Circular 18/2025/TT-BGDDT guidance on school counseling and social work in schools

CIRCULAR

Providing guidance on school counseling and social work in schools

Pursuant to the Education Law No. 43/2019/QH14;

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of Local Administration No. 65/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 37/2025/ND-CP dated February 26, 2025, defining functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 80/2017/ND-CP dated July 17, 2017, providing regulations on safe, healthy, friendly and non-violent education environment;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 110/2024/ND-CP dated August 30, 2024, on social work;

At the proposal of the Director of the Student Affairs Department;

The Minister of Education and Training hereby promulgates the Circular providing guidance on school counseling and social work in schools.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation and subjects of application

1. This Circular provides guidance on school counseling and social work in schools.

2. This Circular applies to general education institutions, continuing education institutions, specialized schools, vocational education institutions, and higher education institutions (hereinafter collectively referred to as education institutions), as well as to pupils, students, and learners enrolled in education institutions (hereinafter collectively referred to as students).

Article 2. Interpretation of terms

For the purposes of this Circular, the terms below shall be construed as follows:

1. School counseling and social work in schools mean counseling and support activities provided to students in addressing issues related to learning; gender, social relationships; psychology; life skills; career orientation, employment, and entrepreneurship; policies and laws; social work services; and other counseling and support matters.

2. Psychological difficulties of students mean psychological factors manifested in cognition, attitude, and behavior arising in the course of learning and training, which obstruct and adversely affect students’ performance outcomes.

Article 3. Objectives of school counseling and social work in schools

1. To enhance students’ capacity in preventing, identifying, addressing, and seeking appropriate assistance to overcome difficulties relating to learning, psychology, and social relationships.

2. To practice life skills, strengthen willpower and resilience, improve physical and mental health; to shape appropriate behavioral attitudes in social relationships, thereby contributing to the perfection of students’ personality.

3. To strengthen coordination among schools, families, society, and related organizations, units, and individuals in the implementation of school counseling and social work in schools.

Article 4. Principles of implementation of school counseling and social work in schools

1. To ensure the lawful rights and interests, safety, and confidentiality of information, as well as students’ rights to participation, voluntariness, and self-determination.

2. Students shall be placed at the center, with no discrimination; ensuring equality, objectivity, and standards in the relationship between students and those performing school counseling and social work in schools.

3. To focus on students’ strengths, respect their individual characteristics and circumstances; to utilize available resources of students, schools, families, and society; in conformity with the socio-economic conditions and cultural characteristics of each locality.

4. To ensure timely implementation when students encounter difficulties or have needs for counseling and support, with close coordination among schools, families, and society.

Chapter II

CONTENTS, PROCEDURES, AND FORMS OF IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL COUNSELING AND SOCIAL WORK IN SCHOOLS

Section 1

CONTENTS OF SCHOOL COUNSELING AND SOCIAL WORK IN SCHOOLS

Article 5. Counseling and support for students’ learning issues

1. Identifying learning objectives; developing learning plans.

2. Managing learning time; selecting methods and approaches to learning.

3. Addressing learning difficulties.

Article 6. Counseling and support for students’ gender and social relationship issues

1. Issues arising from age-related psychology and physiology, gender, sex, gender equality, and reproductive health.

2. Counseling on matters relating to friendship, love, marriage, family, and community.

Article 7. Counseling and support for students’ psychological issues

1. Prevention; screening and early detection; coping with students’ psychological difficulties.

2. Psychological counseling and consultation for students with psychological difficulties.

3. Referral to psychological counseling services when necessary.

Article 8. Counseling and support for students’ life skills issues

1. Group of skills on cognition, self-mastery, and self-protection.

2. Group of skills on self-motivation and self-development.

3. Group of skills on mastering emotional intelligence and self-management.

4. Group of skills on interaction and social integration.

5. Group of skills on effective working.

6. Group of skills on behavior toward the environment and community.

Article 9. Counseling and support for students’ career orientation, employment, and entrepreneurship issues

1. Information on occupations, fields of study, training programs, and labor market trends.

2. Skills in recognizing personal interests, aspirations, competencies, and circumstances suitable for career orientation, and providing career orientation counseling for students appropriate to their age and educational level in the context of scientific and technological development, innovation, national digital transformation, and changes in the labor market.

3. Skills in choosing careers, job searching, applying for employment, entrepreneurship, and connecting with employers.

4. Other career orientation and entrepreneurship activities appropriate to the actual conditions of the education institution.

