How are primary school students certified for completing the primary school program in Vietnam?

How are primary school students certified for completing the primary school program in Vietnam?

Article 34 of the Education Law 2019 states:

Certification for completing primary, secondary, and high school programs, and granting graduation diplomas for secondary and high school education

1. Students who complete the primary school program and meet the conditions stipulated by the Minister of Education and Training shall be certified by the school principal in the school report for completing the primary school program.

2. Students who complete the secondary school program and meet the conditions stipulated by the Minister of Education and Training shall be issued a secondary school graduation diploma by the head of the educational professional agency under the district-level People's Committee.

3. Students who complete the high school program and meet the conditions stipulated by the Minister of Education and Training shall be allowed to take the exam, and if they pass, shall be issued a high school graduation diploma by the head of the educational professional agency under the provincial-level People's Committee.

Students who complete the high school program, meet the conditions to take the exam as stipulated by the Minister of Education and Training but do not take the exam or do not pass the exam, shall be issued a certificate of completion of the general education program by the school principal.

The certificate of completion of the general education program may be used to register for the high school graduation exam when the student wishes to obtain a high school diploma or to pursue vocational education and use it in specific cases according to the law.

...

Based on the above provisions, primary school students will be certified in their school report by the school principal for completing the primary school program if they complete the program and meet the conditions stipulated by the Minister of Education and Training.

How are primary school students certified for completing the primary school program in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

Can a 7-year-old child enter the first grade in Vietnam?

Based on Article 33 of the Elementary School Charter issued together with Circular 28/2020/TT-BGDDT regulating the age of primary school students as follows:

Age of primary school students

1. The age of students entering the first grade is 06 years old, calculated according to the year. Children with disabilities, children with physical or intellectual developmental delays, children in areas with particularly challenging socio-economic conditions, ethnic minority children, orphans with no support, children returning from abroad, and children of foreigners studying or working in Vietnam may enter first grade at an older age than prescribed but not more than 03 years older. In cases where children exceed the age by more than 03 years, the decision will be made by the head of the Department of Education and Training.

2. Primary school students studying at an age higher than the prescribed age in cases of repetition, students in areas with particularly challenging socio-economic conditions, ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, children with physical or intellectual developmental delays, orphans with no support, children returning from abroad, and other cases as prescribed by law.

Therefore, although the typical age for a student to enter the first grade is 6 years old, if the student is a child with disabilities, has physical or intellectual developmental delays, lives in areas with particularly challenging socio-economic conditions, is an ethnic minority child, an orphan with no support, a child returning from abroad, or a child of foreigners studying or working in Vietnam, they can still enter the first grade at the age of 7.

What is the educational duration for first grade in the general education program in Vietnam?

According to Section 4 of the Overall General Education Program issued together with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, the primary education program is allocated with the following subjects:

- Mandatory subjects and educational activities: Vietnamese Language; Mathematics; Ethics; Foreign Language 1 (in grades 3, 4, 5); Natural and Social Science (in grades 1, 2, 3); History and Geography (in grades 4, 5); Science (in grades 4, 5); Informatics and Technology (in grades 3, 4, 5); Physical Education; Arts (Music, Fine Arts); Experiential activities.

- Elective subjects: Ethnic Minority Language, Foreign Language 1 (in grades 1, 2).

The educational duration for the primary education program is 2 sessions per day.

Each day is arranged with no more than 7 lessons; each lesson lasts 35 minutes. Educational institutions that do not have the conditions to organize 2 sessions per day should follow the educational plan guided by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Thus, the educational duration for first grade in the general education program is 2 sessions per day. Each day is arranged with no more than 7 lessons; each lesson lasts 35 minutes.

The Ministry of Education and Training guides the educational plans for institutions that do not have the conditions to organize 2 sessions per day.

>> See the Appendix issued together with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT: Download (Note: Some content in this file is amended by Articles 1 and 2 of Circular 13/2022/TT-BGDDT)