Vietnam: What are the regulations on organizing primary education in the 2024-2025 academic year? Is merging classes at the primary education level allowed in the 2024-2025 academic year?

What are the regulations on organizing primary education in the 2024-2025 academic year in Vietnam?

Under Subsection 2, Section 1 of Official Dispatch 3898/BGDDT-GDTH 2024, the organization of primary education for the 2024-2025 academic year is as follows:

- Ensure a ratio of 1 classroom per class, infrastructure, and the number of students per class according to the Primary School Charter; have sufficient minimum teaching equipment as per regulations; ensure a ratio of 1.5 teachers per class and a structure of teachers to teach all subjects, educational activities, and organize teaching 2 sessions per day according to regulations.

- Implement teaching of mandatory subjects and educational activities, elective subjects as regulated by the General Education Program for primary education level; organize reinforcement activities for students to complete their studies, educational activities that meet students' needs, interests, and talents, and activities exploring nature, society, culture, history, and local traditions.

- Organize teaching for 2 sessions per day, with no more than 7 lessons per day, each lesson lasting 35 minutes; implement the teaching plan for a minimum of 9 sessions per week with 32 lessons per week; the educational plan must ensure a reasonable distribution among educational contents to help students complete the learning tasks and achieve the program's required outcomes; create conditions for students to study elective subjects and participate in educational activities aimed at achieving comprehensive educational goals at the primary education level; the timetable needs to be scientifically arranged to ensure a reasonable ratio between teaching content and educational activities, with a reasonable allocation of time and timing during the day and week suitable for the primary school students' age psychology.

- For primary educational institutions lacking conditions to organize 2 sessions per day, on the basis of teaching correctly and sufficiently the content and duration of mandatory subjects according to the program regulations, the primary educational institution proactively determines content, selects forms of organization, and allocates appropriate time for elective subjects when conditions for implementation are ensured, as well as reinforcement activities and other educational activities.

- Develop a plan for organizing boarding with content and form suitable for actual conditions, with the consensus and voluntary participation of students and parents, and according to regulations and guidelines from management authorities; boarding activities are organized from after the morning session until before the start of the afternoon session, contributing to students' development in life skills, necessary abilities, qualities, discipline, self-service, responsibility, sharing, and love; the organization of boarding activities needs to be flexible and may include activities such as organizing lunch, afternoon nap, play, entertainment for students; organizing lunch, boarding must ensure regulations on safety, food hygiene, and adequate nutrition, health for students.

- Organize activities for students outside of official school hours based on students' needs and interests during the time between the end of official school hours and when parents pick them up to go home; based on student's needs and interests, activities can be organized in the form of club activities or utilizing the school's facilities (library, playground, exercise field, multi-purpose house...) to provide conditions for students to play and entertain; organizing activities after official school hours in the form of club activities needs approval from competent authorities.

What are the regulations on organizing primary education in the 2024-2025 academic year? Is merging classes at the primary education level in Vietnam allowed in the 2024-2025 academic year? (Image from the Internet)

Is merging classes at the primary education level in Vietnam allowed in the 2024-2025 academic year?

According to Subsection 5, Section 2 of Official Dispatch 3898/BGDDT-GDTH 2024 on merging classes at the primary education level:

Effective Implementation of Flexible and Merged Classes

Based on the number of students, conditions of each school, and locality, educational institutions assess the students’ capabilities, levels, and receptiveness to organize flexible and merged classes for appropriate teaching activities. In difficult areas, to ensure the rights and learning facilitation of students, merged class teaching may be organized. During the teaching organization in merged classes, it must be done following the guidance of the Ministry of Education and Training Official Dispatch No. 5335/BGDDT-GDTH.

Thus, based on the number of students, conditions of each school, and locality, educational institutions assess the student’s capabilities, levels, and receptiveness to organize flexible and merged classes for appropriate teaching activities.

What are the solutions to ensure safety at primary schools in Vietnam during the 2024-2025 academic year?

According to Subsection 1, Section 1 of Official Dispatch 3898/BGDDT-GDTH 2024, the guidance for ensuring safety at primary schools in Vietnam during the 2024-2025 academic year is as follows:

- Maintain environmental hygiene in schools and plan to ensure the physical and mental health of students, staff, teachers, and management officials.

- Proactively plan flexible teaching arrangements suitable for students and practical conditions, to prevent natural disasters and epidemics in the locality and school, based on evaluation, summary, and experience from previous school years.

- Inspect, review, and re-evaluate the quality of school infrastructure, plan, and perform maintenance of facilities according to regulations.

- Do not use facilities that have exceeded their lifespan and are not safe according to regulations without renovation, repair, or upgrading.

- Continue to effectively implement tasks on teaching ethics, lifestyle, and life skills for students and building school culture.

- Social work, psychological counseling for students in schools, and ensuring a safe, healthy, friendly educational environment, preventing school violence.