Proposal to provide common and free textbooks for students

On the morning of October 22, the National Assembly listened to Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son present three laws related to education, including: the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Education; the Law on Higher Education (amended); and the Law on Vocational Education (amended).

In particular, with the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Education, the Government amends and supplements many regulations related to the national education system; educational institutions, teachers, etc.

Proposal to remove regulations on granting junior high school diplomas

Regarding decentralization and delegation of power, the draft transfers the authority to specify career guidance and streaming from the Government to the Minister of Education and Training.

The Draft Law has also been reviewed and revised to clarify the concept of diplomas and certificates in the national education system on the basis of inheriting the provisions of the current law. Accordingly, diplomas and certificates can be issued in paper, electronic or digital form, with equivalent legal value.

Notably, the draft law has removed the provision on granting junior high school graduation certificates, replacing it with the principal confirming the completion of the study program. This provision, according to the Government, is consistent with the context of universalizing education to junior high school, simplifying administrative procedures, reducing exam pressure for students, and is consistent with international practice when many developed countries do not grant junior high school graduation certificates but only confirm the completion of the program for streaming or consideration for further study.

In addition, the draft also clarifies regulations on certificates in the national education system, assigning the Minister of Education and Training to specify regulations on management, diplomas and certificates.

According to the draft law, the authority to grant graduation certificates is also amended, transferred from the Director of the Department of Education and Training to the Principal; the regulation that the head of the specialized education agency under the People's Committee at the district level grants junior high school graduation certificates is removed; the head of the institution implementing the junior high school education program is assigned to confirm the transcript of the completion of the program; the administrative workload for the State management agency on education is reduced, and autonomy for educational institutions is increased.

To institutionalize the Party's guidelines and policies, the draft law stipulates universal preschool education for children aged 3-5; makes secondary school education compulsory; and adds principled regulations on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational activities.

Examining these contents, Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh emphasized that the Committee agrees to remove the regulation on granting junior high school graduation certificates, only regulating the confirmation of secondary school transcripts completed by the junior high school principal.

The examining body proposed to clarify the standards and methods of granting vocational secondary school diplomas to confirm the basis for determining equivalence with high school diplomas.

According to the review agency, the draft law needs to supplement and clarify the principles and mechanisms for managing, sharing and securing data; and study regulations on appraisal and recognition of other certificates used in the national education system.

The government regulates free textbooks for students.

The draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Education this time is also amended and supplemented in the direction of stipulating that the State provides a set of textbooks for unified use nationwide. At the same time, the Government stipulates free textbooks for students; implements appropriate socialized solutions for textbooks, ensuring sustainability and meeting the requirements of improving the quality of education.

The draft does not regulate the School Council of public educational institutions, but only regulates the School Council of private and non-public schools. This is a school management organization to carry out the task of regulating and harmonizing relationships, ensuring the interests of related parties, the need for profit of investors with the goal of developing education, avoiding commercialization of education.

Examining this content, the Committee for Culture and Society agreed with the regulation that the State provides a set of textbooks for unified use nationwide, in order to institutionalize the Party's policy on general education textbooks.

Regarding local educational materials, the review agency approved the regulation in the direction of assigning the authority to organize compilation to the specialized agency under the provincial People's Committee, the provincial review council to review, and transferring the authority to approve local educational materials to the chairman of the provincial People's Committee to ensure initiative for localities.

In addition, the Committee approved the abolition of all provisions on conditions for establishing educational institutions and conditions for permission to operate educational institutions; suspension of educational activities; merger, division, separation, and dissolution of educational institutions.

The drafting agency needs to study and complete the legal framework on school type conversion; on sanctions for violations in the education sector; on handling violations of regulations on organization and operation of private educational institutions, as requested by the review agency.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/de-xuat-cung-cap-bo-sach-giao-khoa-chung-va-mien-phi-cho-hoc-sinh-post297927.html