Is a fine of 10 million VND imposed on lower secondary schools in Vietnam if the number of students in a class exceeds the regulated limit?

What is the maximum number of students per class in a lower secondary school in Vietnam?

Based on Clause 3, Article 16 of the Charter for lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools, and multi-level schools, issued along with Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT:

Classes

1. Students are organized into classes. Each class has a class monitor and vice monitors elected by students or introduced by the homeroom teacher, elected by students at the beginning of each school year or after each semester. Each class is divided into several student groups, with each group having a group leader and vice leader elected by students or introduced by the homeroom teacher, elected by students at the beginning of each school year or after each semester.

2. Class activities ensure democracy, self-management, and cooperation. Each student actively discusses and participates in planning activities for the group and the class with the support of the teacher.

3. The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee specifies the number of students in each class, aiming to reduce the student-to-class ratio, ensuring that each class in lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools has no more than 45 students.

4. The number of students per class in specialized schools is regulated in the organizational and operational regulations of those specialized schools.

Thus, according to the above regulations, the maximum number of students per class in a lower secondary school is no more than 45 students.

Is a fine of 10 million VND imposed on lower secondary schools in Vietnam if the number of students in a class exceeds the regulated limit?

Currently, administrative violations in the field of education are stipulated in Decree 04/2021/ND-CP on administrative sanctions in the field of education, which does not have regulations on fines for exceeding the number of students per class in a lower secondary school.

However, there are regulations on administrative sanctions in vocational education if the school arranges a number of students in a class exceeding the prescribed limit, which will be fined according to Article 14 of Decree 88/2022/ND-CP. To be specific:

Violations of Class Size Regulations

Fines for arranging the number of learners exceeding the class size as per the regulations are as follows:

1. A fine ranging from 3,000,000 VND to 5,000,000 VND when the class size exceeds 30% to less than 50% of the prescribed limit.

2. A fine ranging from 5,000,000 VND to 10,000,000 VND when the class size exceeds 50% of the prescribed limit.

Thus, according to the above regulations, there are currently no specific fines for exceeding the student number in a lower secondary school class.

Is a fine of 10 million VND imposed on lower secondary schools in Vietnam if the number of students in a class exceeds the regulated limit?​ (Image from the Internet)

What are the regulations on the number of classes in a lower secondary school in Vietnam?

Based on Point a, Clause 2, Article 13, Regulations on standards for facilities of preschools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools, and multi-level schools, issued along with Circular 13/2020/TT-BGDDT:

Location, Scale, Area

1. Requirements for school location

a) Suitable for the local education development plan;

b) The surrounding environment ensures safety for students, staff, and teachers;

c) Convenient transportation connections for students to go to school; meets the requirements for fire and explosion prevention.

2. Scale

a) A lower secondary school has a minimum of 08 classes and a maximum of 45 classes;

b) Based on local conditions, schools can be arranged in different locations to facilitate students' attendance. Each location shall not have more than 02 schools. Each school shall have more than 03 classes.

3. The land area for school and branch construction is determined based on the number of classes, number of students, with an average of at least 10m² per student; for urban mountainous areas and central areas with limited land resources, an average of at least 8m² per student is allowed. For schools with boarding facilities, the land area for boarding facilities must ensure 6m² per boarding student.

4. Standards for construction area of functional buildings

a) The administrative and management block is implemented according to current regulations;

b) The blocks for: classrooms; academic support rooms; auxiliary rooms; playgrounds, sports areas; and living facilities are detailed in Appendix III attached.

5. Maximum height for buildings directly serving teaching and educational activities is 04 floors; ensures accessibility for students with disabilities.

Thus, according to the regulations, a lower secondary school shall have a minimum of 08 classes and a maximum of 45 classes;

Based on local conditions, schools can be arranged in different locations to facilitate students' attendance. Each location shall not have more than 02 schools. Each school shall have more than 03 classes.