How many types of primary schools are there? Who has the authority to establish primary schools in Vietnam?

How many types of primary schools are there?​

According to Article 4 of the Charter of Primary Schools issued together with Circular 28/2020/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Traing of Vietnam, types of primary schools and classes are as follows:

Types of primary schools and classes

1. Primary schools are organized into two types: public and private.

a) Public primary schools are funded, provided operating conditions, and represented by the State as the owner.

b) Private primary schools are invested in and provided operating conditions by domestic or foreign investors.

2. Primary classes in schools with multiple educational levels and specialized schools include:

a) Primary classes in schools with multiple educational levels.

b) Primary classes in semi-boarding ethnic schools.

c) Primary classes in educational institutions for children with disabilities.

d) Primary classes in reformatories.

3. Other educational institutions implementing the primary education program: community learning centers; classes for children in difficult circumstances who are unable to attend school, and classes for children with disabilities.

Thus, according to current regulations, there are two types of primary schools, including public primary schools and private primary schools, specified as follows:

- Public primary schools are funded, provided operating conditions, and represented by the State as the owner.

- Private primary schools are invested in and provided operating conditions by domestic or foreign investors.

How many types of primary schools are there? Who has the authority to establish primary schools in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

Who has the authority to establish primary schools?

According to Article 6 of the Charter of Primary Schools issued together with Circular 28/2020/TT-BGDDT:

Management Authority

1. Primary schools are established and managed by the People's Committee at the district level, district-level towns, and city-level municipalities (hereinafter referred to as the district-level People's Committee). The primary classes, other educational institutions implementing the primary education program specified in Clauses 2 and 3, Article 4 of this Circular, are established and managed by the competent authority.

2. The Department of Education and Training assists the district-level People's Committee in performing state management functions over the types of primary schools and classes in the area.

Additionally, Article 52 of the Education Law 2019 of Vietnam stipulates as follows:

Authority and procedure of establishment or establishment permission; permission of educational operation, suspension of educational operation; merger, division and dissolution of schools

1. The following persons have the power to establish public schools or to grant permission to establish people-founded and private schools:

a) Chairwomen/chairmen of district-level People's Committees have the power to decide establishment of junior kindergartens, senior kindergartens, primary schools, lower secondary schools, multi-level schools whose highest level is lower secondary, and day schools for ethnic children, except for the cases prescribed in point d of this clause;

b) Chairwomen/chairmen of provincial People's Committees have the power to decide for upper secondary schools, multi-level schools whose highest level is upper secondary, boarding general education schools for ethnic children, vocational secondary schools under provincial administration, except for the cases prescribed in point c and point d of this clause.

c) Ministers, Heads of ministry-level agencies have the power to decide establishment of vocational secondary schools under their direct management;

d) The Minister of Education and Training has the power to decide establishment of pre-university schools, pedagogical colleges and schools under ministerial management; junior kindergartens, senior kindergartens, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools as proposed by foreign diplomatic representative agencies and/or intergovernmental international organisations;

dd) The Minister of Labour - War Invalids and Social Affairs has the power to decide establishment of colleges, except for pedagogical colleges;

e) The Prime Minister has the power to decide establishment of institutions of higher education.

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Thus, the Chairman of the district-level People's Committee has the authority to establish primary schools.

In addition, primary schools proposed for establishment by foreign diplomatic missions or international organizations to the Government of Vietnam are decided by the Minister of Education and Training.

What is the organizational structure of primary schools like?

According to Article 9 of the Charter of Primary Schools issued together with Circular 28/2020/TT-BGDDT which stipulates as follows:

Organizational structure of primary schools

The organizational structure of primary schools includes: school council; principal and vice-principal; emulation and commendation council; disciplinary council; advisory council; Communist Party of Vietnam organization; Trade Union organization; Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union organization; Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organization; professional groups; office groups; student classes.

Thus, the organizational structure of a primary school includes the school council and the following entities and organizations:

- Principal and vice-principal;

- Emulation and commendation council;

- Disciplinary council; advisory council;

- Communist Party of Vietnam organization; Trade Union organization; Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union organization; Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organization;

- Professional groups; office group;

- Student classes.