Are children who exceed the preschool age allowed to enroll in school in Vietnam?

Are children who exceed the preschool age allowed to enroll in school in Vietnam?

According to Article 81 of the Education Law 2019, which stipulates the rights of children and policies for children at preschool educational institutions as follows:

- Children at preschool educational institutions have the following rights:

+ To be cared for, nurtured, and educated according to the preschool education program issued by the Minister of Education and Training; to receive health care and protection in accordance with the Law on Children and other related legal provisions;

+ To be exempted from or have reduced ticket prices for public recreational and entertainment services.

In Article 83 of the Education Law 2019, the rights of learners are stipulated as follows:

- To be educated, to study to develop comprehensively and to maximize their potential.

- To be respected; to have equal opportunities for education and study; to develop talents, skills, creativity, and inventions; to be provided with full information about their learning and training.

- To advance through grades, shorten the implementation time of the program, study at an age higher than the prescribed age, prolong study time, repeat a grade, and be facilitated to study educational programs in accordance with the law.

- To study in a safe and healthy educational environment.

- To be granted diplomas, certificates, and confirmations upon graduation from educational levels, training levels, and completion of educational programs according to regulations.

- To participate in activities of unions and social organizations in the educational institution as prescribed by law.

- To use the facilities, library, equipment, and means for learning, cultural, physical, and sports activities of the educational institution.

- To directly or through their legal representatives propose to the educational institution solutions to build the educational institution, and to protect their rights and interests.

- To enjoy preferential policies of the State in recruitment into state agencies if they graduate with excellent grades and have good ethics.

- To appoint a representative to participate in the school council as prescribed.

Thus, cross-referencing the regulation, children beyond the preschool age are still allowed to be admitted to school.

What are the duties of children beyond preschool age in Vietnam?

Firstly, the general duties of learners in educational institutions within the national education system must adhere to the regulations stated in Article 82 of the Education Law 2019. Children beyond preschool age will have the following duties:

- To study and train according to the program, plan of education, and the code of conduct of the educational institution.

- To respect teachers, staff, and workers of the educational institution; to unite and assist each other in learning and training; to obey the internal rules, regulations, and charters of the educational institution; to comply with legal provisions.

- To participate in labor and social activities, environmental protection activities suitable to their age, health, and abilities.

- To preserve and protect the property of the educational institution.

- To contribute to the building, protection, and promotion of the traditions of the educational institution.

Besides, the duties of preschool children are stipulated in Article 34 of the Charter issued in Circular 52/2020/TT-BGDDT. To be specific, children must have the following duties:

- To be polite to grandparents, parents, teachers, and elders; to unite, love, and help friends and young children.

- To proactively and actively participate in nurturing, caring, and educational activities appropriate to their abilities and age.

- To wear tidy and age-appropriate attire convenient for activities at preschool.

- To maintain personal hygiene; to participate in maintaining classroom and school hygiene as per their ability, contributing to environmental protection.

- To comply with the regulations of the preschool.

Are children who exceed the preschool age allowed to enroll in school in Vietnam?​ (Image from Internet)

What are regulations on children beyond preschool age in Vietnam?

According to Article 44 of the Law on Children 2016, the responsibility to ensure education for children as follows:

- The State has policies to support, ensure that all children go to school, and minimize the dropout rate; with policies to support children in special circumstances, children from poor and near-poor households, ethnic minority children, children living in border, mountainous, island areas, and areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions to access universal education, inclusive education, vocational training, and suitable job introduction in accordance with age and labor laws.

- The State prioritizes investment in education, ensuring equal opportunities for access to education for all children; inclusive education for children with disabilities; policies for tuition exemption and reduction for specific groups of children appropriate to the economic and social development conditions of each period.

- The program and educational content must be appropriate for each age group, each group of children, ensuring quality, meeting comprehensive development requirements and integration requirements; focusing on the education of historical and cultural traditions, national identity, character development, life skills, talents, and giftedness of children; gender education, reproductive health education for children.

- The State stipulates a safe, healthy, friendly educational environment, preventing and combating school violence.

- The State has suitable policies to universalize preschool education for children aged 5 and policies to support children in the appropriate preschool age group in line with the economic and social development conditions of each period; encouraging and attracting other investment sources to develop education and training.