Article 10. Counseling and support for students’ policy and legal issues

1. Information on regulations concerning policies applicable to students.

2. Information on legal provisions related to students’ duties and rights.

3. Information on legal provisions concerning crime prevention, prevention of law violations, and social evils.

Article 11. Counseling and support on social work services for students

1. Providing information on social work services for students.

2. Delivering social work services in schools for students in accordance with regulations.

3. Connecting to organizations and individuals providing social work services in accordance with regulations when necessary.

Section 2

PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL COUNSELING AND SOCIAL WORK IN SCHOOLS

Article 12. Receiving, collecting, and analyzing information, and identifying and classifying contents requiring counseling and support for students

1. Education institutions shall conduct surveys, reviews, interviews, assessments, and information synthesis, and promptly detect and classify contents requiring counseling and support for students.

2. Education institutions shall identify causes, influencing factors, current situation, and forecast consequences of risks and difficulties faced by students.

Article 13. Developing and implementing the Plan on school counseling and social work for students

1. Based on the information collected in accordance with Article 12 of this Circular, education institutions shall develop a Plan on school counseling and social work for students (Form No. 01 provided in the Appendix to this Circular).

2. The Plan on school counseling and social work for students shall include the following principal contents: objectives, contents, forms, resources, locations, time, task assignment, and forces for coordination in implementing school counseling and social work.

3. Education institutions shall organize the implementation of the Plan on school counseling and social work for students (Form No. 02 provided in the Appendix to this Circular).

Article 14. Inspection and supervision of the implementation of the Plan on school counseling and social work for students

1. Education institutions shall conduct inspection and supervision of the implementation of the Plan on school counseling and social work for students on a regular basis throughout the course of the Plan’s implementation.

2. Based on the results of inspection and supervision of the implementation of the Plan on school counseling and social work for students, education institutions shall continue implementation or promptly adjust the Plan, if necessary.

Article 15. Conclusion of the Plan on school counseling and social work for students

1. For students whose difficulties have been resolved, the education institution shall terminate school counseling and social work activities and continue to coordinate with the student’s family and related forces to monitor, ensure the maintenance of achieved results, and promptly assist the student when necessary.

2. For students whose difficulties have been partially resolved, the education institution shall continue implementing school counseling and social work activities for the student.

3. For students facing difficulties or needs beyond the capacity of the education institution, the education institution shall coordinate with the student’s family to connect with institutions or experts providing school counseling services or professional social work services for counseling and support to the student; thereafter, the institution shall prepare a Referral Form for school counseling and social work services for the student (Form No. 03 provided in the Appendix to this Circular).

Article 16. Reporting on the implementation of the Plan on school counseling and social work for students and archiving of dossiers

Provincial-level Departments of Education and Training and education institutions shall prepare and submit the first semester report and the school-year report as follows:

1. Report contents: Direction work; implementation of the Plan on school counseling and social work in schools; results, difficulties, and limitations; proposals and recommendations (if any).

2. Reporting entities: Provincial-level Departments of Education and Training and education institutions; Report recipients: The Ministry of Education and Training, and provincial-level Departments of Education and Training.

3. Reporting periods: First semester report; school-year report.

4. Methods of submitting and receiving reports:

Depending on the actual conditions of agencies, organizations, and individuals, reports shall be submitted by one of the following methods:

a) Written reports in hard copy submitted directly or via postal services to the Ministry of Education and Training, or by fax;

b) Electronic reports submitted via the email system, the e-office system of the Ministry of Education and Training, dedicated reporting software systems (if any), or other methods as prescribed by law;

c) Reports submitted via software on the reporting information system of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Government’s reporting information system, in accordance with the roadmap prescribed by the Government.

5. Time for reporting data closing:

a) First semester report: From the beginning of the school year to the end of the first semester according to the annual school year time frame;

b) School-year report: From the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year according to the annual school year time frame.

6. Deadline for submitting reports:

a) For hard copy reports: On an annual basis, provincial-level Departments of Education and Training and education institutions shall submit reports to the Ministry of Education and Training before January 31 and June 30;

b) For reports submitted via the reporting information system of the Ministry of Education and Training: The deadline for agencies and organizations to submit reports is within 03 working days after the deadline for reporting data closing; Each level of aggregation shall have 03 working days to complete the aggregation of reports.

