At the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly, National Assembly delegate Nguyen Thi Yen Nhi (Ben Tre delegation) said that, implementing the Law on Vocational Education, Joint Circular No. 39/2015 of the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Home Affairs, localities have merged vocational training centers, continuing education centers, and general technical and vocational guidance centers into vocational education and continuing education centers.
After the merger, the centers are public service units under the district People's Committee, performing two professional tasks: vocational education and continuing education.
The merger of these centers is considered a solution to concentrate resources, improve the effectiveness of vocational training, and streamline the apparatus. However, according to delegates, after many years of implementation, the effectiveness has not been as expected. The results of the supervision of the National Assembly Standing Committee in 2024 show that these centers have many problems and shortcomings.
Accordingly, the current legal status and state management of this center are unclear due to the parallel existence of two circulars regulating the organization and operation. This is the main cause of difficulties and problems.
According to the provisions of Joint Circular No. 39, the centers are district-level public service units that are not part of the national education system, so they are limited within the provincial public service unit payroll assigned to the district-level People's Committee.
At the same time, because it is not part of the education system, it does not benefit from investment policies of the education sector, even though the center provides high school education.
Because it is identified as a district-level public service unit, only the director and deputy director of the center receive position allowances, while the subject groups do not receive subsidies or allowances like other educational institutions.
Meanwhile, Circular No. 01/2023 of the Ministry of Education and Training determines the legal status of the center in the national education system. This regulation has basically resolved difficulties and problems regarding the legal status and organization of activities of the center.
However, localities have not yet been able to implement this circular because Joint Circular No. 39 has not been abolished or declared to be expired, so the difficulties have not been resolved.
Besides, the classification of centers after the merger has not been guided, so there is no basis for implementing policies and regimes for teachers and managers.
To contribute to removing difficulties and obstacles in the operation of district-level vocational education and continuing education centers, delegates recommended that the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Home Affairs coordinate to review, abolish or announce the expiration of Joint Circular No. 39.
In addition, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education and Training amend and supplement Circular No. 01 to specifically stipulate the legal status of this center in the direction of defining vocational education and continuing education centers as continuing education institutions belonging to the national education system, under the Department of Education and Training.
This amendment is to remove difficulties in staffing and policies for centers and is consistent with the provisions of the Education Law, specifically regulating the ranking of centers so that teachers and managers can enjoy appropriate policies and regimes.
