The National Assembly agrees to abolish the junior high school diploma and unify the use of a common set of textbooks.

According to the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Education Law, from January 1, 2026, instead of issuing junior high school diplomas, students will have their graduation confirmed in their academic transcripts.

On the morning of December 10th, the National Assembly voted to pass the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Education Law.

From 2026, no junior high school diplomas will be issued.

The new law stipulates that diplomas in the national education system are documents in paper or numerical form issued to students upon graduation from high school; or to students who have completed educational programs, training programs, and met the output standards of the corresponding level in vocational education and higher education.

According to this law, diplomas of the national education system include high school diplomas, vocational high school diplomas, intermediate diplomas, college diplomas, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and diplomas from specialized training programs in certain specific fields and disciplines.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son. (Source: National Assembly )

Thus, compared to current regulations, the amended law has abolished the issuance of junior high school diplomas. Instead, students who have completed the primary education program and the junior high school education program, and meet the requirements stipulated by the Minister of Education and Training, will have their academic records certified by the school principal as having completed the program.

Students who have completed the high school education program and meet the requirements stipulated by the Minister of Education and Training are eligible to take the exam. If they pass, the school principal will award them a high school diploma.

If a student does not take the exam or fails to meet the requirements, the school principal will issue a certificate of completion of the general education program.

The certificate of completion of general education program is used to register for the high school graduation exam when the learner has a need or to study vocational education and is used in specific cases according to the provisions of law.

According to the provisions of this law, diplomas and certificates issued by educational institutions of all types and forms of training in the national education system have the same legal value.

The Minister of Education and Training shall specify regulations on the management of diplomas and certificates of the national education system and the recognition of other certificates for use in the national education system.

Before the National Assembly passed the law, in a statement clarifying this content, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that the Government had agreed to stipulate that no junior high school graduation certificates would be issued, replacing them with the phrase "completion of junior high school program or equivalent" throughout the entire draft law.

At the same time, the law stipulates that diplomas and certificates will be issued in paper or digital form, aiming to promote the implementation of digital transformation policies in education. In addition, the draft standardizes the term "diploma of specialized training programs in certain specific fields" instead of "equivalent diploma," accurately reflecting the nature of degrees such as doctor, pharmacist, engineer, and architect; ensuring consistency with the draft Law on Higher Education (amended) and aligning with international practices.

The amended law also clearly stipulates that the Minister of Education and Training manages diplomas and certificates of the national education system to ensure flexibility and timely adjustments according to practical requirements, while maintaining the uniformity, interconnectedness, and transparency of the system.

For postgraduate advanced training programs in the health sector leading to degrees such as residency programs and specialist programs, the Ministry of Health will provide guidance on organization and management, in accordance with the regulations in the draft Law on Higher Education (amended).

Standardize the use of textbooks for all students.

Regarding regulations on textbooks for general education, the Law clearly states: "The Government shall regulate the provision of free textbooks for students." The Minister of Education and Training shall decide on a set of general education textbooks for unified use nationwide.

The National Textbook Review Council is established by the Minister of Education and Training for each subject and educational activity to review textbooks. The Council and its members are responsible for the content and quality of the review.

The Minister of Education and Training approves textbooks for use in general education institutions after they have been evaluated and rated as satisfactory by the National Textbook Appraisal Council; and prescribes the standards and procedures for compiling and revising general education textbooks.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quoc-hoi-dong-y-bo-bang-tot-nghiep-thcs-thong-nhat-bo-sach-giao-khoa-dung-chung-337266.html