The Minister of Education and Training (MOET) has just issued Circular No. 17/2026/TT-BGDDT stipulating the standards for heads and deputy heads of higher education institutions and vocational education institutions.
The Circular clearly stipulates general standards and specific standards for principals and vice-principals of higher education institutions and vocational education institutions.
Regarding general standards, the Circular stipulates that principals and vice-principals of higher education institutions and vocational education institutions must have good moral qualities; have sufficient health to regularly and directly manage and operate work; have innovative thinking, strategic vision and have the capacity to build and organize the implementation of strategies for the development of higher education institutions or vocational education institutions.
Principals and vice-principals of public educational institutions must meet the requirements of the job position and other regulations of the Party and laws of the State on management public employees.
In addition to general standards, principals and vice-principals of higher education institutions need to meet separate standards for each position.
Standards for principals of higher education institutions
The Circular stipulates that the principal of a higher education institution must meet general standards and must have a doctoral degree and have prestige in the professional field of the higher education institution; have at least 5 years of teaching and research experience suitable to the training level of the educational institution.
Having at least 2 years of experience in managing higher education institutions from the level of faculty, department, board or equivalent or higher; having leadership, management and development capacity of higher education institutions; having the ability to cooperate in development and mobilize resources for higher education institutions.
Standards for vice principals of higher education institutions
According to the Circular, vice principals of higher education institutions must meet general standards and have a doctoral degree in a specialized field suitable to the requirements of the position; specifically for schools training in specialized fields (training scale for fields in the field of art, groups of languages, literature and foreign culture, groups of sports and physical training accounting for at least 70% of the total training scale of the whole school), requiring a master's degree or higher in a specialized field suitable to the position.
Having at least 2 years of experience in managing higher education institutions from deputy head of faculty, department, board or equivalent level or higher; having the capacity to manage and develop specific areas of higher education institutions.
