New regulations on education coming into force as of the beginning of May, 2017

1. Students of in-service higher education courses are not required to sit final exam

According to the Circular No. 06/2017/TT-BGDDT, the graduation consideration form is superseding final exam of in-service higher education courses as from May 01, 2017. To be specific:

- Eligibility requirements for consideration and certification of graduation are performed in conformity with applicable regulations on credit-based full-time higher education.

- The council for graduation consideration that is established under decision by the head of the higher education institution shall consider the satisfaction of graduation requirements of students, prepare and submit the list of qualified students to the head of the higher education institution for certification.

- The head of the higher education institution shall make decision on certification of graduation from in-service higher education course and confer graduation degrees and academic transcripts to qualified students as requested by the council for graduation consideration.

2. Requirements for educational association in higher education

Ministry of Education and Training promulgates the Circular No. 07/2017/TT-BGDDT providing regulations on educational association in higher education.

According to this Circular, educational institutions that are going to enter into educational association in higher education must satisfy all of specific requirements for each educational institution in addition to general requirements.

Requirements to be satisfied by a responsible educational institution are more detailed, including:

- It has already published conditions to ensure training quality and the number of graduates entering employment 12 months after leaving the educational institution of the last course of the expected major of educational association.

- The responsible educational institution must maintain full-time lecturers teaching at least 70% of contents/training volume of the associated training program.

The Circular No. 07/2017/TT-BGDDT supersedes regulations on educational association in higher education mentioned in Decision No. 42/2008/QD-BGDDT. />
3. New regulations on standards in qualification of vocational education teachers

On March 10, 2017, Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs promulgates the Circular No. 08/2017/TT-BLDTBXH on standards in qualification of vocational education teachers.

This Circular provides more detailed regulations than those in the Circular No. 30/2010/TT-BLDTBXH and the Circular No. 40/2015/TT-BLDTBXH. To be specific:

- There are three levels of standards in qualifications of teachers of elementary, intermediate and college levels.

- At each level, there are regulations on criterion of professional capacity, pedagogical competence and scientific research and professional development capacity.

- Regulations on the basis, points and process for evaluation and ranking of vocational education teachers are also elaborated.

In addition to the said regulations, the Circular No. 08/2017/TT-BLDTBXH enables teachers of elementary level to use any of the following types of certificate of vocational skills as substitute for diploma of professional or vocational secondary school:

+ Grade-1 national certificate of vocational skills or certificate of grade-3/7 or grade-2/6 worker; or

+ Certificate of artisan at provincial level or higher.

4. Regulations on use of vocational education teachers

The said regulations are introduced in the Circular No. 06/2017/TT-BLDTBXH on recruitment, use and improvement for vocational education teachers.

According to this Circular, vocational education teachers are recruited and used in compliance with the following regulations:

- Persons who are recruited as teachers of elementary, intermediate and college levels must comply with probation policies as regulated in Article 20 of Decree No. 29/2012/ND-CP; />
- The probation period of teachers of college and intermediate levels is 12 months; that of teachers of elementary level is 6 months.

In addition to the said regulations, vocational training institutions must recruit and use teachers who meet all of required standards in conformity with training majors or as agreed in employment contracts or labour contracts.

Decision No. 57/2008/QD-BLDTBXH and Circular No. 41/2015/TT-BLDTBXH shall be null and void as from the entry into force of the Circular No. 06/2017/TT-BLDTBXH .

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