to rank.

Currently, preschool and primary school teachers are divided into three grades: I, II and III, of which grade I is the highest, used as the basis for salary classification. Teachers from primary to high school have a salary coefficient ranging from 2.34 to 6.78, receiving about 3.4 to 10.1 million VND per month, depending on the grade. Preschool teachers have a salary coefficient from 2.1 to 6.38, receiving a salary of about 3.1 to 9.5 million VND.

To be ranked, in addition to meeting professional standards, teachers at each level must have three certificates corresponding to three levels I, II, II. However, from May 30, teachers only need one general certificate. This helps many teachers save time and money, because they have to spend about 3 million VND if they study for each certificate for 6-8 weeks.

Along with that, the Ministry removed regulations on ethical standards for teachers at each level and replaced them with general professional ethics regulations because they were considered inappropriate.

Primary school teachers grade I do not need a master's degree

According to regulations from 2021, primary and secondary school teachers of grade I - the highest grade, must have a master's degree or higher in teacher training or a major appropriate to the subject taught, or have a master's degree in educational management.

From May 30, this regulation is abolished.

The Ministry of Education said that the goal of primary education is to form the initial foundation for the development of morality, intelligence, physical strength, aesthetics, and capacity of students; to prepare students to continue studying at secondary school. The goal of secondary education is to consolidate and develop the results of primary education; to ensure that students have basic general education, the minimum necessary knowledge of techniques and career orientation to continue studying at high school or vocational education programs.

"Thus, with the requirement of teaching and providing basic and fundamental knowledge, the regulation that primary and secondary school teachers must have a master's degree is unnecessary," the Ministry of Education and Training explained.

Currently, if ranked as Grade I, primary and secondary school teachers have a salary coefficient of 4.4-6.78, equivalent to 6.5-10 million VND per month.

First graders at Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) on their first day of school in August 2022. Photo: Quynh Tran — First graders at Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) on their first day of school in August 2022. Photo: *Quynh Tran*

Adjusting the time to hold grade II, III of preschool teachers

According to current regulations, the time for preschool teachers to hold a grade III position is 9 years, before being appointed a grade II teacher if qualified.

The Ministry of Education and Training believes that keeping the rank for 9 years will reduce the motivation of preschool teachers. Therefore, in Circular 08/2023, effective from May 30, the time to hold rank III is reduced from 9 years to 3 years.

However, to ensure the Government 's regulations on salary regime for cadres, civil servants and public employees, the time to hold the professional title of grade II preschool teacher has increased from 6 years to 9 years.

Currently, the salary coefficient of preschool teachers grade II ranges from 2.1 to 4.89 (about 3.1-7.2 million VND); the salary coefficient of preschool teachers grade III ranges from 2.34-4.98 (about 3.5-7.4 million VND) per month.

It is forbidden to bring any recording devices into the high school graduation exam room.

Circular 06/2023 of the Ministry of Education and Training amends and supplements a number of articles of the Regulations on High School Graduation Exams, effective from May 9. In particular, the regulations stipulate that the items candidates are allowed to bring into the exam room include "pen, pencil, compass, eraser, ruler, calculator; pocket calculator without text editing function, no memory card; Vietnam Geography Atlas for the Geography exam".

Thus, candidates are no longer allowed to bring audio and video recorders, even if they only have the function of recording information, but cannot listen, watch or transmit signals - something the Ministry allowed in previous years.

This change is in line with the proposal of many leaders of the Department of Education and Training and the police because of concerns that exam invigilators do not have enough expertise to check each device that candidates bring in.

Regulations on training of preschool college system

Circular No. 07/2023 of the Ministry of Education and Training on Regulations on training at college level in preschool education takes effect from May 25.

This Circular stipulates the training program, time, and form of training, and also specifies the planning and organization of teaching, assessment of learning outcomes, and granting of graduation certificates, along with many other regulations for students.

For example, regarding the program, the Ministry of Education and Training requires it to be built according to credit units. The program must be made public before enrollment and the start of the course. Changes must be announced before implementation, so as not to disadvantage students.

There are two forms of preschool college training, including full-time and part-time. For full-time training, teaching takes place at the training facility; practice, internship, experience and online teaching can be done outside. Teaching time is 6am-8pm from Monday to Saturday; specific activities depend on the training school.

With the work-study program, teaching activities are carried out at the training facility or at a coordinating facility, and the time can be flexible.

Duong Tam

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