Are principals of public schools in Vietnam required to undergo retraining on national defense and security knowledge?

Are principals of public schools in Vietnam required to undergo retraining on national defense and security knowledge?

Under the provisions in Article 2 of the Law on Public Employees 2010, the concept of public employees is defined as follows:

Public Employees

A public employee is a Vietnamese citizen recruited by position and works at a public service provider according to employment contract policies and receives a salary from the salary fund of the public service provider as stipulated by law.

According to the provisions of Clause 2, Article 4 of the Law on Officials 2008 (amended by Clause 1, Article 1 of the Law on Amendments to Law on Officials and Law on Public Employees 2019):

Officials

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2. Officials are Vietnamese citizens, recruited, appointed to grades, positions, or titles corresponding to the job position within the Communist Party of Vietnam, the State, political-social organizations at the central, provincial, and district levels; within the People's Army units that are not officers, non-commissioned officers, or defense workers; within the People's Police units that are not officers, non-commissioned officers serving under professional policies, police workers, on the payroll and receiving salaries from the state budget.

Additionally, Article 3 of Decree 115/2020/ND-CP stipulates as follows:

Classification of Public Employees

1. Based on duties and responsibilities, public employees are classified as follows:

a) managerial public employees are those appointed to hold management positions for a term, responsible for the administration, organization, and implementation of one or several tasks within the public service provider and receive management position allowances;

b) Non-managerial public employees are those who only perform professional tasks according to job titles within the public service provider.

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Thus, currently, principals of public schools are managerial public employees.

Under point a, Clause 2, Article 14 of the Law on National Defense and Security Education 2013:

For Persons in State Agencies, Political Organizations, and Political-Social Organizations

1. National defense and security knowledge training for persons in State agencies, political organizations, and political-social organizations is uniformly conducted nationwide.

2. The subjects for national defense and security knowledge training include:

a) Officials; managerial public employees;

b) Elected representatives;

c) Managers in state enterprises;

d) Non-specialized personnel in communes, wards, commune-level towns (hereinafter referred to as the commune level); village heads, hamlet, cluster, neighborhood group leaders (hereinafter referred to as village); heads of mass organizations in the village;

dd) Members of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

3. The program, content, form, and duration of national defense and security knowledge training for the subjects specified in Clause 2 of this Article must be suitable to the standards of position, leadership, management requirements, and task demands.

Thus, according to the regulations mentioned above, principals of public schools in Vietnam are required to undergo retraining on national defense and security knowledge.

Are principals of public schools in Vietnam required to undergo retraining on national defense and security knowledge? (Image from the Internet)

What are the principles of retraining on national defense and security knowledge in Vietnam?

According to Article 5 of the Law on National Defense and Security Education 2013, the principles are as follows:

- Comply with the Constitution and laws of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and managed uniformly by the State.

- National defense and security education is the responsibility of the entire political system and the people, with the State playing the leading role.

- Combine national defense and security education with political and ideological education, legal dissemination, and close association with building a comprehensive strong foundation.

- Comprehensive education with focal points, using suitable forms; combining theory with practice, and theory with application.

- The program and content of national defense and security education must be appropriate to each subject and promptly meet the demands of the actual situation.

- Ensure state confidentiality, plan, succession, development, science, modernity, simplicity, practicality, and efficiency.

What are the prohibited acts in retraining on national defense and security knowledge in Vietnam?

Under Article 9 of the Law on National Defense and Security Education 2013 concerning prohibited acts in retraining on national defense and security knowledge:

- Exploiting national defense and security education activities to propagate distorted lines, views of the Communist Party, policies, and laws of the State;

- Disclosing state secrets;

- Propagating hostile policies, causing division among the national unity bloc;

- Infringing on the interests of the State, and the rights and legitimate interests of organizations and individuals.

- Obstructing the implementation of national defense and security education.

- Other acts as prescribed by law.