Updating the new professional standards for teachers - An opportunity to enhance the quality of general education
Thanh Ngoc
Thursday, Oct/16/2025 - 11:52
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(L&D) - The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has recently announced a draft Circular on professional standards for teachers at general education institutions, which specifies the professional requirements for primary and lower secondary school teachers. This represents an important step toward modernizing the teaching workforce, ensuring flexible and high-quality instruction in line with digitalization trends, international integration, and the promotion of students’ competencies.
In the draft Circular on professional standards for teachers at general education institutions, which has been released for public and inter-ministerial consultation, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) proposes specific standards for primary and lower secondary school teachers.
Professional standards for primary school teachers
According to the draft Circular, primary school teachers must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in primary teacher education or in a field relevant to primary-level subjects; alternatively, they may possess a bachelor’s degree or higher in a discipline appropriate to primary-level teaching subjects and obtain a pedagogical training certificate for primary school teachers. They are also required to hold a certificate of professional standards training for primary school teachers.
The draft Circular stipulates professional standards for teachers at general education institutions. Photo: Internet
Primary school teachers must have a sound understanding of the guidelines, policies, and laws of the Party and the State, as well as the regulations and requirements of the education sector and local authorities regarding primary education, and must effectively implement them in their assigned duties.
Primary school teachers must be able to design and implement teaching and educational plans appropriate to their students’ characteristics and the school’s conditions, in alignment with the objectives of the primary education curriculum; they must also prepare, conduct, and assess primary school teaching and student performance in accordance with the regulations.
Primary school teachers must be able to apply teaching and educational methods, as well as assessment and evaluation approaches, that promote the development of primary students’ qualities and competencies; they should also be capable of identifying gifted students and those who are underperforming for further support and development.
Primary school teachers must have a thorough understanding of the primary education curriculum and be able to propose and select textbooks suitable for their students’ characteristics and the school’s conditions. They should understand their students, have a solid grasp of the regulations on student counseling and support, and be able to integrate counseling and support activities into teaching and educational processes. Teachers must also be able to identify at an early stage any abnormal signs among students under their charge during the learning process (if any) and provide timely counseling and support solutions.
They must create a friendly and safe classroom environment that encourages students to share and express their emotions; fully comply with the school’s regulations on building a safe school environment and preventing school violence. Teachers are also required to establish healthy and trusting relationships with parents or guardians of students, as well as with other relevant stakeholders in the implementation of teaching and educational activities
Teachers must possess digital competence and the ability to apply information technology in their professional activities; be able to use basic application software in accordance with regulations on primary student management; guide students in the safe and effective use of technological devices; and use a foreign language (preferably English) or an ethnic minority language as required by their job position.
Professional standards for lower secondary (junior high) school teachers
Lower secondary school teachers must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in a teacher education program relevant to the subject and lower secondary education level, or possess a bachelor’s degree or higher in a discipline relevant to the subject and education level together with a pedagogical certificate for lower secondary school teachers. They must also hold a certificate of training in professional standards for lower secondary school teachers.
Lower secondary school teachers are required to understand the guidelines, orientations, policies, and laws of the Communist Party and the State, as well as the regulations and requirements of the education sector and local authorities concerning lower secondary education, and to implement them effectively in their assigned duties.
They must have a solid command of the subject knowledge for which they are responsible; be capable of developing and implementing teaching and educational plans appropriate to the characteristics of lower secondary students and the school’s conditions, while meeting the objectives of the lower secondary education curriculum.
Teachers shall apply teaching and educational methods, as well as assessment and evaluation approaches, that foster the development of students’ qualities and competencies at the lower secondary level; and provide additional support for students with learning difficulties.
They should have a thorough understanding of the lower secondary education curriculum, be able to assess, comment on, and propose suitable textbooks aligned with students’ needs and the school’s conditions; understand the characteristics of their students, and master the regulations on student counseling, career guidance, and support. Teachers must be able to identify early any unusual signs in their students’ learning process (if any) and provide timely counseling and support.
Teachers are expected to create a friendly, safe classroom environment that encourages students’ competence development, and to build healthy, trustworthy relationships with students’ parents or guardians and relevant stakeholders in the teaching and educational process.
They must possess digital competency and the ability to apply information technology in their professional activities; be able to use basic application software in managing lower secondary students as prescribed; guide students to use technological devices safely and effectively; and be capable of using a foreign language (preferably English) or an ethnic minority language as required by their position.
Professional standards for upper secondary school teachers
Similarly, upper secondary school teachers must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in a teacher education program relevant to the subject and upper secondary education level, or possess a bachelor’s degree or higher in a discipline relevant to the subject and education level together with a pedagogical certificate for upper secondary school teachers. They must also hold a certificate of training in professional standards for upper secondary school teachers.
Teachers must understand the characteristics of their students and have a sound grasp of regulations on student counseling, career guidance, and support; be able to identify early any unusual signs among students in their class during the learning process (if any) and provide timely counseling and support measures.
Teachers are additionally required to have the ability to guide upper secondary students in conducting scientific and technical research projects at the school level and beyond; and to apply innovative teaching initiatives and the results of pedagogical or applied research in their teaching practices, student education, or the development of teaching aids and equipment at the upper secondary level.
The Ministry of Education and Training is currently seeking public feedback on this draft Circular via the Ministry’s official online portal.
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