Vietnam: Details of Level-2 secondary school assessment standards

How many secondary school assessment levels are there?

* Note: Regulations on education quality accreditation and recognition of conformity with national standards for lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and multilevel education institutions issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam are abbreviated as "Regulations issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT".

According to Article 6 of the Regulations on education quality accreditation and recognition of conformity with national standards for lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and multilevel education institutions issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT, secondary school assessment levels are prescribed as follows:

Secondary school assessment levels

1. Secondary schools may be assessed according to the following levels:

a) Level 1: Conformance to regulations laid down in Section 1 of Chapter II in these Regulations;

b) Level 2: Conformance to regulations laid down in Section 2 of Chapter II in these Regulations;

c) Level 3: Conformance to regulations laid down in Section 3 of Chapter II in these Regulations;

d) Level 4: Conformance to regulations laid down in Section 4 of Chapter II in these Regulations.

2. A secondary school is recognized to meet a benchmark if they meet all indicators of that benchmark. The school is recognized to meet an indicator if all requirements included in that indicator are satisfied. 

Thus, there are 4 secondary school assessment levels.

Details of Level-2 secondary school assessment standards (Image from the Internet)

Details of Level-2 secondary school assessment standards

According to Section 2, Chapter 2 of the Regulations on education quality accreditation and recognition of conformity with national standards for lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and multilevel education institutions issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT, Level-2 secondary school assessment standards are as follows:

* Standard 1: School organization and management

According to Article 12 of the Regulations issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT

Including the following benchmarks:

Benchmark 1: School development strategy

The school must adopt approaches to supervision of implementation of the school development strategy.

Benchmark 2: School board (Board of Trustees in a private school) and other boards

Operating effectively, contributing to improving the school’s education quality.

Benchmark 3: Communist Party organization, unions and other organizations of the school

- The school’s Communist Party organization has the organizational and operational structure according to regulations; is rated good for their task accomplishment in at least 1 year out of 5 consecutive years immediately preceding the date of commencement of assessment, and rated at least satisfactory for their task accomplishment in the remaining years;

- Unions, associations and other organizations make positive contribution to the school’s activities.

Benchmark 4: Principal; vice principal; specialized and academic team; administrative and clerical team

- Every year, the school’s specialized and academic team must propose and carry out at least 01 (one) project aimed at improving education quality and effectiveness;

- Activities of specialized and academic teams; administrative and clerical teams, are subject to periodic review, evaluation and revision.

Benchmark 5: Classes

Each school is restricted to 45 (fifty five) classes. The number of students per class must be subject to regulations.

Benchmark 6: Administrative, financial and property management

- Applying information technology effectively to the school’s administrative, financial and property management;

- During 05 consecutive years immediately preceding the assessment commencement date, none of violations arising from administrative, financial and property management activities has been detected according to inspection and audit reports.

Benchmark 7: Management of administrators, teachers and staff members

Adopting measures to boost the capabilities of the school’s administrators, teachers and staff in the process of developing and improving the school’s education quality.

Benchmark 8: Management of educational activities

The school’s guidelines, inspection and assessment approaches for their educational activities are rated effective by regulatory authorities. Managing private tutoring activities at each school in accordance with regulations (if any).

Benchmark 9: Implementation of the school’s grassroots democracy

Measures and mechanisms for supervision of the implementation of the grassroots democracy regulations must be public, transparent and efficient.

Benchmark 10: Assurance of security, order and safety at school.

- Administrators, teachers, staff and students must be informed of, given instructions about and must carry out plans for assurance of security and order; food hygiene and safety; prevention and control of accidents and injuries; fire and explosion prevention, control and safety; safety concerns for disasters and natural disasters; prevention and control of diseases; prevention and control of school violence evils;

- The school must regularly check, collect, evaluate and process information and manifestations related to school violence, security and order, and take timely and effective preventive measures.

* Standard 2: Administrators, teachers, staff and students

According to Article 13 of the Regulations issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT (some content expired under Circular 29/2021/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam).

Including the following benchmarks:

Benchmark 1: Principal, vice principal

- The school is rated at least fair for their principal standard in at least 02 years out of 05 consecutive years immediately preceding the assessment commencement date;

- Completing training courses in political theory according to regulations; gaining trust from teachers and staff in the school.

Benchmark 2: Teachers

- The rate of teachers surpassing the qualification standard is steadily maintained and gradually increased according to the appropriate schedule;

- During 05 consecutive years immediately preceding the assessment commencement date, 100% of teachers are rated at least satisfactory for their standards of teacher profession. At least 60% of teachers are rated at least fair for their standards of teacher profession while at least 50% of teachers are rated at least fair when teaching at a school located in disadvantaged areas;

- Capable of organizing experiential learning, career orientation and routing activities for students; providing instructions on scientific researches; during 05 consecutive years immediately preceding the assessment commencement date, no teacher has been disciplined by caution or any other stricter sanctioning form.

Benchmark 3: Staff

- The number and structure of staff members must conform to regulations;

- During 05 consecutive years immediately preceding the assessment commencement date, none of staff members has been disciplined by caution or any other stricter sanctioning form.

