The National Assembly approves a new level of education, equivalent to high school.

According to the amendments in Articles 6 and 35 of the Education Law, the national education system structure now includes vocational secondary education, which falls under the field of vocational education.

Vocational secondary school is defined as being at the same level as high school, for students who have graduated from grade 9.

Vocational high school graduates can continue their studies at higher levels including university, college, and intermediate level.

The Minister of Education and Training specifies the inter-school education between vocational secondary schools, intermediate schools, colleges and universities.

With this adjustment, the national education diploma list was supplemented with vocational high school diplomas. This officially created two equal educational paths for 15-year-old students: attending high school to pursue academic studies or attending vocational high school to pursue specialized vocational skills from an early age.

Currently, students graduating from 9th grade who do not enter 10th grade in high school can choose to study at continuing education centers or enroll in 9+ programs at vocational colleges/technical schools.

The 9+ program is an integrated training program for students after completing lower secondary school. Students study two subjects simultaneously: a continuing education program and an intermediate-level vocational training program.

After three years, if they pass the high school graduation exam, students will have both a high school diploma and a vocational certificate, allowing them to pursue higher education or enter the labor market immediately.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/quoc-hoi-thong-qua-cap-hoc-moi-ngang-hang-voi-trung-hoc-pho-thong-20251210134039971.htm