Vietnam: Are teachers who are public employees required to change their professional titles when changing educational levels?

Are teachers who are public employees in Vietnam required to change their professional titles when changing educational levels?

Under Clause 1, Article 31 of the Law on Public Employees 2010, the appointment and change of professional titles are stipulated as follows:

Appointment and change of professional titles

1. Appointment of public employees to hold professional titles must adhere to the following principles:

a/ Professional title matches working position:

b/ The public employee satisfies all criteria of the professional title which he/she is appointed to hold.

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Therefore, when a teacher is a public employee and changes educational level, he/she must change their professional title corresponding to that job position.

Are teachers who are public employees in Vietnam required to change their professional titles when changing teaching levels? (Image from the Internet)

What are the principles of appointment to professional titles for teachers who are public employees and change teaching levels in Vietnam?

Under Clause 5, Article 5 of Circular 08/2023/TT-BGDDT, the principles of appointment to professional titles for teachers who are public employees and change teaching levels in Vietnam are stipulated as follows:

- Appoint to the professional title grade corresponding to the current grade when meeting the standards of the appointed grade and convert to the closest or higher salary coefficient of the transferred grade as guided in Circular 02/2007/TT-BNV.

- When changing professional titles, it is not combined with promotion of professional titles or increasing salary grades;

- When changing professional titles, public employees are not required to have a training certificate according to the standards of the professional title of the job position being transferred;

- The time holding the previous professional title is considered equivalent to the time holding the transferred professional title.

What are the criteria and conditions for consideration for the promotion to the professional title of Grade II lower secondary school teacher in Vietnam?

Under Point k, Clause 4, Article 4 of Circular 03/2021/TT-BGDDT amended by Clause 4, Article 3 Circular 08/2023/TT-BGDDT on secondary school teachers grade 2 as follows:

Grade II lower secondary school teacher - Code V.07.04.31

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4. Professional competency standards

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k) Public employees applying for examination or consideration for promotion to the professional title of Grade II lower secondary school teacher (code V.07.04.31) must have held the professional title of Grade III lower secondary school teacher (code V.07.04.32) or equivalent for at least 09 (nine) years (excluding the probation period) up to the deadline for submitting registration documents for the examination or consideration.

At the same time, according to Article 3 of Circular 34/2021/TT-BGDĐT, the criteria and conditions for taking examination or consideration for promotion to the professional titles of lower secondary school teachers are stipulated as follows:

Criteria and conditions for taking examination or consideration for promotion to higher professional titles

Teachers may register for exams or consideration for promotion to the  higher professional title when meeting the following criteria and conditions:

1. The educational institution has a demand and is appointed by the head of the supervisory authority to take examination or consideration for promotion to higher professional titles.

2. They have quality graded as good completion of tasks or better in the work year immediately preceding the year of examination or consideration for promotion; possess good political qualities and professional ethics; are not under disciplinary action, and not during the implementation of regulations related to disciplining public employees as stipulated in Article 56 of the Law on Public Employees, as amended and supplemented in Clause 8, Article 2 of the Law on amendments to the Law on Officials and the Law on Public Employees.

3. They have been appointed to the professional title of a preschool, primary, lower or upper secondary school teacher suitable for the job position being held.

4. They meet the qualification standards and the standards of professional competence of the registered grade for the exam or consideration for promotion according to the current regulations on professional titles for teachers issued by the Ministry of Education and Training. In cases where the teacher meets the conditions for exemption from foreign language and information technology papers as stipulated in Clauses 6 and 7, Article 39 of Decree No. 115/2020/ND-CP dated September 25, 2020, of the Government of Vietnam regulating the recruitment, use, and management of public employees, it is deemed to meet the foreign language and information technology standards for the professional title grade registered for the examination or consideration for promotion.

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Thus, the criteria and conditions for consideration for the promotion to the professional title of Grade II lower secondary school teacher in Vietnam are as follows:

- Have held the professional title of Grade III lower secondary school teacher (code V.07.04.32) or equivalent for at least 09 (nine) years (excluding the probation period) up to the deadline for submitting registration documents for consideration.

- Be appointed by the head of the supervisory authority to take examination or consideration for promotion to higher professional titles.

- Have quality graded as good completion of tasks or better in the work year immediately preceding the year of examination or consideration for promotion; possess good political qualities and professional ethics; are not under disciplinary action, and not during the implementation of regulations related to disciplining public employees

- Have been appointed to the professional title of a preschool, primary, or lower secondary school teacher suitable for the job position being held.

- Meet the qualification standards and the standards of professional competence of the registered grade for the exam or consideration for promotion according to the current regulations on professional titles for teachers issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.