What are regulations on compulsory subjects and activities in primary education in Vietnam? What are compulsory subjects and activities in primary education in Vietnam?

What are regulations on compulsory subjects and activities in primary education in Vietnam? What are compulsory subjects and activities in primary education in Vietnam?

Based on the Appendix issued with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT (Some contents in this document have been amended by Article 1, Article 2 Circular 13/2022/TT-BGDDT) on the General Education Program issued by the Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam, the general education program is divided into two stages: the basic education stage (from grade 1 to grade 9) and the career-oriented education stage (from grade 10 to grade 12).

The system of subjects and educational activities in the general education program comprises compulsory subjects and educational activities, career-oriented elective subjects (referred to as elective subjects), and optional subjects.

The actual study time in a school year is equivalent to 35 weeks. Educational institutions can organize teaching 1 session/day or 2 sessions/day. Both types of organizations must implement the uniform compulsory education content for all educational institutions nationwide.

For primary school, the educational content includes:

Compulsory subjects and educational activities include: Vietnamese Language; Mathematics; Ethics; Foreign Language 1 (in grades 3, 4, 5); Natural and Social Sciences (in grades 1, 2, 3); History and Geography (in grades 4, 5); Science (in grades 4, 5); Informatics and Technology (in grades 3, 4, 5); Physical Education; Art (Music, Fine Arts); Experiential Activities.

Optional subjects include: Ethnic Minority Language, Foreign Language 1 (in grades 1, 2).

Currently, the primary education program includes 10 compulsory subjects and 1 compulsory educational activity. Specifically:

10 compulsory subjects:

- Vietnamese Language;

- Mathematics;

- Ethics;

- Foreign Language 1 (in grades 3, 4, 5);

- Natural and Social Sciences (in grades 1, 2, 3);

- History and Geography (in grades 4, 5);

- Science (in grades 4, 5);

- Informatics and Technology (in grades 3, 4, 5);

- Physical Education;

- Art (Music, Fine Arts).

Compulsory educational activity: Experiential Activities

>> See the Appendix issued with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT: Download (Note: Some contents in this document have been amended by Article 1, Article 2 Circular 13/2022/TT-BGDDT)

What are regulations on compulsory subjects and activities in primary education in Vietnam? What are compulsory subjects and activities in primary education in Vietnam?​ (Image from the Internet)

What are the specific requirements regarding the content and teaching method for the primary education according to the Education Law in Vietnam?

Based on Article 7 of the Education Law 2019, the specific requirements for the content and teaching methods at all levels in Vietnam are as follows:

- The educational content must ensure basic, comprehensive, practical, modern, systematic qualities and be regularly updated; emphasize ideological education, moral quality, and civic consciousness; inherit and promote the fine traditions and cultural identity of the nation, embrace the cultural quintessence of humanity; be suitable with the physical, intellectual, psychological development of students, and their capabilities.

- The teaching methods must be scientific, promote students' active, voluntary, proactive, and creative thinking; cultivate self-learning capacity and cooperation, practical skills, passion for learning, and striving spirit.

Specifically for primary education, as per Article 30 of the Education Law 2019, the educational content must ensure the qualities of generality, basic, comprehensiveness, vocational orientation, and systematic nature; connect with real-life situations, be suitable with the psychological age of students, meet the goals of primary education.

Regarding content: primary education must provide students with a comprehensive development foundation on physical, emotional, and social skills; simple and necessary knowledge about nature, society, and human; awareness of social ethics; basic skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and arithmetic; habitual physical training and hygiene maintenance; initial understanding of singing, dancing, music, and fine arts.

Regarding teaching methods: Promote students' active, voluntary, proactive, creative characteristics suitable to each subject, class, and student; foster self-learning methods, learning interest, cooperation skills, independent thinking abilities; fully develop students’ qualities and capabilities; enhance the application of information and communication technology in the education process.

Is it necessary to ensure the inheritability and transferability among different levels and different training qualifications for primary education program in Vietnam?

Based on Article 8 of the Education Law 2019, the educational program in Vietnam is stipulated as follows:

Educational Program

1. The educational program reflects the educational goals; stipulates the standards of knowledge, skills, required qualities, and competencies of students; the scope and structure of educational content; methods and forms of organizing educational activities; methods for evaluating educational results for each subject at each grade, level, or course, module, subject at each training degree.

2. The educational program must ensure scientific and practical qualities; ensure inheritability and transferability among different levels and different training qualifications; facilitate the streaming, transition between training degrees, training fields, and educational forms in the national education system, enabling local and educational institutions to actively deploy appropriate education plans; meet the goals of gender equality and international integration. The educational program serves as the basis for ensuring comprehensive educational quality.*

3. The standards of knowledge, skills, and required qualities and competencies of students stipulated in the educational program must be concretized into textbooks for general education; teaching materials for vocational and tertiary education. Textbooks and teaching materials must meet educational method requirements.

4. The educational program is implemented by school year for pre-primary and general education; by academic year or modular/credit accumulation or a combination of credit and academic year for vocational and tertiary education.

The academic results of subjects or credits, modules accumulated by students when following an educational program are recognized to consider their conversion value for equivalent subjects or credits, modules in another educational program when students switch fields, forms of study or move up to higher educational levels or training degrees.

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Thus, the primary education program must ensure inheritability and transferability among different levels and different training qualifications.

This contributes to facilitating the streaming and transition between training qualifications, fields, and educational formats in the national education system, allowing localities and educational institutions to actively implement appropriate education plans; and meets the goals of gender equality and international integration.