Is a continuing education center a public service provider in Vietnam?

Is a continuing education center a public service provider in Vietnam?

Under Article 2 of the Regulation on the Organization and Operation of Vocational Education - Continuing Education Centers, issued with Circular No. 01/2023/TT-BGDDT, the regulations regarding continuing education centers are specified as follows:

Legal Position and State Management of the Center

1. The center is a continuing education institution within the national education system and is a public service provider with legal status, its own seal and account.

2. The center is under the state management of continuing education by the Ministry of Education and Training; vocational and training education by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs; and concurrently is under state management in the locality by the People's Committee of the province or centrally-run city (hereinafter referred to as the provincial People's Committee) where the center's headquarters is located.

3. The center exercises autonomy and accountability in accordance with the law.

Thus, under the above regulation, the continuing education center is a public service provider in Vietnam.

Is a continuing education center a public service provider in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

Is a continuing education center part of the national education system of Vietnam?

According to Article 6 of the Education Law 2019, the provisions regarding the national education system are specified as follows:

The national education system

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

2. Educational levels and training qualifications of the national education 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 education 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.

According to Clause 1, Article 65 of the Education Law 2019, specific regulations about other educational institutions are provided as follows:

Other educational institutions

1. Other educational institution in the national educational system includes:

a) Day care centers, independent senior kindergarten classes, independent junior kindergarten classes, illiteracy eradication classes, foreign language classes, informatics classes, classes for children with difficult circumstances and unable to attend school, classes for disabled children;

b) Institutions of continuing education, vocational – continuing education, vocational education, community learning centers, inclusive education support and development centers, other centers conducting duties of continuing education;

c) Academies and institutes established by the Prime Minister in accordance with the Law on Science and Technology and authorised in doctoral education.

2. Heads of other educational institutions prescribed in clause 1 of this Article shall be responsible for the quality of education, management and operation of educational institutions as prescribed by law.

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Thus, under the above regulation, the continuing education center is another educational institution within the national education system.

What are the activities for education quality assurance by a continuing education center in Vietnam?

According to Article 16 of the Regulation on the Organization and Operation of Vocational Education - Continuing Education Centers, issued with Circular No. 01/2023/TT-BGDDT, specific regulations on education quality assurance and accreditation are as follows:

The center is responsible for performing activities to assure and accredit education quality according to regulations, and to carry out specific activities as follows:

[1] Advise the CPV committee, and local authorities to develop and implement plans for building and developing the center, striving to meet education quality accreditation standards in each period.

[2] Conduct internal assessments, register for external assessments; propose competent authorities to recognize the center as having achieved education quality accreditation standards when it meets the set assessment criteria.

[3] Based on the results of external assessments, supplement and complete the internal assessment report; implement quality improvement plans as outlined in the internal assessment report, follow recommendations from the external assessment team and the directives of the management agency. Annually, report the results of quality improvement efforts to the direct education management agency for guidance, direction, inspection, and supervision.

[4] Prepare full documentation and data related to the center's activities and necessary conditions to support external assessment processes; respond to feedback on the draft external assessment report within stipulated timeframes.

[5] Maintain and promote the results of education quality accreditation to continually improve quality.