7. Report outline template: Form No. 04 provided in the Appendix to this Circular.

8. Education institutions shall archive dossiers of school counseling and social work in schools in accordance with regulations. Dossiers shall include the 04 forms provided in the Appendix to this Circular.

9. Education institutions shall provide counseling and support to students in each specific case in accordance with the professional procedures for school counseling and social work in schools issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Section 3

FORMS OF IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL COUNSELING AND SOCIAL WORK IN SCHOOLS

Article 17. Direct counseling and support

1. Students shall be provided counseling and support at the School Counseling and Social Work Office in schools or at locations suitable to the conditions of the school and the students.

2. Groups of students shall be provided counseling and support at the School Counseling and Social Work Office in schools or at locations suitable to the conditions of the school and the students.

Article 18. Online counseling and support

1. Education institutions shall provide counseling and support for students through online channels: intranet, the school’s website, email, social networks, telephone, or other communication means.

2. Online counseling and support sessions shall be organized for groups of students or the entire school.

Article 19. Establishment of information reception and exchange systems

1. Education institutions shall establish information reception systems, including suggestion boxes, hotlines, forms of information technology application, or through administrators, teachers, staff, and lecturers, in order to receive and grasp information on risks and difficulties requiring support for students.

2. Education institutions shall establish direct or online communication channels for regular exchanges between those performing school counseling and social work and students and their families on matters requiring counseling and support.

3. Coordinating with families, society, and relevant agencies to promptly receive information on situations and risks of difficulties relating to learning, psychology, social relationships, or other difficulties of students.

4. Applying forms of information technology suitable to the conditions of the education institution in the implementation of school counseling and social work in schools.

Article 20. Organization of communication activities and preventive programs

1. Education institutions shall coordinate with forces inside and outside schools to organize thematic sessions, extracurricular activities, clubs, forums, seminars, and other forms; and provide students with information and materials on the contents of school counseling and social work in schools.

2. Warnings about situations and risks of difficulties in learning, psychology, social relationships, or other difficulties shall be provided to students.

Article 21. Provision of information on policies and laws

1. Education institutions shall provide and update information on policies and legal provisions related to students.

2. Coordinating with relevant forces to implement school counseling and social work regarding student-related policies and laws.

3. Proposing to competent agencies student-related policies and legal provisions, and promoting the exercise of students’ rights.

Article 22. Guidance on the use of school counseling and social work services

1. Guiding students and their families in seeking and using school counseling and social work services, including the National Child Protection Hotline at number 111.

2. Connecting and coordinating with institutions and experts providing school counseling services and social work services for students.

3. Mobilizing appropriate and lawful resources in the provision of school counseling and social work services for students in need.

Article 23. Organization of development support activities for students

After implementing school counseling and social work activities, education institutions shall organize development support and community integration activities for students, including policy counseling, psychological rehabilitation, and other activities.

Chapter III

RESPONSIBILITIES OF AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS IN IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL COUNSELING AND SOCIAL WORK IN SCHOOLS

Article 24. Responsibilities of provincial-level People’s Committees

1. To direct relevant agencies and organizations to arrange and assign personnel to perform school counseling and social work in schools in accordance with the Ministry of Education and Training’s regulations on job positions, staffing structure by professional titles, and staffing norms in public general education institutions and specialized schools.

2. To direct relevant agencies and organizations to allocate funds and ensure facilities and equipment in accordance with regulations for school counseling and social work at public education institutions under their management.

3. To direct relevant agencies and organizations to establish coordination mechanisms with the provincial-level Departments of Education and Training in implementing school counseling and social work at public education institutions under their management.

4. To direct the provincial-level Department of Education and Training and related units to organize inspection and evaluation of the implementation of school counseling and social work by education institutions under their management, and of coordination with organizations and individuals providing school counseling and social work services in localities.

Article 25. Responsibilities of provincial-level Departments of Education and Training

1. To advise provincial-level People’s Committees in formulating and implementing policies and regimes for personnel engaged in school counseling and social work in schools, in conformity with the local socio-economic conditions.

2. To coordinate with relevant agencies and organizations in establishing coordination mechanisms among education management agencies, education institutions, and relevant agencies and organizations in implementing school counseling and social work in schools.

3. To advise provincial-level People’s Committees on the allocation of funds for training, re-training courses, and capacity building for personnel in charge of school counseling and social work at education institutions under their management.

4. To organize inspection and evaluation of the implementation of school counseling and social work at education institutions under their management.

