Is primary education compulsory in Vietnam?

Is primary education compulsory in Vietnam?

Based on Article 14 of the Law on Education 2019, the regulations are as follows:

Universalization of Education and Compulsory Education

1. Primary education is compulsory.

The State implements universal preschool education for 5-year-old children and universal lower secondary education.

2. The State is responsible for implementing compulsory education nationwide; deciding plans, ensuring conditions for the implementation of universalization of education.

3. All citizens within the prescribed age have the obligation to study to achieve universalization of education and complete compulsory education.

4. Families and guardians are responsible for creating conditions for their family members within the prescribed age to study to achieve universalization of education and complete compulsory education.

Primary education is compulsory. All citizens within the prescribed age have the obligation to study to achieve universalization of education and complete compulsory education.

The State is responsible for implementing compulsory education nationwide.

Is primary education compulsory in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

What are the objectives of primary education? What are the regulations on grades and age for primary education in Vietnam?

The objectives of primary education are stipulated in Article 29 of the Law on Education 2019 as follows:

Objectives of General Education

1. General education aims to develop learners comprehensively in ethics, intellect, physique, aesthetics, basic skills; develop personal capabilities, dynamism, and creativity; form Vietnamese socialist human character and civic responsibility; prepare learners for further study in higher education programs, vocational education or labor participation, and national construction and defense.

2. Primary education aims to form the initial foundation for the development in ethics, intellect, physique, aesthetics, and capabilities of students; prepare students for lower secondary education.

3. Lower secondary education aims to consolidate and develop the results of primary education; ensure students have foundational general education, minimal essential understanding of technology, and career orientation to continue studying upper secondary education or vocational education programs.

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The objective of primary education is to form the initial foundation for the development in ethics, intellect, physique, aesthetics, and capabilities of students; prepare students for lower secondary education.

According to point a, clause 1, Article 28 of the Law on Education 2019, primary education is implemented over 5 school years, from grade one to grade five. The age for students entering grade one is 6 years old, calculated on a yearly basis.

Except for cases where children have disabilities, physical or intellectual development delays, children in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions, ethnic minority children, orphans without support, returning overseas children, children of foreigners studying or working in Vietnam may enter grade one at an older age but not exceeding 3 years.

Cases where children enter grade one exceeding 3 years more than the prescribed age will be decided by the head of the Department of Education and Training.

What Requirements Must Primary Education Meet Regarding Content?

Article 30 of the Law on Education 2019 stipulates as follows:

Requirements on Content and Methods of General Education

1. The content of general education must ensure generality, basic, comprehensive, vocational orientation, and systematization; link with real life, suitable to students' psychological ages, meeting the educational objectives at each education level.

2. Requirements for the content of general education at various levels are stipulated as follows:

a) Primary education must ensure students' comprehensive development basis in physical, emotional, social skills; simple, necessary understanding of nature, society, and humanity; social moral awareness; basic skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and calculating; habits of physical exercise, maintaining hygiene; initial understanding of singing, dancing, music, and fine arts;

b) Lower secondary education consolidates, develops content learned in primary education, ensures students have basic general knowledge of Vietnamese, mathematics, national history; other knowledge of social sciences, natural sciences, law, informatics, foreign languages; minimum necessary understanding of technology and vocational orientation;

c) Upper secondary education consolidates, develops content learned in lower secondary education, completes general education content; ensures comprehensive basic general knowledge and vocational orientation for students, with advanced content in some subjects to develop capacities, meeting students' aspirations.

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Besides meeting the requirement in clause 1, Article 30 of the Law on Education 2019, primary education must also ensure the following three contents for students:

- Foundation for comprehensive development in physical, emotional, social skills; simple, necessary understanding of nature, society, and humanity;

- Social moral awareness; basic skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and calculating;

- Habits of physical exercise, maintaining hygiene; initial understanding of singing, dancing, music, and fine arts.