On August 13, the National Assembly Standing Committee gave its opinion on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Education.
Reporting at the meeting, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son pointed out a number of notable amendments, such as abolishing the junior high school diploma to simplify the education management process, in line with international practices and the current context of popularizing education to junior high school.
Accordingly, the Draft assigns the head of the institution implementing the junior high school education program to confirm the transcript of the completion of the junior high school program, reduce the administrative workload for the state management agency on education, and increase autonomy for educational institutions.
The draft amendment also assigns the head of the specialized agency under the provincial People's Committee to decide on the selection of textbooks; assigns the specialized agency under the provincial People's Committee to organize the compilation of local educational materials, the provincial appraisal council to appraise and the provincial People's Committee to approve local educational materials.
This is to enhance the responsibility of local state management in organizing the implementation of general education programs. The Minister of Education and Training prescribes the Provincial Education Document Appraisal Council and technical standards for local educational documents.
Another new content is to transfer the authority to issue high school graduation certificates from the Director of the Department of Education and Training to the principal.
In a preliminary review, the Standing Committee of the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs approved the amendment and supplementation of a number of articles of the Law on Education.
The Standing Committee of the Inspection Committee proposed that the drafting agency consider abolishing the regulation on granting junior high school graduation certificates. The secondary school graduation certificate confirms the completion of the basic education stage, as a basis for conducting the transfer of students after secondary school.
The Standing Committee of the Committee proposes that high school education be implemented in 3 school years, from grade 10 to grade 12. Students entering grade 10 must have a secondary school diploma.
With the proposal to transfer the authority to issue high school graduation certificates from the Director of the Department of Education and Training to the principal of the school, the Standing Committee of the Inspection Committee noted that it is necessary to specify in the document guiding the implementation, especially in the digital process, it is necessary to carefully calculate the management, archiving of records, data for granting certificates, reporting regime, post-inspection responsibility and handling of violations... to ensure strictness.
Regarding general education textbooks, the Standing Committee of the Committee recommends that the drafting agency study in the direction of having a shared set of textbooks, and at the same time, there may be other textbooks as reference documents; gradually research to exempt textbooks for students.
Notably, regarding the exam and the issuance of high school graduation certificates, the review report reflects 2 types of opinions.
In addition to the suggested opinion of still organizing the high school graduation exam, the second opinion proposes not to organize the exam but to consider high school graduation to suit the goals and nature of this level of education; compatible with the trend of innovation in assessment according to the process; reduce pressure and costs due to exams. The admission for intermediate, college, and university should be handed over to higher education and vocational education institutions for admission.
Regarding the above issue, the Standing Committee of the Committee supports the first opinion.
