Decree 311/2025/ND-CP amending Decree 71/2020/ND-CP raising teacher qualification standards

DECREE

Amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 71/2020/ND-CP dated June 30, 2020 providing the roadmap for raising qualification standards for teachers of early childhood, primary and lower secondary schools

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Pursuant to the Law on Government Organization No. 63/2025/QH15;

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

Pursuant to the Law on State Budget No. 89/2025/QH15; Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Securities, Accounting Law, Law on Independent Audit, Law on the State Budget, Law on Management and Use of Public Properties, Law on Tax Administration, Law on Personal Income Tax, Law on National Reserves, and Law on Handling of Administrative Violations No. 56/2024/QH15;

At the proposal of the Minister of Education and Training;

The Government hereby promulgates the Decree amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 71/2020/ND-CP dated June 30, 2020 providing the roadmap for raising qualification standards for teachers of early childhood, primary and lower secondary schools.

Article 1. Amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 71/2020/ND-CP dated June 30, 2020 providing the roadmap for raising qualification standards for teachers of early childhood, primary and lower secondary schools

1. To amend and supplement Article 7 as follows:

“Article 7. Method of implementing the training to raise qualification standards for teachers

1. Assignment of tasks or placement of orders: Localities shall assign tasks or place orders with training institutions to implement the training programs for raising teachers’ qualification standards in accordance with the approved plan. The assigning tasks, placing orders in training to raise teachers’ qualification standards shall comply with current regulations on assigning tasks, placing orders of products and public services using the state budget from the regular expenditures.

2. With respect to majors or specializations that do not meet the conditions for organizing training classes under the method prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article, teachers shall proactively register for admission with public training institutions in accordance with the enrollment regulations promulgated by the Ministry of Education and Training.”

2. To amend and supplement Article 8 as follows:

“Article 8. Plans for implementing the roadmap for raising teachers’ qualification standards

1. The five-year plan for the 2026–2030 period shall be made using the Form No. 1 issued together with this Decree

a) Plan building unit: The Ministry of Education and Training;

b) Plan receiving unit: The provincial-level People’s Committee;

c) Basis for building plan: the number of early childhood, primary, and lower secondary teachers subject to qualification-raising at the time of building plan; and the required targets stipulated in Articles 4, 5, and 6 of this Decree;

d) Time limit for promulgating the plan: The five-year plan for the 2026–2030 period shall be promulgated before December 31, 2025;

dd) Method of submitting the plan: The plan shall be presented in electronic document form in compliance with law provisions and shall be submitted to the plan receiving unit via the electronic document management system.

2. The annual plan for implementing the roadmap for raising the qualification standards of early childhood, primary, and lower secondary teachers (hereinafter referred to as the “annual implementation plan”) shall be made using the Form No. 2 issued together with this Decree.

a) Plan building unit: The provincial-level People’s Committee;

b) Plan receiving unit: The Ministry of Education and Training; early childhood education institutions and general education institutions with teachers registering for training program to raise qualification standards; training institutions assigned tasks or receiving orders; and other relevant units;

c) Basis for building plan: the training program to raise qualification standards needs of the education institution; and the required targets stipulated in Articles 4, 5, and 6 of this Decree;

d) Time limit for issuing the plan: Before December 15 of the year preceding the year of implementation;

dd) Method of submitting the plan: The plan shall be presented in electronic document form in compliance with law provisions and shall be submitted to the plan receiving unit via the electronic document management system.”

3. To amend and supplement Article 9 as follows:

“Article 9. Fund for implementation of the roadmap for raising teachers’ qualification standards

1. Funding for implementing the roadmap for raising teachers’ qualification standards (applicable to public, people-founded, and private institutions) shall be ensured by the local budget in accordance with the Law on State Budget and other funding sources as prescribed by law.

2. The preparation of budget estimates, allocation, assignment of budget estimates, implementation of budget estimates, and finalization of expenditures shall comply with current regulations on the assignment of tasks and placement of orders for products and public services funded by the state budget from regular expenditures, as well as other relevant law documents.

