Ensure human resources, funding, and facilities for school counseling activities

GD&TĐ - The Ministry of Education and Training issued Circular No. 18/2025/TT-BGD&DT dated September 15, 2025 guiding school counseling and social work in schools.

This Circular takes effect from October 31, 2025, replacing Circular No. 31/2017/TT-BGD&DT on guidance on psychological counseling for students in general schools and Circular No. 33/2018/TT-BGD&DT on social work in schools.

Contribute to improving the effectiveness of school counseling work

Recently, the issuance of Circular No. 31/2017/TT-BGD&DT and Circular No. 33/2018/TT-BGD&DT dated December 26, 2018 has created a legal corridor for psychological counseling and social work in schools. This has contributed to making counseling and support activities for students in general schools more effective and forming a network to support students facing risks of psychological and social difficulties in studying, training, psychology and life. Departments of Education and Training and many schools have focused on implementing psychological counseling and social work in schools.

However, the implementation in practice shows many difficulties and limitations. Many educational institutions have not yet arranged specialized personnel, consulting activities are still part-time, lack funding, facilities are not guaranteed; some places do not have separate consulting rooms or activities are still formal.

Coordination between schools, families and society is not yet synchronized; knowledge and skills training for staff is still limited. The parallel existence of two circulars with overlapping scope and content also leads to overlap, causing confusion in implementation for many schools.

Faced with that reality, the issuance of Circular No. 18/2025/TT-BGD&DT by the Ministry of Education and Training is necessary to unify and synchronize regulations, remove difficulties, and at the same time improve the effectiveness of school counseling and social work in educational institutions, ensuring that it meets the practical requirements and legitimate aspirations of students, parents, teachers and the whole society.

Help learners overcome difficulties in learning, psychology, and social relationships

The new circular clearly defines the purpose of school counseling and social work as improving learners' capacity to prevent, identify difficulties, resolve and seek appropriate assistance to overcome difficulties in learning, psychology and social relationships. At the same time, training life skills, strengthening willpower, courage, improving physical and mental health; forming appropriate attitudes in social relationships, contributing to perfecting learners' personalities.

The Circular also aims to strengthen coordination between schools, families, society and relevant organizations, units and individuals regarding school counseling and social work in schools.

Regarding the principles of implementing school counseling and social work in schools, the Circular identifies learners as the center, with their legitimate rights, information safety and security, participation, voluntary and self-determined rights guaranteed. Counseling activities must be conducted objectively, equally, without discrimination; respecting personal characteristics, taking advantage of strengths and available resources of learners, families and society; appropriate to regional socio -economic and cultural conditions; and especially must be timely and effective when learners encounter difficulties.

Diversify the content and form of school psychological counseling

The Circular specifies the content of school counseling and social work in schools, including many important areas closely linked to the practical needs of learners.

Accordingly, consulting and supporting issues related to learning (determining goals, building study plans; time management, choosing learning methods, etc.); about gender, social relationships (age psychology, gender, gender equality, reproductive health; friendship, love, marriage, family relationships, etc.); about psychology (prevention, screening, early detection; counseling, psychological consultation for learners with psychological difficulties); about life skills (cognitive skills, mastery, self-protection; skills to master emotional intelligence; interaction skills, social integration, etc.); about career guidance, employment, entrepreneurship; about policies, laws; about social work services for learners.

In terms of form, the Circular stipulates that school counseling and social work in schools can be carried out directly or online. In addition, educational institutions are responsible for establishing a system for receiving and exchanging information; coordinating with families, society, and relevant agencies to promptly receive information about situations and risks of learning difficulties, psychology, social relationships, or other difficulties of learners.

In addition, educational institutions can also organize communication activities and prevention programs; provide information on policies and laws; provide guidance on the use of school counseling and social work services; and organize activities to support the development of learners.

Ensuring conditions for school counseling activities

The Circular clearly defines responsibilities among levels, ensuring the synchronous participation of the political system and educational institutions. Provincial and communal People's Committees are responsible for directing, arranging, allocating personnel, funding, and facilities, and at the same time building a coordination mechanism and organizing inspection and supervision of the implementation of school counseling and social work in schools according to regulations.

The Department of Education and Training advises on the development and implementation of policies for school counselors and social workers in schools; develops coordination mechanisms; organizes training and capacity building for staff and inspects and evaluates implementation at educational institutions under its management.

For educational institutions, the head must be directly responsible for establishing a consulting team or department, arranging a consulting room, assigning full-time or part-time staff, developing an annual consulting work plan, and mobilizing legal resources for implementation. The head of the school is also responsible for directing coordination between departments within the school, between the school and families and society, and at the same time creating conditions for staff and teachers to be trained and professionally developed...

The issuance of Circular No. 18/2025/TT-BGD&DT is an important step in the process of perfecting the education policy system, especially in caring for the mental health and comprehensive development of learners.

The Circular not only removes obstacles from past implementation practices but also opens a new legal framework in building a safe, friendly, and healthy educational environment, where learners are accompanied, shared, and supported to fully mature in knowledge, personality, and social skills.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/dam-bao-nhan-su-kinh-phi-co-so-vat-chat-cho-hoat-dong-tu-van-hoc-duong-post749430.html