Deputy Head of the National Assembly Deputies Delegation for Quang Ninh Province Nguyen Thi Thu Ha affirmed that the regulation where the State provides a unified set of textbooks while transferring the authority to approve local educational documents to chairpersons of the provincial People's Committee is the right trend.
Deputies proposed that the draft law should clearly define the mechanisms for independent appraisal and establish transparent criteria for selecting members of the appraisal council to prevent conflicts of interest. They also called for clear stipulations regarding:
- The roadmap for free textbooks, if implemented, and the necessary budget source.
- The procedure for public appraisal of review records and the legal responsibility of the provincial appraisal council concerning local educational documents.
A significant number of deputies backed the proposal to remove the examination and granting of junior high school graduation certificates, arguing that maintaining only the high school exam is necessary. Delegate Nguyen Van Huy from Hung Yen Province largely agreed with the plan to continue organizing the high school graduation exam.
Explaining the Ministry’s stance, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son affirmed that maintaining the high school graduation exam is crucial. He stated it is necessary not only for assessing output standards but also for providing objective data essential for national policy making.
Addressing concerns about the team of preschool teachers in disadvantaged areas, Minister Nguyen Kim Son acknowledged the existing mechanism to prioritize the enrollment of ethnic minority children. However, he stressed that in the long term, input quality must be improved to ensure the sustainability of the teaching force.
Regarding the controversial regulation that would allow universities to organize training at other levels, including vocational education, Minister Nguyen Kim Son stated the drafting committee considered the matter carefully. He pointed out that many universities previously offered college and vocational levels, and this model is common in international practice.
However, the Minister cautioned that a massive expansion could negatively affect the vocational education system. Therefore, the ministry's orientation is to only permit this in a select number of schools in specific fields such as technology, engineering, and specialized expertise where the universities' strengths can be effectively promoted.
Furthermore, strict supervision regulations are needed to ensure the balance and harmonious development of the entire national education system.
