Official Dispatch 4567/BGDDT-GDPT 2025 guidance on organizing two-session-per-day teaching for general education

             To:

- The provincial-level Departments of Education and Training;

- Higher education institutions and research institutes having general education schools.

Pursuant to the Prime Minister's Directive No. 17/CT-TTg dated June 6, 2025, on the organization of two-session-per-day teaching and summer activities for children and students (Directive No. 17/CT-TTg), the Ministry of Education and Training hereby provides guidance on organizing two-session-per-day teaching for general education as follows:

I. OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS

1. Objectives

- To enhance the quality of comprehensive educational activities in terms of Morality - Intellect - Physical - Aesthetic, including moral education, education on values of life, life skills education, STEM/STEAM education, reading culture education, school culture education, physical education, arts, financial education; to develop students’ foreign language proficiency, digital competence, artificial intelligence (AI) competency, aesthetic competence, etc.; to foster the awareness and habit of lifelong learning.

- To improve the quality of regular class sessions; to address the issue of unauthorized extra teaching and learning; to build a healthy, safe educational environment, ensuring equality in access to education.

- To make efficient use of the teaching staff, physical facilities, and existing teaching equipment, to contribute to the innovation of teaching methods and assessment in a direction that promotes students’ competencies and qualities; to promote the mobilization of social resources for educational development.

2. Requirements

- To effectively achieve the objectives of the general education curriculum, ensuring the prescribed instructional time for subjects and the organization of educational activities; not to cause overload, and to suit the students’ psychology and health.

- To ensure the rights, meet the needs and aspirations of students, in conformity with the actual conditions of schools and localities; to prioritize budget allocation for organizing two-session-per-day teaching; to effectively implement the policy of educational socialization in accordance with the principles of voluntariness, publicity, transparency, and compliance with law.

- To organize two-session-per-day teaching with assurance of efficient use of physical facilities, teaching equipment, and teaching staff, promotion of the proactive and creative roles of subject groups.

- To flexibly arrange the teaching duration of session 1 and session 2 during the week; not to fix session 1 in the morning and session 2 in the afternoon.

II. CONTENT AND FORMS OF TWO-SESSION-PER-DAY TEACHING

1. For primary education level

a) To implement two-session-per-day teaching, arranging no more than 7 periods per day, with each period lasting 35 minutes; to carry out the teaching plan with a minimum of 9 sessions per week (equivalent to 32 periods per week).

b) Teaching content and form

- Session 1: To organize teaching of the content of the general education curriculum for subjects and educational activities promulgated together with Circular No. 32/2018/TT-BGDDT dated December 26, 2018, of the Minister of Education and Training (Circular No. 32/2018/TT-BGDDT).

- Session 2: To organize reinforcement activities for students to complete their learning content; to organize educational activities in culture, arts, STEM/STEAM education, reading culture education, school culture education, moral education, life skills education, financial education, education on traffic safety order; education on digital competence, artificial intelligence (AI), foreign languages, sports; activities for exploring nature, society, culture, history, and local traditions; and other educational contents as prescribed, meeting the needs, interests, and aptitudes of students, etc.

- To diversify the forms of teaching organization: guided self-study, group learning, experiential learning, club activities, etc.

2. For lower secondary education level

a) To implement two-session-per-day teaching according to a defined roadmap; to organize and carry out two-session-per-day teaching in schools that meet the requirements regarding physical facilities and teaching staff; to arrange the timetable with a minimum of 5 school days per week and a maximum of 11 sessions per week, with no more than 7 periods per day and each period lasting 45 minutes.

b) Teaching content and form

- Session 1: To organize teaching of the content of the general education curriculum for subjects and educational activities promulgated together with Circular No. 32/2018/TT-BGDDT.

- Session 2: To organize review sessions and provide remedial support for students who have not met the requirements of the general education curriculum; to provide enrichment for gifted students; to organize review sessions for students preparing for the grade 10 entrance examination; to organize scientific and technical research activities, career guidance education, experiential activities, STEM/STEAM education; education on reading culture, moral education, school culture education, life skills education, financial education, education on traffic safety order; education on digital competence, artificial intelligence (AI), foreign languages, sports, culture, arts, and other educational contents as prescribed, meeting the needs, interests, and aptitudes of students, etc.

