Private schools and foreign-invested educational institutions in Ho Chi Minh City are required to review their names.
Those falling under the provisions of Government Decree No. 360/2026/ND-CP must carry out renaming procedures to avoid causing misunderstandings. The review and any necessary renaming must be completed before September 17, 2027.
Government Decree No. 360/2026/ND-CP, which regulates investment conditions and operations for preschool education institutions, general education institutions, continuing education institutions, and other educational establishments within the national education system, took effect on September 17, 2026.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, Clause 7, Article 47 of the decree stipulates that schools established or approved for establishment before the decree takes effect must change their names within 12 months of its effective date if their names contain words or phrases suggesting national status or a special standing, such as “international,” "national," or “Vietnam,” the names of other countries, or expressions of similar meaning, and their use could cause misunderstandings about the institutions’ legal status, scope of operation, or state sponsorship.
Accordingly, the department has instructed all schools already established or approved for establishment to review their names. Those falling into the above-mentioned categories must complete the renaming procedures in accordance with Article 5 of Decree No. 360/2026/ND-CP by September 17, 2027.
Regarding the authority to handle administrative procedures and manage educational activities under Decree No. 360, the department has clarified the responsibilities of the relevant authorities as follows:
Authority of the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee: The chairman is responsible for deciding on the establishment or approval of establishment, revocation of establishment decisions or approvals, merger, division, separation, dissolution, renaming, and relocation of educational operations for the following institutions, including high schools and multi-level general education schools whose highest level is upper secondary; semi-boarding ethnic minority schools, boarding ethnic minority schools, and boarding general education schools whose highest level is upper secondary; high schools for the gifted; schools specializing in arts, physical education, and sports, and other specialized schools; schools for students with disabilities; and preschools, primary schools, secondary schools, and high schools proposed by foreign diplomatic missions or intergovernmental international organizations.
Authority of the Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training: The director is responsible for deciding on the establishment or approval of establishment, suspension of operations, merger, division, separation, and dissolution of the following institutions, including continuing education centers; vocational education and continuing education centers; other centers providing continuing education services, consisting of centers affiliated with universities, academies, colleges, and higher education institutions located outside their campuses; vocational education centers; and centers supporting inclusive education development.
The director is also authorized to grant educational operation licenses, suspend enrollment or educational operations, and revoke educational operation licenses, including for high schools under the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security located in the city.
Authority of the Chairpersons of People’s Committees of wards, communes, and special zones: They are responsible for deciding on the establishment or approval of establishment, granting educational operation licenses, suspending enrollment or educational operations, revoking establishment decisions or approvals and educational operation licenses, merging, dividing, separating, dissolving, renaming, and relocating educational operations for the following institutions, including preschools; primary schools; secondary schools and multi-level general education schools whose highest level is secondary; and semi-boarding ethnic minority schools, boarding ethnic minority schools, and boarding general education schools whose highest level is secondary.
They are also authorized to decide on the establishment or approval of establishment, suspension of operations, merger, division, separation, and dissolution of independent preschool groups and classes; classes for students with disabilities outside educational institutions; community learning centers; and independent classes. They may also approve, suspend, or revoke approval for other educational institutions to provide primary and secondary general education programs.
In addition, they are responsible for granting educational operation licenses, suspending enrollment or educational operations, and revoking educational operation licenses for preschools under the Ministry of National Defense located in their respective areas.
Following its merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City has become the country’s largest and most diverse education hub. The city currently has more than 1,300 private educational institutions, serving over 400,000 students, according to statistics. The number of foreign language and information technology centers alone is nearly 1,900.
