Education policies effective from October 2025

The most prominent policy that will take effect in October is Circular 19/2025/TT-BGDDT regulating rewards and discipline for students , effective from October 31. After nearly 40 years, this circular officially replaces Circular No. 08/TT on rewards and discipline for students, which was issued in 1988.

According to the new regulations, the principles for handling student violations must be based on respect, tolerance, objectivity, and no prejudice; while ensuring suitability with the students' psychological, gender, and physical characteristics.

The Ministry also emphasized the absolute prohibition of applying disciplinary measures that are violent, insulting to dignity, honor, or negatively impacting the physical and mental health of students.

After nearly 40 years, the Ministry of Education and Training replaced 5 levels of student discipline with new handling principles. (Photo: Thuan Thang)

While in the old circular, students could be disciplined in five levels, from reprimand in front of the class to expulsion for a year, the new disciplinary measures are adjusted according to the level of education. For primary school students, students who violate the rules are only warned or asked to apologize. For higher levels, the measures can be warning, criticism or asking to write a self-criticism.

In addition to discipline, the new circular also adds many support activities to help students overcome their violations. Specifically, students will be advised and encouraged to self-aware of their wrongdoing; monitored and counseled during the correction process; and participate in school counseling, social work, skills education or other activities organized by the school.

At the same time, coordination between family, school and other social forces is also emphasized to help students adjust their behavior, change their perception and overcome the consequences.

Also from October 31, Circular 18/2025/TT-BGDDT guiding school counseling and social work in schools will also take effect.

According to the circular, students are not only counseled on love, marriage and family but also supported in many other aspects such as studying, psychology, social relationships, life skills, career guidance, employment and starting a business.

The goal of counseling is to help students prevent, identify, and seek help when facing difficulties; practice life skills; improve physical and mental health; form appropriate attitudes and behaviors, contributing to personality improvement.

Previously, Circular No. 31/2017/TT-BGDDT and Circular No. 33/2018/TT-BGDDT created a legal framework for psychological counseling and social work activities in schools. Thanks to that, many high schools have formed support networks, promptly supporting students to overcome psychological and social difficulties in studying and living. However, the implementation process is still limited due to lack of human resources, facilities, funding and overlap between the two circulars.

The issuance of Circular No. 18/2025 aims to unify and synchronize regulations, remove obstacles, and at the same time improve the effectiveness of counseling and student support. The Ministry of Education and Training emphasizes the principle that counseling activities must be student-centered, information confidentiality, respect for voluntariness, objectivity, equality, and non-discrimination.

In addition to in-person school counseling, educational institutions are encouraged to implement online counseling, combined with communication, prevention programs, and guidance on using counseling services.

The Circular also clearly defines the responsibilities of People's Committees at all levels, Departments of Education and Training and heads of educational institutions in arranging personnel, funding, facilities, training staff, developing annual plans and coordinating between schools, families and society for effective implementation.

From October 12, Circular No. 16/2025/TT-BGDDT regulating the joint organization of foreign language proficiency certification exams will also officially take effect. This Circular will replace Circular No. 11/2022/TT-BGDDT issued on July 26, 2022.

One of the notable points of the new circular is the concretization of the policy of decentralization and delegation, creating initiative for local authorities.

Accordingly, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee is assigned the authority to approve joint examination organization activities, and is responsible for managing, publicizing and updating on the electronic information portal the list of approved units, adjusting, extending or terminating the association.

The Circular also clearly stipulates the responsibilities of the parties involved in the association. The Vietnamese party is the test organizer in Vietnam, primarily responsible for implementing the test according to the agreement with the foreign language proficiency assessment facility.

Meanwhile, the foreign party is the certificate-issuing unit, responsible and authorized to issue or authorize the assessment facility to organize the exam, ensuring the legality of the certificate.

In addition, the document clarifies the concept of “legal and internationally recognized foreign language proficiency certificate”, which means a certificate recognized by a competent authority in the host country and accepted in immigration, study, research or international labor recruitment procedures.

The Circular affirms that approving the association to organize foreign language certificate exams does not mean recognizing the levels of these certificates as equivalent to the 6-level foreign language competency framework used in Vietnam.

Along with that, a number of regulations were amended and supplemented to strengthen the responsibility of management agencies and affiliated units in publicity, transparency, accountability to society, ensuring the rights of candidates and serving as a basis for competent authorities to conduct post-inspection.

(Source: ZNews)

Link: https://lifestyle.znews.vn/nhung-chinh-sach-Giao-duc-co-hieu-luc-tu-thang-102025-post1588836.html

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