Decision 377: What are procedures for implementing lower secondary school enrollment for the 2025-2026 academic year in Vietnam?

How old are students entering lower secondary school in the academic year 2025-2026 in Vietnam?

According to the regulations in Clause 1, Article 28 of the Education Law 2019 by the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam regarding the education levels and ages of general education, they are specified as follows:

Article 28. Education levels and ages of general education

1. The education levels and ages of general education are regulated as follows:

a) Primary education is conducted over 5 academic years, from grade one to the end of grade five. The age of students entering grade one is 6 years old and is calculated by the year;

b) Lower secondary education is conducted over 4 academic years, from grade six to the end of grade nine. Students entering grade six must have completed the primary education program. The age of students entering grade six is 11 years old and is calculated by the year;

c) Upper secondary education is conducted over 3 academic years, from grade ten to the end of grade twelve. Students entering grade ten must have a lower secondary school diploma. The age of students entering grade ten is 15 years old and is calculated by the year.

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Additionally, there are cases where students can skip grades, or study at an age higher than the stipulated age in Clause 1, Article 28 of the Education Law 2019 including:

(1) Students skip a grade in cases of early intellectual development;

(2) Students study at an age higher than the stipulated age in cases of students repeating grades, students in areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions, students of ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, students with physical or intellectual developmental delays, orphans with no support, students from poor families, students returning from abroad, and other cases as per legal regulations.

(3) General education is divided into the basic education stage and the career-oriented education stage. The basic education stage includes primary and lower secondary education; the career-oriented education stage is upper secondary education. Students in vocational education institutions are taught high school cultural knowledge.

Thus, the age of students entering grade six in Vietnam is 11 years old, calculated by year. Except for students who skip grades or study at a higher age.

Decision 377: What are procedures for implementing lower secondary school enrollment for the 2025-2026 academic year in Vietnam?

Section B of the lower secondary school admission procedure, issued along with Decision 377/QD-BGDĐT 2025, outlines the implementation process as follows:

(1) Annually organize one (1) admission for lower secondary school.

(2) Lower secondary school admissions are conducted through screening.

(3) Screening criteria are specifically guided by the Department of Education and Training, ensuring a fair, objective, transparent process suitable to the local situation.

For lower secondary schools, general schools with multiple levels including lower secondary (hereafter referred to as lower secondary schools) under universities, colleges, or research institutes, the screening criteria are guided directly by their managing university, college, or institute, or as directed by the Department of Education and Training where the school is located.

(4) Lower secondary school admission process

- The Chairperson of the district-level People's Committee in districts, district-level towns, provincial cities, cities under central authority (hereafter referred to as district-level People's Committee) approves the lower secondary school admission plan. This plan includes basic contents such as admission subjects; targets and regions for admission; screening criteria; the timeline for screening and announcing admission results. The lower secondary school admission plan is announced before March 31 each year.

For lower secondary schools under universities, colleges, or research institutes, the admission plan is decided by the Director of the university, Principal of the college, or Head of the research institute after agreement with the Department of Education and Training where the school is located.

- Based on the approved lower secondary school admission plan, the lower secondary school admission council formulates and publicly announces the school's admission plan; organizes the registration process, receives, and prepares the registration contents.

- The lower secondary school admission council conducts the screening according to the approved admission plan; proposes the list of admitted students to the school Principal for submission to the Head of the Department of Education and Training for approval.

For lower secondary schools under universities, colleges, or research institutes, the list of admitted students is approved directly by the University Director, College Principal, or Research Institute Head.

*Method of implementation: Online.

In cases where localities do not have the conditions for online admission registration, the process will be conducted directly or via mail.

Refer to detailed admission procedures for lower secondary school at Decision 377/QD-BGDĐT 2025.

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