Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT Promulgating the Charter for Secondary Schools, High Schools, and Multi-level Schools. The regulations related to the appointment of principals and vice principals have undergone significant changes.
Article table of contents
Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT: Regulations on the appointment of principals and vice-principals of secondary schools in Vietnam (Illustration)
1. Standards for principals and vice principals of secondary schools in Vietnam from November 1, 2020
Based on Clause 3, Article 11 of Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT, the principal and vice-principal must meet the following standards:
- Regarding education level and work experience:
- Meet the standard training qualifications for teachers as stipulated by the Education Law for the specific educational level, and meet the highest standard training qualifications for multi-level schools. Specifically, secondary school teachers must have at least a bachelor's degree in a teacher training field or a relevant major with a pedagogical training certificate as required by law.
- Have taught for at least 5 years (or 4 years for mountainous, island, highland, remote, isolated areas, ethnic minority regions, and areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions) at the respective educational level.
- Meet the standards prescribed in the standards for principals of secondary schools, high schools, and multi-level schools according to the principal standards of general education institutions issued by the Minister of Education and Training.
Previously, under Circular 12/2011/TT-BGDDT, these principal standards were applied to principals, while vice-principals only needed to meet the top level of the professional teacher standards for the corresponding educational level and have the capacity to fulfill tasks assigned by the principal.
The standards for principals of general education institutions are specified in 18 criteria divided into 5 main standard groups in Chapter II of Circular 14/2018/TT-BGDDT including:
- Standard 1. Professional Ethics: Professional ethics; Innovative mindset in school leadership and management; Self-development capability.
- Standard 2. School Management: Organizing the development plan of the school; Managing teaching activities, educating students; Managing school personnel; Managing school organization, administration; Managing school finance; Managing school facilities, teaching equipment, and technology in teaching and educating students; Managing the quality of education within the school.
- Standard 3. Building an Educational Environment: Building the school culture; Implementing grassroots democracy within the school; Building a safe school, preventing school violence.
- Standard 4. Developing the Relationship between School, Family, and Society: Coordination between school, family, and society to implement teaching activities for students; Coordination between school, family, and society to educate students' ethics and lifestyle; Coordination between school, family, and society in mobilizing and using resources to develop the school.
- Standard 5. Use of Foreign Languages and Information Technology: Using foreign languages; Applying information technology.
2. Authority to appoint or recognize principals and vice principals of secondary schools in Vietnam
The term of office for principals and vice-principals of secondary schools is 5 years. After each school year, the principal and vice-principal are reviewed by public employees, staff, and workers in the school and evaluated by the competent authorities as prescribed. A principal can serve at the same public secondary school for no more than two consecutive terms.
Principals and vice-principals are appointed or recognized by the following competent authorities:
- The Chairman of the District People's Committee decides the appointment or recognition of principals and vice-principals for secondary schools and multi-level schools where the highest grade level is secondary school.
This is a notable change in Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT, where this authority has been transferred to the Chairman of the District People's Committee instead of being under the jurisdiction of the Head of the Education and Training Department as before in Circular 12/2011/TT-BGDDT.
- The Director of the Department of Education and Training decides the appointment or recognition of principals and vice-principals for high schools and multi-level schools where the highest grade level is high school.
Hoa Hong
