Vietnam: What are the objectives of continuing education? What do the continuing education institutions include?

What are the objectives of continuing education? What do the continuing education institutions in Vietnam include?

According to Article 41 of the Law on Education 2019, continuing education enables people to learn while in-service, to learn continuously and for lifelong for the development of their capacity, refinement of their personality, broadening their understanding, and for educational, professional and operational enhancement with a view to improving their employability, self-employability, and adaptation to the social life; contributing to the building of a learning society.

According to Article 44 of the Law on Education 2019, continuing education institutions include:

- Institutions of continuing education

- Institutions of vocational education – continuing education;

- Community learning centers;

- Other centers that conduct continuing education.

What are the objectives of continuing education? What do the continuing education institutions in Vietnam include? (Image from the Internet)

What are the programmes and forms of continuing education in Vietnam?

According to Article 43 of the Law on Education 2019, the programmes, forms, contents and methods of continuing education are regulated as follows:

Programmes, forms, contents and methods of continuing education

1. Programmes of continuing education include:

a) Illiteracy eradication;

b) Educational programmes responding to the needs of learners, updating of knowledge and skills, transfer of technology;

c) Programmes for training, upgrading and enhancing professional qualifications;

d) Educational programmes leading to degrees/diplomas of the national educational system.

2. Forms of conducting continuing educational programmes are as follows:

a) In-service learning;

b) Distance learning;

c) Guided self-learning;

d) Other learning forms per learner’s needs.

3. Educational contents of the programmes defined in point a, b, and c of clause 1 of this Article must guarantee the usefulness and help learners improve their working productivity and quality of life.

Educational contents of the programmes defined in point d clause 1 of this Article must lead to the completion of a qualification in the structural framework of the national educational system or the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework, must guarantee the requirements on contents of the educational programme of the same educational level/training qualification defined in Article 31 of this Law, the Law on Vocational education and Law on Higher education.

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Thus, the 05 programmes of continuing education include:

- Illiteracy eradication;

- Educational programmes responding to the needs of learners, updating of knowledge and skills, transfer of technology;

- Programmes for training, upgrading and enhancing professional qualifications;

- Educational programmes leading to degrees/diplomas of the national educational system.

Forms of conducting continuing educational programmes are as follows:

- In-service learning;

- Distance learning;

- Guided self-learning;

- Other learning forms per learner’s needs.

What are the policies on development of continuing education in Vietnam?

According to Article 46 of the Law on Education 2019, the policies on the development of continuing education are regulated as follows:

- The State shall issue policies for investment in the development of continuing education, providing education to all the people, promoting the learning of adults, building a learning society; for encouraging organisations and individuals to participate and/or provide continuing educational services of quality, meeting learners’ need for lifelong learning. 

- Authorities and organisations shall facilitate the frequent learning and lifelong learning of officials, public employees and labour workers with a view to developing their abilities and improving quality of life.

- Institutions of vocational education and of higher education shall be responsible for cooperating with continuing education institutions in providing learning material sources to continuing education institutions following learners’ learning need; teachers’ training institutions shall be responsible for conducting research on educational science, training and upgrading teachers of continuing education institutions.

What is the relationship between the Continuing Education Center and the learners' families in Vietnam?

According to Article 33 of the Regulation on the organization and operation of Continuing Education Centers issued together with Circular 10/2021/TT-BGDDT, the relationship between the Continuing Education Center and the learners' families is as follows:

- Annually, the Center is responsible for publicly announcing plans, targets, admission standards, and policies for learners and their families.

- The Center is responsible for advising and supporting learners and their families in choosing appropriate programs, times, and forms of study.

- The Center regularly maintains communication with learners' families, exchanging and supporting information about learners' study and training results.