- To diversify the forms of teaching organization: learning in groups of students with similar levels and abilities or in interest-based clubs; guiding self-study, combining classroom learning with educational activities outside the classroom, in multipurpose rooms, libraries, playgrounds, etc.

3. For upper secondary education level

a) To implement two-session-per-day teaching according to a defined roadmap; to organize and carry out two-session-per-day teaching in schools that meet the requirements regarding physical facilities and teaching staff; to arrange the timetable with a minimum of 5 school days per week and a maximum of 11 sessions per week, with no more than 7 periods per day and each period lasting 45 minutes.

b) Teaching content and form

- Session 1: To organize teaching in the contents of compulsory subjects, elective subjects, and thematic learning topics as prescribed in the general education curriculum, promulgated together with Circular No. 32/2018/TT-BGDDT and Circular No. 13/2022/TT-BGDDT dated August 03, 2022, of the Minister of Education and Training.

- Session 2: To organize review sessions and provide remedial support for students who have not met the requirements of the general education curriculum; to provide enrichment for gifted students; to organize review sessions for the upper secondary graduation examination; to organize scientific and technical research activities, career guidance education, experiential activities, STEM/STEAM education; education on reading culture, school culture education, voluntary activities; moral education, life skills education, financial education, education on traffic safety order; education on digital competence, artificial intelligence (AI), foreign languages, sports, culture, arts, and other educational contents as prescribed, meeting the needs, interests, and aptitudes of students, etc.

- To diversify the forms of teaching organization: learning in groups of students with similar levels and interests; organizing clubs, guiding self-study, combining classroom learning with educational activities outside the classroom and outside the school; cooperating with higher education institutions, research institutes, vocational education institutions, enterprises, organizations, and individuals to participate in relevant educational activities in support of organizing two-session-per-day teaching.

III. CONDITIONS FOR ORGANIZATION OF TWO-SESSION-PER-DAY TEACHING

1. Regarding teaching staff

- To ensure sufficient quantity and appropriate composition of teachers for each educational level, subject, and educational activity, as well as staff, in accordance with current regulations.

- To arrange and transfer teachers among educational institutions within the locality in order to address the local teacher surplus or shortage, serving the implementation of two-session-per-day teaching.

- To mobilize professionally qualified personnel groups, artisans, artists, and professional athletes to participate in organizing educational activities within schools.

2. Regarding physical facilities, teaching equipment, and funding

- To invest in physical facilities including classrooms, multipurpose buildings, libraries, playgrounds, training grounds, outdoor activity areas, etc., in accordance with current regulations.

- To utilize surplus physical facilities resulting from the rearrangement of administrative units to supplement the education sector, thereby ensuring sufficient school facilities, playgrounds, and training grounds for the organization of two-session-per-day teaching.

- To allocate local budget resources and effectively integrate relevant programs, schemes, and projects to increase investment in physical facilities, teaching equipment, and funding for the implementation of two-session-per-day teaching; to promote socialization, and to encourage and facilitate contributions and investments from organizations and individuals in education in accordance with the law.

IV. IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

1. For provincial-level Departments of Education and Training

a) To advise the provincial-level People’s Committees to:

- Direct relevant departments, agencies, and sectors to coordinate with the provincial-level Departments of Education and Training in mobilizing resources from the entire society to participate in organizing two-session-per-day teaching in accordance with Directive No. 17/CT-TTg, ensuring consistency with the actual conditions of each locality, meeting the objectives of the general education curriculum and the needs of students.

- Conduct a review, arrangement, and transfer of teachers among educational institutions in the locality in order to address local teacher surplus or shortage; recruit sufficient teachers in accordance with the staffing quotas assigned by competent authorities, ensuring that approved staffing quotas are fully utilized without delay in recruitment; sign teaching contracts in a timely manner to supplement the number of teachers as needed in accordance with regulations; avoid teacher shortages caused by organizational restructuring that could negatively impact students' learning.

- Prepare investment plans and effectively implement programs, schemes, and projects aimed at enhancing physical infrastructure, teaching equipment, multipurpose buildings, libraries, playgrounds, training grounds, outdoor activity areas, and funding for implementing two-session-per-day teaching; prioritize investments in educational institutions located in remote areas, areas with difficult or extremely difficult socio-economic conditions, border areas, and islands; establish school meals program supports for primary and lower secondary school students in border, mountainous, and island communes, ensuring equality in access to education.

