Do preschool educational institutions in Vietnam include senior kindergartens? Shall programmes of preschool educational institutions in Vietnam be consistent?

Do preschool educational institutions in Vietnam include senior kindergartens?

Based on Article 26 of the Education Law 2019, the preschool education institutions in Vietnam are as follows:

Institutions of preschool education

Institutions of preschool education include:

1. Junior kindergarten centers and classes for children aged 03 – 36 months;

2. Senior kindergartens and independent senior kindergarten classes for children aged 03 – 06 years;

3. Combined kindergartens and independent preschool classes for children aged 03 months – 06 years.

Currently, junior kindergarten centers, senior kindergartens and independent senior kindergarten classes, combined kindergartens and independent preschool classes are all part of preschool education institutions.

Moreover, Clause 2 of Article 6 of the Education Law 2019 also regulates the national education system in Vietnam as follows:

The national educational system

1. The national educational system is an open, transferrable educational system consisting of formal education and continuing education.

2. Educational levels and training qualifications of the national educational system include:

a) Preschool education including junior kindergartens (for children aged 03 – 36 months) and senior kindergartens (for children aged 3 – 5 years);

b) General education with primary education, lower secondary education, and upper secondary education;

c) Vocational education and training at elementary-level, intermediate-level, or college-level and other vocational training programmes;

d) Higher education with university education, master education and doctoral education.

3. The Prime Minister shall make decisions on the approval of the structural framework of the national educational system and the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework; stipulate the training duration, standards of each training level, the minimal learning quantity for qualifications of vocational education and higher education.

4. Within the scope of their duties and authorities, the Minister of Education and Training and Minister of Labour - War Invalids and Social Affairs shall provide for the entrance requirements of college-level and university-level pedagogical and health professions.  

Thus, referring to the above regulations, preschool education institutions include senior kindergartens.

Do preschool educational institutions in Vietnam include senior kindergartens? Shall programmes of preschool educational institutions in Vietnam be consistent?​ (Image from the Internet)

Shall programmes of preschool educational institutions in Vietnam be consistent?

Based on Article 25 of the Education Law 2019, the preschool education programmes in Vietnam are as follows:

Programmes of preschool education

1. Programmes of preschool education shall satisfy the following requirements:

a) Reflect the objectives of preschool education;

b) Concretize the outcome requirements of different age groups, educational activities, methods and modes of organizing educational activities, educational environment and evaluation of the development of children;

c) Be consistent throughout the country and implemented flexibly, suitable with specific conditions of localities and institutions of preschool education.

2. The Minister of Education and Training shall establish the National review council for appraising curricula for preschool education to appraise programmes of preschool education. The council shall be composed of teachers, education managers, experienced and prestigious scientists in the field of education and representatives of relevant agencies and organisations. At least one-third of the council members must be teachers who are working in institutions of preschool education. The council and the council members shall be responsible for the appraisal contents and quality.  

3. The Minister of Education and Training shall promulgate programmes of preschool education after receiving the appraisals of the National review council for appraising curricula for preschool education; stipulate standards, compiling and editing processes of programmes of preschool education; stipulate standards and selection of toys and learning materials used in institutions of preschool education; stipulate the duties, powers, operating methods, standards, number and structure of members of the National review council for appraising curricula for preschool education.

Thus, according to the above regulations, the preschool education programmes in Vietnam shall be consistent.

However, they can be flexibly implemented to suit the specific conditions of localities and preschool education institutions.

Is preschool education on islands in Vietnam prioritized to benefit from policies?

Based on Article 27 of the Education Law 2019, the policies for preschool education development are as follows:

Development policies of preschool education

1. The State shall elaborate policies for investment in the development of preschool education; give priority to the development of preschool education in mountainous areas, islands, ethnic minority areas, areas with exceptional socio-economic difficulties, areas with industrial zones. 

2. The State shall issue incentive policies for organisations and individuals to invest in the development of preschool education in order to meet social demands.

3. The Government shall provide for this Article.

Thus, preschool education in mountainous and island areas will be prioritized to benefit from development investment policies before other areas.