The principal of general education schools or the director of the Department of Education and Training shall have the authority to select textbooks to be used in teaching and learning at their respective schools and localities; students of pedagogical schools will be eligible for preferential credit loans instead of tuition fee exemptions as before...This is one of the many new points in the draft Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Education Law (Draft) recently introduced by the Ministry of Education and Training—the agency responsible for drafting this Law—to solicit opinions from relevant agencies.
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According to the Draft, instead of having only one set of textbooks used uniformly across the country as is currently the case, in the future, there will be multiple sets of textbooks for the principals of public schools or directors of Departments of Education and Training to choose from. However, the Draft also clearly stipulates that textbooks must first be evaluated by the National Council before being approved by the Minister of Education and Training to be used in teaching and learning.
The duration of doctoral training is more "rigid" in the regulation. The duration of doctoral training for those holding a master's degree is three years, except in special cases decided by the Minister of Education and Training (currently, this duration is from two to three years). According to the Draft, the Minister of Education and Training assigns the task of training master's and doctoral levels to universities and colleges (under the current Education Law, the Prime Minister decides this matter).
Another new point of the Draft: "Pedagogical students and those enrolled in pedagogical training courses are entitled to preferential credit; are prioritized in the consideration for scholarships and social allowances as regulated; upon graduation, if they engage in teaching and education at educational institutions of the national education system, they are not required to repay the credit used to cover tuition fees." According to the leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training, this new regulation is introduced to address the reality that many students in pedagogy schools and pedagogy faculties are exempted from tuition fees during their studies but upon graduation do not work in teaching and education at institutions of the national education system.
It is expected that the 12th National Assembly will pass the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Education Law this year.
Source: Ministry of Justice