3. In cases where teachers are assigned to participate in training program to raise qualification standards as prescribed in Clause 2 Article 7 of this Decree, the education institution where the teacher is working shall be responsible for preparing the budget estimate and submitting it to the competent agency for approval in accordance with the Law on State Budget, and for making payment to the teacher for training expenses at an amount corresponding to the tuition fees indicated on the invoice or other valid documents issued by the training institution, after the teacher has been awarded the graduation certificate.

4. People-founded and private education institutions shall ensure funding for the payment of salaries and the regimes and allowances prescribed at Point d Clause 1 Article 10 of this Decree for teachers assigned to participate in training program to raise qualification standards.”

4. To amend and supplement Clause 1 Article 10 as follows:

“1. Rights of teachers attending the training program to raise qualification standards:

a) To be facilitated by the managing and employing authority to participate in training program to raise qualification standards;

b) To receive reimbursement of tuition fees at an amount corresponding to the tuition fees charged by the training institution in which the teacher is enrolled;

c) To have the training period counted as continuous working time;

d) To receive 100% of salary and all regimes and allowances in accordance with law provisions.”

5. To amend and supplement Article 12 as follows:

“Article 12. Reporting

1. Reporting on training results and training program to raise qualification standards of the education institution shall be carried out in accordance with Form No. 3 issued together with this Decree.

a) Reporting unit: Early childhood education institutions and general education institutions with teachers participating in training programs to raise qualification standards;

b) Report receiving unit: The competent agency directly manages the education institution by level;

c) Reporting data cut-off period: From November 1 of the year preceding the reporting year to October 31 of the reporting year;

d) Reporting submission deadline: Before November 5 of the reporting year;

dd) Method of submitting the report: The report shall be presented in electronic document form in compliance with law provisions and shall be submitted to the report receiving unit via the electronic document management system.

2. Reporting on training results and training program to raise qualification standards of the authority directly managing the education institution by level shall be made using the Form No. 4 issued together with this Decree.

a) Reporting unit: The competent agency directly managing the education institution by level;

b) Report receiving unit: The Department of Education and Training;

c) Reporting data cut-off period: From November 1 of the year preceding the reporting year to October 31 of the reporting year;

d) Reporting submission deadline: Before November 15 of the reporting year;

dd) Method of submitting reports: The report shall be prepared in electronic document form in accordance with law provisions and submitted to the report receiving unit via the electronic document management system.

3. Report on training outcomes and training needs for raising qualification standards of the Provincial-level People’s Committee, made using Form No. 5 attached to this Decree.

a) Reporting unit: The provincial-level People’s Committee shall submit the report. The Department of Education and Training shall compile the report on training outcomes and training needs for raising qualification standards in accordance with Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article, and submit it to the provincial-level People’s Committee for signature and promulgation;

b) Report receiving unit: The Ministry of Education and Training;

c) Reporting data cutoff period: From November 1 of the preceding year to October 31 of the reporting year;

d) Reporting deadline: Before December 15 of the reporting year;

dd) Reporting method: The report shall be presented in electronic document form in accordance with law provisions and submitted to the report receiving unit via the electronic document management system.

4. The report prescribed in Clause 3 of this Article serves as a basis for the provincial-level People’s Committee to formulate its annual implementation plan.

5. In addition to the reporting requirements specified in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of this Article, state management agencies in charge of education and educational institutions shall submit reports on the training programs to raise qualification standards for early childhood, primary, and lower-secondary teachers upon request of competent authorities, in accordance with law provisions on reporting.”

6. To amend and supplement Clause 5 Article 15 as follows:

“5. To direct the Department of Education and Training and relevant agencies, units to review and compile a list of teachers required to take  training program to raise qualification standards; determine the period during which teachers will participate in such training; arrange teaching staff and adjust curricula and timetables as appropriate to enable teachers to both work and study; build annual plans; allocate funding; and organize preliminary reviews, final reviews, assessments of implementation results, and draw lessons learned for this task.