- Establish mechanisms to mobilize highly professional personnel, artisans, artists, and professional athletes to participate in organizing educational activities in schools, particularly in the fields of culture, arts, sports, and life skills; promote the effective use of local cultural institutions in organizing comprehensive educational activities for students.

- Promote socialization, encourage and facilitate the contribution and investment of organizations and individuals in education; issue guiding documents to enable educational institutions to coordinate with higher education institutions, research institutes, vocational education institutions, enterprises, organizations, and individuals to participate in relevant educational activities in support of organizing two-session-per-day teaching in a practical, effective, transparent, and lawful manner^[1].

b) To provide guidance to general education institutions in the locality on developing plans for organizing two-session-per-day teaching in conformity with actual conditions, ensuring a clear implementation roadmap, clarity in resources, clarity in teaching contents and methods, clarity in responsibilities of stakeholders, and clarity in educational outcomes and quality; to closely coordinate with local authorities and social forces in the locality during the implementation of two-session-per-day teaching to ensure quality and effectiveness.

c) To direct general education institutions to review conditions regarding physical facilities, teaching staff, and funding, and to report to the competent management agencies as per the assigned decentralization and authorization, in order to develop implementation plans for organizing two-session-per-day teaching in accordance with actual conditions.

d) To develop model general education institutions for two-session-per-day teaching at the general education level. From such models, practical experience shall be drawn and effective practices shall be identified and replicated in the locality.

dd) To strengthen inspection, supervision, and evaluation of the results of organizing two-session-per-day teaching; to monitor the use of socialized resources allocated to educational institutions, ensuring the achievement of educational objectives, transparency, accountability, and effectiveness; to promptly rectify any tendencies of achievement-driven performance, aiming toward substantive education and comprehensive student development.

2. For higher education institutions and research institutes having general education schools

- To provide guidance to affiliated general education institutions on organizing two-session-per-day teaching in accordance with this Official Dispatch and other relevant regulations; to coordinate closely with local educational management agencies during the implementation process.

- To develop plans and carry out investment in physical facilities, teaching equipment, and the development of teaching staff to meet the requirements for implementing two-session-per-day teaching at their affiliated general education institutions.

3. For general education institutions

- To review the actual status of physical facilities and teaching staff, and to determine funding needs for organizing two-session-per-day teaching; to report to the People’s Committees of communes/wards/special zones (for primary and lower secondary schools), or to the provincial-level Departments of Education and Training (for upper secondary schools) to develop investment plans to ensure the conditions for organizing two-session-per-day teaching.

- To survey students’ demand for second-session learning before the start of the new school year in order to develop plans for organizing educational content that meets students’ learning needs and is consistent with the school’s conditions; to develop the school’s education plan, effectively utilize physical facilities and teaching staff; to allocate the number of first-session classes within the total number of weekly sessions to ensure sufficient periods per week for the subjects and educational activities as stipulated in the general education curriculum; to arrange the learning periods for the first and second sessions flexibly, in accordance with the school’s conditions and without creating pressure on students.

- To publicly disclose the plan, content, and timetable for two-session-per-day teaching to students, parents, and on the school’s website; to conduct communication activities so that students, parents, and social forces understand and support the implementation of Directive No. 17/CT-TTg and the provisions on two-session-per-day teaching as stated in this Official Dispatch; to fulfill accountability obligations to the management agency and social forces when required.

- To develop plans for lunch and midday rest with content and forms appropriate to actual conditions, ensuring consensus and voluntariness of students and their parents, and in accordance with regulations on school safety, food hygiene, nutritional adequacy, and student health protection.

- To implement educational socialization in accordance with the law; to coordinate with higher education institutions, research institutes, vocational education institutions, enterprises, organizations, and individuals to participate in suitable educational activities in support of organizing two-session-per-day teaching, ensuring practicality, effectiveness, transparency, and compliance with laws; to mobilize experts, artisans, artists, professional athletes, etc., to organize educational activities appropriate to local conditions.

- To summarize feedback from subject groups and teachers, report on implementation, propose solutions, and submit recommendations to higher-level education management agencies for timely guidance and support.

The Ministry of Education and Training requires the provincial-level Departments of Education and Training, higher education institutions, and research institutes with affiliated general education schools to fully and strictly implement the guidance on two-session-per-day teaching as stated in this Official Dispatch. Any difficulties arising in the course of implementation should be reported to the Ministry of Education and Training (via the General Education Department) for guidance and settlement./.