Article 26. Responsibility of commune-level People's Committees

1. To provide guidance on arranging and assigning personnel to perform school counseling and social work in schools in accordance with the Ministry of Education and Training’s regulations on job positions, staffing structure by professional titles, and staffing norms in public general education institutions and specialized schools.

2. To ensure the allocation of budget, facilities, and equipment in accordance with regulations for school counseling and social work at public education institutions under their management.

3. To guide relevant agencies and organizations to coordinate with education institutions in implementing school counseling and social work at education institutions under their management.

4. To guide education institutions and relevant units in organizing inspection and evaluation of the implementation of school counseling and social work by education institutions under their management, and of coordination with organizations and individuals providing school counseling and social work services in localities.

Article 27. Responsibilities of heads of education institutions

1. For general education institutions and specialized schools: To establish a School Counseling and Social Work Team/Unit, with the following composition: A representative of the school leadership serving as Team Leader; the standing member of the Counseling Team being a full-time or part-time staff member in charge of student counseling; members including homeroom teachers, teachers in charge of Youth Union or Young Pioneers’ activities, school health staff, representatives of students’ parents, and other members as decided by the head of the general education institution. For vocational education institutions, higher education institutions, and continuing education institutions: To establish a Team/Unit in charge of school counseling and social work, and to assign focal personnel to perform tasks in accordance with this Circular.

2. For general education institutions and specialized schools: To propose to competent agencies the assignment of full-time student counseling staff; in cases where staffing cannot be arranged, to sign labor contracts or assign teachers concurrently to perform such duties. Full-time student counseling staff must fully meet the standards and perform tasks prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training. For vocational education institutions, higher education institutions, and continuing education institutions: To ensure that personnel in charge of school counseling and social work in schools participate in training and professional development on school counseling and social work; and that they receive entitlements in accordance with internal spending regulations and other regulations of the education institution. Personnel in charge of school counseling and social work in education institutions may be recommended for commendation in accordance with the law on emulation and commendation if they achieve outstanding results in school counseling and social work.

3. To arrange a School Counseling and Social Work Office ensuring privacy, quietness, accessibility, and suitability for counseling and support activities; and to provide facilities, equipment, documents, and learning materials in accordance with regulations, meeting the requirements of implementing school counseling and social work in schools.

4. To direct the formulation and implementation of plans for school counseling and social work in schools; to facilitate administrators, lecturers, teachers, and staff of education institutions in participating in training and re-training courses to improve their professional capacity in school counseling and social work in schools; and to provide materials and training programs on school counseling and social work in schools for administrators, lecturers, teachers, and students.

5. Based on the practical conditions of the education institution and the needs of students, to proactively implement contents and forms of school counseling and social work in an appropriate manner.

6. To allocate funding for the implementation of school counseling and social work from the institution’s financial resources and other lawful sources (if any), in accordance with law.

7. To direct the coordination between the Team/Unit performing school counseling and social work in schools and other relevant forces within the school; and to ensure coordination between schools, families, political-social organizations, agencies, organizations, individuals concerned, and school counseling and social work service providers in implementing school counseling and social work for students.

8. For general education institutions and specialized schools: To direct coordination with agencies, organizations, experts, scientists, and qualified training institutions in fostering and improving the capacity of personnel performing school counseling and social work in schools; and to create favorable conditions for experts, lecturers, and students majoring in Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology to conduct practice and internships at education institutions under their management.

9. Heads of higher education institutions with groups of disciplines or disciplines in Psychology, Social Work, or Sociology shall participate in the development of materials and coordinate with provincial-level Departments of Education and Training in organizing training and re-training courses to improve capacity in school counseling and social work; coordinate with education and training management agencies, education institutions, and school counseling and social work service providers in implementing counseling and support activities in education institutions; and coordinate with education institutions in organizing practice and internships for experts, lecturers, and students majoring in Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 28. Effect

This Circular takes effect from October 31, 2025.

This Circular replaces the Minister of Education and Training's Circular No. 31/2017/TT-BGDDT dated December 18, 2017, providing guidance on the implementation of psychological counseling for students in general schools, and the Minister of Education and Training's Circular No. 33/2018/TT-BGDDT dated December 26, 2018, providing guidance on social work in schools.

Article 29. Responsibility for implementation

The Chief of Office, Director of the Student Affairs Department, Heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training; Chairperson of People's committees of provinces and centrally-run cities; Directors of provincial-level Departments of Education and Training, Chairpersons of commune-level People's Committees, and relevant organizations and individuals shall implement this Circular./.