Benchmark 4: Students

Students who perform prohibited acts must be promptly detected and subject to appropriate educational sanctions, and must show their positive changes.

* Standard 3: Teaching infrastructure and equipment

According to Article 14 of the Regulations issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT

Benchmark 1: Campuses, playgrounds and training grounds

The playground and training ground must meet the requirements for hosting educational activities.

Benchmark 2: Classrooms, subject-based classrooms and academic service blocks

- Classrooms and subject-based classrooms must be built to meet the prescribed standards, ensuring favorable conditions for students with disabilities who take inclusive education programs;

- Academic service blocks must meet the requirements of the school’s activities and according to regulations.

Benchmark 3: Administrative – managerial blocks

Administrative – managerial blocks must be subject to regulations; kitchen, canteen and guesthouse buildings (if any) must meet health, safety and hygiene requirements to serve teachers, staff and students.

Benchmark 4: Toilets and water supply and drainage systems

- Toilets should provide convenient access and must harmonize with the school's landscape and must be built in accordance with regulations;

- Clean water supply, water drainage, waste collection and disposal systems must meet the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Health.

Benchmark 5: Equipment

- Internet-connected computer systems must be available for use in management and teaching activities;

- Teaching aids and equipment must be provided in full in accordance with regulations;

- Every year, teaching equipment and self-made teaching equipment should be additionally provided.

- Benchmark 3.6: Libraries

Each library must be rated at least as the accredited library.

* Standard 4: Relationship between the school, family and society

According to Article 15 of the Regulations issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT

Benchmark 1: Parent representative councils

Effectively coordinating with the school in organizing the implementation of the school year’s tasks and educational activities; aiming law, guideline and policy counseling and dissemination activities at students' parents; attracting students to school, and encouraging students who have dropped out of school to go back to school.

Benchmark 2: Consultation with Party committees, state authorities and coordination with each school’s organizations and individuals

- The school must hold consultation with the Party committee and state authority as a precondition for implementation of their development guidelines and strategy; 

- Collaborating with other organizations, unions and individuals to educate students on historical, cultural values, moral conduct, way of life, law, arts, sports and other educational contents; taking care of historical and revolutionary relics and cultural structures; taking care of families of war invalids and martyrs, families rendering meritorious services to the revolution and Vietnamese Heroic Mothers in each local jurisdiction.

* Standard 5: Educational activities and results

According to Article 16 of the Regulations issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT

Benchmark 1: Provision of general education programs

- Duly executing educational plans and programs; selecting curriculum, duration, method and form of teaching appropriate for specific students and meeting each student’s perception requirements and capabilities;

- Finding and training gifted students, giving extra-class help to students having learning and behavioral training difficulty.

Benchmark 2: Providing opportunities for participation in educational activities for underprivileged students, gifted students or students having learning or behavioral training difficulty.

Ensuring underprivileged students, gifted students or students having learning or behavioral training difficulty can achieve educational goals according to the school's educational plan.

Benchmark 3: Provision of legally prescribed local education

Local education must be in line with objectives of subjects and link theory and practice.

Benchmark 4: Experiential learning and career orientation activities

- Organizing experiential learning and career orientation activities in various forms that are suitable for students and achieving practical results;

- Periodically reviewing and evaluating plans for experiential learning and career orientation activities.

Benchmark 5: Building up life skills for students

- Instructing students how to make self-assessment of their learning and behavioral training outcomes;

- Student’s capabilities of applying knowledge to the reality are gradually developed.

Benchmark 6: Educational results

- Students' academic and behavioral results have had positive changes in the continuous period of 05 years immediately preceding the assessment commencement date;

- The rate of students eligible for grade advancement and graduation has had positive changes in the continuous period of 05 years immediately preceding the assessment commencement date.

Thus, there are 6 detailed standards for lower secondary schools to meet national standards Level 2.

*Note: Before a lower secondary school can meet national standards Level 2, it must meet all the standards of a lower secondary school achieving national standards Level 1.

What is the purpose of recognizing lower secondary schools to meet national standards Level 2?

According to Clause 2, Article 3 of the Regulations on education quality accreditation and recognition of conformity with national standards for lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and multilevel education institutions issued together with Circular 18/2018/TT-BGDDT:

Purposes of education quality accreditation and recognition of conformity with national standards for secondary schools

1. Education quality accreditation aims to determine whether a secondary school meets educational objectives in each period of time; help plan on quality improvement, maintenance and improvement of quality of school activities; publicly notify state authority and the society of the current quality situation of secondary schools; enable state authorities to conduct assessment or decide to recognize a secondary school as an accredited one.

2. Recognition of conformity with national standards that a secondary school is granted is aimed at promoting investment, raising resources for educational purposes, and contributing to enabling secondary schools to incessantly improve their education quality and performance.

The purpose of recognizing lower secondary schools to meet national standards Level 2 is to encourage investment and mobilize resources for education, contributing to the continuous improvement of effectiveness and quality of education for secondary schools.