Based on the local budget’s balancing capacity, submit to the provincial-level People’s Council for promulgation policies to support the implementation of the roadmap for raising qualification standards for teachers in non-public (people-founded and private) educational institutions.”

7. To add Clause 4 after Clause 3 Article 16 as follows:

“4. Provide valid invoices and documents serving the payment and settlement of training expenses in accordance with regulations.”

8. To amend and supplement Clause 1 Article 17 as follows:

“1. Fully comply with the reporting requirements as prescribed.”

Article 2. Supplementing the appendix and repeal the phrase “or bidding”

1. To add the following forms to the appendix issued together with Decree No. 71/2020/ND-CP:

a) Form No. 1: Five-year plan for the 2026–2030 period;

b) Form No. 2: Annual plan for implementing the roadmap to raise qualification standards of early childhood, primary, and lower-secondary teachers;

c) Form No. 3: Report on training outcomes and training needs for raising qualification standards of educational institutions;

d) Form No. 4: Report on training outcomes and training needs for raising qualification standards of the competent authority directly managing the education institution by level;

dd) Form No. 5: Report on training outcomes and training needs for raising qualification standards of the provincial-level People’s Committee.

2. To repeal the phrase “or bidding” at Point b Clause 2 Article 1; Article 7; Article 9; Clause 4 Article 15; and Clause 2 Article 16 of Decree No. 71/2020/ND-CP.

Article 3. Implementation provisions

1. This Decree takes effect on January 20, 2026.

2. Early childhood, primary, and lower-secondary teachers who are required to take training program to raise qualification standards and have been awarded graduation certificates of meeting the required qualification standards for the level of education they are teaching as of July 1, 2020, but whose training tuition fees have not yet been paid by the relevant agency or unit, shall be entitled to retroactive payment of such tuition fees.

a) The amount of retroactive payment shall be equivalent to the tuition fees charged by the training institution at the time the teacher attended the program. This amount does not include fees for retaking examinations or courses.

For early childhood teachers under this provision who take training program to raise qualification standards from intermediate to university level in Early Childhood Education, the provincial-level People’s Committee shall advise the provincial-level People’s Council to determine the amount of retroactive payment, which shall not be lower than the tuition fees for training from intermediate to college level.

b) The source of funds shall be as prescribed in Clause 1 Article 9 of Decree No. 71/2020/ND-CP, as amended and supplemented by this Decree;

c) The payment dossier for training expenses shall include a payment request, invoice or tuition receipt from the training institution, a notarized copy of the graduation certificate, and other supporting documents (if any) in accordance with legal regulations on the settlement of funds. In cases where there is no invoice or tuition receipt, a written notice of the tuition fee from the training institution and confirmation from the institution regarding the amount collected shall be provided;

d) The payment of training expenses to teachers under this provision shall be completed before December 31, 2027.

3. During the implementation of the roadmap for raising qualification standards, early childhood teachers who have not yet attained the required qualification standards under Point a, Clause 1, Article 72 of the Education Law No. 43/2019/QH14, and who have labor contracts with the legal representative of non-public (people-founded or private) early childhood institutions duly licensed by the competent authority to establish and operate in areas with industrial parks, and who are directly caring for and educating children in groups/classes where at least 30% of the children are children of workers employed in the industrial park, shall be entitled to the policies prescribed in Article 10 of Decree No. 105/2020/ND-CP dated September 8, 2020, of the Government, regulating policies for the development of early childhood education.

4. For localities that have signed contracts with training institutions to implement the qualification-raising of teachers through bidding, such contracts shall continue to be executed.

5. The five-year plan for the 2020–2025 period, which has been promulgated in accordance with Decree No. 71/2020/ND-CP, shall continue to be implemented until the end of December 31, 2025.

6. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, heads of management agencies, institutions training teachers and units employing teachers shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decree.

* All Appendices are not translated herein.