Vietnam: What is the specified age of 6th graders? Are 6th graders required to take extra classes?

What is the specified age of 6th graders in Vietnam?

Under Article 33 of the lower secondary school, upper secondary school and multi-level school charter issued together with Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT, the age of secondary school students is stipulated 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 repeat a grade more than 03 times.

4. Students with good physical capacity and early intelligence development may enter the sixth or tenth grade before the compulsory starting age or skip to the next grade within the same education level. Consideration shall be given on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the following procedures:

a) The student’s parent or guardian submits an application to the school.

b) The school principal establishes a survey and advisory council with the following main members: representatives of school leaders and parent committee of the school; and teachers teaching the student's class.

c) The school principal considers and makes a decision based on the result of the survey conducted by the survey and advisory council.

5. Students at an appropriate age returning to Vietnam from abroad and children of foreigners working in Vietnam may enroll in local or non-local secondary schools capable of receiving them. Consideration shall be given on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the following procedures:

a) The student’s parent or guardian submits an application to the school.

b) The school principal organizes an assessment of the student’s capacity and places them in a suitable class.

Thus, the age of students entering Grade 6 is 11 years old. For students skipping a grade or over-age students, the sixth grade starting ages shall be adjusted based on the age at which these students graduate from the previous education level

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

What is the specified age of 6th graders in Vietnam? Are 6th graders required to take extra classes in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

Are 6th graders required to take extra classes in Vietnam?

In Article 3 of the regulations on extra classes issued together with Circular 17/2012/TT-BGDDT, the rules for extra classes are stipulated as follows:

Rules for extra classes

1. Extra classes must help to broaden knowledge, skills and character education of students, be suitable for psychological and physical characteristics and not beyond the acquisition of learners

2. It is not allowed to reduce the curricular contents of compulsory education program and add them to extra classes; and provide the curricular contents in the extra classes in advance.

3. Students taking extra classes are students who intend to take extra classes with the consent of their families; it is not allowed to compel students or students’ families to take extra classes.

4. It is not allowed to provide extra classes according to the curricular classes; students in the same extra class shall have the same learning capacity; the students are admitted to the extra classes according to their learning capacity.

5. Extra class providers shall be responsible for their registration and application for the license.

Additionally, according to Article 5 of the regulations on extra classes issued together with Circular 17/2012/TT-BGDDT:

Holding internal extra classes

1. Each student who wishes to take an extra class shall submit an application for taking extra classes to the institution; his/her parents or guardian (hereinafter referred to as parents) shall append their signatures and write a commitment, and adhere to such commitment.

2. The principal of the institution shall receive the application from the student, categorize him/her to an appropriate group of students by his/her learning capacity, assign teachers and hold extra classes according to each group of students.

3. Each teacher intending to conduct extra classes shall submit a registration of conducting extra classes which commit to fulfill all duties of a teacher as specified in general regulations and other duties assigned by the institution and seriously comply with regulations on extra classes in the institution.

4. The principal shall consider approving the list of teachers, assign teachers and establish timetables for extra classes appropriate to the students’ learning capacity.

Under the above regulations, the 6th graders take extra classes based on volunteerism and the consent of their families; it is not allowed to compel students or students’ families to take extra classes.

Thus, 6th graders are not required to take extra classes.

What is the maximum number of students per class at lower secondary schools in Vietnam?

Under Clause 3, Article 16 of the lower secondary school, upper secondary school and multi-level school charter issued together with Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT:

Classes

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3. Chairpersons of provincial People’s Committees shall stipulate number of students in each class with the aim of reducing number of students in one class; ensure that each class at the lower secondary or upper secondary level has a maximum of 45 students.

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Thus, each class in lower secondary education levels should have no more than 45 students.