The Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam from 1992 states that “Education is a right and an obligation of citizens. Elementary education is mandatory and free. Citizens have the right to pursue their general education and to learn a profession under various forms. Gifted students shall be encouraged by the State and society to develop their talents. The State shall adopt policies on tuition fees and scholarships. The State and society shall create conditions for handicapped children to pursue general education and to learn appropriate professions.” The Law on Education from 1999 stipulated that primary education (grades 1-5) is compulsory for all children aged 6-14. It also mentions that Vietnamese is the official language in schools, and that ethnic groups have the right to learn by and use their own language to create a basis for the preservation and development of their culture. Regarding early childhood care and education (ECCE), there are several decisions such as Decision 161/2002/QD-TTg and Decision 31/2005/QD-BGD&DT, which regulate early childhood education development policies, responsibilities of ministries, and the minimum operating conditions of crèche /kindergarten classes (UNESCO 2009).
At the central level, the Ministry of Education and Training (MpET) oversees the education sector and is responsible for setting the broad policy directions for all levels of education. At the district level, a separate division of the People’s Committee takes responsibility for educational management in the district (IBE 2011).
Recently, management responsibility for school buildings, staffing and distribution of financial resources has been progressively decentralized. Upper secondary schools and professional secondary schools are managed at provincial level and lower secondary schools and primary schools are managed locally in the districts or communes by District Bureaus of Education and Training. Service provision has also become increasingly decentralized through the removal of control from the centre and the increase in revenue-raising powers at the local level (UNESCO 2009).
The Centre for Curriculum Development and Methodology of General Education, under the National Institute for Educational Science, is the main agency responsible for curriculum research and development in the country. The Council for Evaluation and Approval of Textbooks evaluates the drafts and submits them to the Ministry of Education and Training for approval. The National Council of Education is an advisory body for policy-making and collabouration of plans for educational development. Regarding higher education, there are several key institutions such as The Centre for Education and Quality Assurance and Research Development and The Centre for Educational Testing and Quality Assessment, both established at the Viet Nam National University (UNESCO 2009, IBE 2011).
