Vietnam: What are the types whose combination results are preschool? How many classes/groups at minimum must a preschool have?

What are the types whose combination results are preschool in Vietnam?

Under Article 26 of the Law on Education 2019, the regulations on preschool education institutions are as follows:

Institutions of preschool education

Institutions of preschool education include:

1. Junior kindergarten centers and classes for children aged 03 – 36 months;

2. Senior kindergartens and independent senior kindergarten classes for children aged 03 – 06 years;

3. Combined kindergartens and independent preschool classes for children aged 03 months – 06 years.

Thus, a preschool is a combination of junior kindergarten centers and senior kindergartens, accepting children aged 03 months – 06 years.

What are the types whose combination results are preschool in Vietnam? How many classes/groups at minimum must a preschool in Vietnam have? (Image from the Internet)

How many classes/groups at minimum must a preschool in Vietnam have?

Under Clause 2, Article 5 of the Regulations on the standard facilities of preschools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and mixed-level compulsory educational institutions issued with Circular 13/2020/TT-BGDDT:

Location, scale and area

1. Requirements for school location

a) Conform to local education development planning;

b) Surroundings must be safe for children, officials, teachers and employees;

c) Have convenient traffic for taking children to schools and picking up children; satisfy fire prevention requirements.

2. Scale

a) A preschool shall have at least 9 groups/classes and up to 20 groups/classes. Schools in communes in disadvantaged areas shall have at least 5 groups/classes;

b) Based on local conditions, may locate schools in different administrative divisions to enable children to go to schools. Situate no more than 5 school clusters; schools in communes in disadvantaged areas may situate no more than 8 school clusters depending on practical conditions.

3. Area of land on which schools or school clusters are constructed shall be determined on the basis of number of groups, classes and children with an average of 12 m2 per child; regarding urban areas in mountainous regions, permit an average of 10 m2 per child due to limited land space in the center of such urban areas. 

4. Floor areas for work items

a) Administration rooms shall comply with applicable regulations and law;

b) Children nursing, caring and education rooms; catering rooms and auxiliary rooms are specified under Annex I attached hereto. 

5. Work items directly caring, nursing and educating children must not be taller than 3 storeys and ensure accessibility and usability for children with disabilities.

Thus, according to the above regulations, a preschool has a minimum scale of 09 groups and classes and a maximum of 20 groups and classes.

For schools in disadvantaged areas, the minimum scale is 05 groups and classes.

What are the basic facilities of the children nurturing room in Vietnam?

Under Article 6 of the Regulations on the standard facilities of preschools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and mixed-level compulsory educational institutions, issued with Circular 13/2020/TT-BGDDT, the basic facilities are as follows:

Basic facilities

...

2. Children nursing, caring and education rooms

a) Children nursing, caring and education rooms

Ensure that each group/class has a room serving following functions:

General space for learning, playing and eating activities;

Sleeping area (for preschool groups and classes, may use the general spaces);

Sanitary areas shall be constructed within children nursing, caring and education rooms with 1.2 m tall partitions separating urinating spots from toilet bowls; situate 2 to 3 urinal bowls for boys (or urinal trenches at least 2 m in length) and 2 to 3 toilet bowls for girls, hand wash areas must be installed with 1 wash-basin for every 8 children, sanitation equipment must be age-appropriate; for children in preschools, separate restrooms separately for boys and girls; sanitary areas installed separately must be connected with children nursing, caring and education rooms by corridors, suitable for use and monitor;

Porches: convenient for taking children to schools, picking up children and activities of children when sunny, raining; surrounded by guardrails no shorter than 1 m;

b) Physical education and fine art rooms: connected with children nursing, caring and education rooms by corridors. Schools that have up to 14 groups/classes shall situate at least 1 room for physical education and fine art education (multipurpose room); schools that have more than 14 groups/classes must situate 1 room for physical education and 1 room for fine art education. School cluster with at least 5 groups/classes must situate at least 1 multipurpose room;

c) Separate playgrounds: install outdoor equipment and toys as per the law.

...

Thus, according to the regulations, the basic facilities of the children nursing, caring and education rooms must meet the following requirements:

(1) The children nursing, caring and education rooms, including the following functional areas:

- General space for learning, playing and eating activities;

- Sleeping area;

- Sanitary areas

- Porches

(2) Physical education and fine art room

(3) Separate playground

What are the standards for a level 1 preschool facility in Vietnam?

Under Article 7 of the Regulations on the standard facilities of preschools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and mixed-level compulsory educational institutions, issued with Circular 13/2020/TT-BGDDT, the standards for a level 1 preschool facility in Vietnam are:

- In order to satisfy level 1 standard facility, a preschool must satisfy regulations under Article 6 of the Regulations on the standard facilities of preschools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and mixed-level compulsory educational institutions issued with Circular 13/2020/TT-BGDDT and the following regulations:

- Administration rooms

+ Have separate working offices for Principals and Vice Principals;

+ Have at least 1 separate working office for administration affairs equipped with office machinery and equipment according to applicable regulations and law.

- Children nursing, caring and education rooms

+ Schools that have up to 14 groups/classes shall situate at least 1 room for physical education and 1 room for fine art education; schools that have more than 14 groups/classes must situate 1 room for physical education, 1 room for fine art education and 1 multipurpose room;

+ Separate playgrounds: situated by each group/class.

- Auxiliary rooms

Have separate gardens for children to explore and play.

- Work items specified in Clauses 1, 2, 3 and 4 Article 6 of the Regulations on the standard facilities of preschools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and mixed-level compulsory educational institutions issued with Circular 13/2020/TT-BGDDT and Clauses 1, 2 and 3 of Article 7 of of the Regulations on the standard facilities of preschools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and mixed-level compulsory educational institutions issued with Circular 13/2020/TT-BGDDT shall be reinforced structures or semi-reinforced structures. Reinforced structures must not account for less than 70%.

- Each school cluster (if any) has no less than 2 groups/classes.

- Land use density

+ Construction area: no more than 40%;

+ Garden (tree and playground) area: no less than 40%;

+ Internal traffic area: no less than 20%.