Vietnam: How many times may lower secondary school students retain a grade?

How many times may lower secondary school students in Vietnam retain a grade?

According to Clause 3, Article 33 of the lower secondary school, upper secondary school and multi-level school charter issued along with Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT, the regulations on the secondary school age are as follows:

Secondary school age

1. Children shall start the sixth grade at the age of 11 and the tenth grade at the age of 15. For students skipping a grade or over-age students, the sixth grade and tenth grade starting ages shall be adjusted based on the age at which these students graduate from the previous education level.

2. For ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, disadvantaged students and students returning to Vietnam from abroad, maximum secondary school starting age shall be 03 years older than the compulsory starting age.

3. At an education level, students may not retain a grade more than 03 times.

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At Clause 3, Article 83 of the Law on Education 2019, grade retention is regulated as one of the rights of students.

Rights of learners

Learners have the right to:

1. Receive education and training so as to develop comprehensively and realize their potentials to the fullest.

2. Receive respect; equal opportunities in education and learning; to have their talents, gifts, creations and inventions developed; to receive full information concerning their own learning and training.

3. Have the possibility of leaping grades, shortening programme duration, learning at an age higher than regulated, extending programme duration or repeating class, be enabled to learn educational programmes as prescribed by law.

4. Learn in a safe and healthy educational environment.

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Thus, although grade retention is one of the rights of students, lower and upper secondary school students are not allowed to retain a grade more than 3 times per educational level. Therefore, lower secondary school students can only retain a grade 3 times.

How many times may lower secondary school students in Vietnam retain a grade? (Image from the Internet)

What are the forms of commendation for lower secondary school students in Vietnam?

According to Article 38 of the lower secondary school, upper secondary school and multi-level school charter issued along with Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT, the regulations are as follows:

Reward and discipline

1. Teachers, secondary schools and education authorities shall reward students with learning and training achievements in the following ways:

a) Commend them in front of the class or the whole school.

b) Grant them titles for students according to regulations.

c) Grant certificates and certificates of merit to students with outstanding achievements or exceptional improvement in learning or emulation movements and competition winners according to regulations and with permission from the Ministry of Education and Training.

d) Other ways to reward.

2. Students making a mistake during the learning and training process shall be corrected or disciplined in the following ways:

a) Give the student a reminder, directly support them in correcting their mistake.

b) Reprimand the student, inform the student’s parent(s) to have the parent(s) cooperate in supporting the student in correcting their mistake.

c) Suspend the student’s study at school for a definite period and take other correcting measures according to regulations from the Ministry of Education and Training.

Thus, lower secondary school students with achievements in learning and training can be rewarded by teachers, schools, and education authorities in the following forms:

- Commend them in front of the class or the whole school.

- Grant them titles for students according to regulations.

- Grant certificates and certificates of merit to students with outstanding achievements or exceptional improvement in learning or emulation movements and competition winners according to regulations and with permission from the Ministry of Education and Training.

- Other ways to reward.

What are the prohibited acts for lower secondary school students in Vietnam?

According to Article 35 of the lower secondary school, upper secondary school and multi-level school charter issued along with Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT, the prohibited acts for lower secondary school students in Vietnam are as follows:

- Disrespect the dignity, honor or bodily integrity of teachers, officials and staff of their schools, other people and other students.

- Act dishonestly in learning, examinations or admission process.

- Buy, sell or use alcohol, tobacco, drugs, other stimulants, firecrackers or explosives.

- Use mobile phones and other devices in class for purposes other than learning and without the teacher's permission.

- Fight or disrupt public or school order or security.

- Use or exchange cultural products that incite violence or contain indecent materials; use toys or play games that impede their own healthy development.

- Students shall not commit other prohibited acts provided for by regulations of law.