Decree No. 279/2026/ND-CP on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam

DECREE

FUNCTIONS, TASKS, POWERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF VIETNAM

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

At the request of the Minister of Education and Training;

The Government hereby promulgates a Decree on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam.

Article 1. Position and functions

The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam is a governmental agency in charge of performing state management of preschool education, general education, vocational education, higher education, and continuing education; Vietnamese language and minority languages; and public services under the Ministry’s management.

Article 2. Tasks and powers

The Ministry of Education and Training shall perform the tasks and powers specified in the Law on Government Organization, the Government’s regulations on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structures of ministries, ministerial agencies and the following specific tasks and powers:

1. Submit bills and resolutions of the National Assembly, draft ordinances and resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, draft decrees and resolutions of the Government, draft decisions of the Prime Minister under its management according to the approved annual law-making plans and programs, and other projects assigned by the Government or Prime Minister to the Government.

2. Request the Government and the Prime Minister to issue, or issue within its jurisdiction, long-term, medium-term, and annual development plans, strategies, plannings, schemes, national target programs, national programs, national action programs, and works of national importance under the Ministry’s state management as prescribed by law.

3. Promulgate circulars, decisions, directives and other documents under the state management of the Ministry of Education and Training.

4. Direct, provide guidance, disseminate and monitor the implementation, inspection and organization of implementation of legislative documents, strategies, plannings, programs, plans, projects, and schemes already approved under the Ministry’s state management.

5. Regarding educational objectives, programs and contents

a) Request competent authorities to issue, or issue within its jurisdiction, documents prescribing and providing guidance on the implementation and unified management of educational objectives, programs, and contents within the national education system as prescribed by law;

b) Stipulate standards and procedures for compiling, editing and appraising textbooks, syllabi and teaching materials; stipulate standards and procedures for compiling, editing and appraising local educational materials; provide guidance on selection of toys and learning materials used in preschool education institutions;

c) Request the Government to issue regulations on free-of-charge provision of textbooks for students; and decide a unified set of general education textbooks to be used nationwide;

d) Stipulate programs and contents, and organize execution of the national defense and security education programs for learners at high schools, higher education institutions, and vocational education institutions;

dd) Stipulate contents and programs for education and training in environmental protection and the development of environmental protection human resources;

e) Issue within its jurisdiction, or request competent authorities to issue, guidelines for development of an open educational system and a learning society, and promotion of lifelong learning.

6. Act as a focal point to assist the Government in performing state management of Vietnamese language and minority languages; issue within its jurisdiction, or request competent authorities to issue regulations on provision of guidelines on and implementation of the development and preservation of Vietnamese language and minority languages as prescribed by law.

7. Regarding examinations, testing, assessment, admission, training, and recognition of academic outcomes, diplomas, and certificates

a) Request competent authorities to issue, or issue within its jurisdiction, documents prescribing and providing guidance on examinations, testing, assessment, admission, training, and recognition of academic outcomes in a unified manner within the national education system;

b) Provide guidance on management of diplomas and certificates, and recognition of diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions and used in Vietnam, and certificates used within the national education system, unless otherwise prescribed by specialized laws.

8. Regarding educators, education managers and staff

a) Request competent authorities to issue, or issue within its jurisdiction, documents prescribing and providing guidance on recruitment, employment, job positions, titles, professional standards, professional activities, working regimes, ethics, codes of conduct, and the rights and obligations of educators, educational institution managers, educational support staff, and other personnel in educational institutions of the national education system as prescribed by law;

b) Advise the Government to issue regulations on salaries and benefits for educators, education managers, educational institution managers, educational support staff, and other personnel in educational institutions of the national education system as prescribed by law.

9. Regarding management and provision of support for learners

a) Request competent authorities to issue, or issue within its jurisdiction, documents prescribing and providing guidance on management of learners within the national education system as prescribed by law, policies for learners, and rewards and discipline;

b) Provide guidance and organize the performance of school health tasks, including healthcare for learners in schools and other educational institutions; comprehensive education and development of learners within the education system; and prevention and control of accidents and injuries for learners in schools and other educational institutions;

c) Prescribe, provide guidance, and organize activities and sports tournaments, and develop physical education and sports movements in schools.

10. Regarding public service establishments, educational facilities, and specialized machinery and equipment for education and training: request competent authorities to issue or issue within its jurisdiction documents prescribing, providing guidance, and organizing implementation of lists, technical regulations, and standards for educational facilities, libraries, classrooms, subject-specific rooms, laboratories, practice facilities, works serving educational activities, and educational equipment; standards and norms for area of professional works, specialized machinery, and equipment in the field of education and training under the state management of the Ministry; provide guidance and inspect management, development, operation, arrangement, and handling of public service establishments, facilities, specialized machinery, and equipment in educational institutions in accordance with regulations of law.

11. Regarding management of finances, public property, public investment, investment in construction and bidding

a) Request competent authorities to issue or issue within its jurisdiction documents prescribing and providing guidance on prices of educational services in accordance with the Law on Prices and relevant laws; eco-technical norms and financial mechanisms in the field of education as delegated and according to regulations of law;

b) Manage finances, public property, public investment, investment in construction, and bidding as assigned in accordance with regulations of law; exercise the rights and fulfill the responsibilities of the state owner towards enterprises in accordance with regulations of law; exercise the rights and fulfill the responsibilities of the state owner’s representative for state capital invested in enterprises in accordance with regulations of law.

12. Regarding assurance and accreditation of educational quality

a) Promulgate within its jurisdiction or request competent authorities to promulgate regulations on provision of guidance and organization of assurance and accreditation of educational quality;

b) Develop, manage and supervise the educational quality assurance system within the national education system; manage educational quality assessment and accreditation; use educational quality assessment and accreditation results for state management, supervision, and making of educational policies in accordance with regulations of law;

c) Provide guidance and organize disclosure of operations and accountability of educational institutions in accordance with the law.

13. Regarding science, technology, innovation and digital transformation in the field of education

a) Request competent authorities to issue or issue within its jurisdiction documents prescribing and providing guidance on mechanisms and policies on promotion of science, technology and innovation in educational institutions;

b) Provide guidance and organize the performance of science, technology and innovation tasks in the field of education; provide guidance and organize comprehensive digital transformation, promotion of development and application of digital technology and artificial intelligence to education;

c) Establish and manage information systems, digital platforms, national databases, and specialized databases in accordance with regulations of law.

14. Perform state management of statistics on education.  Issue, manage, and provide guidance on the unified use of forms, documents, and books under the state management of the Ministry in accordance with regulations of law; prepare reports and statistics, and store documents and data under the state management of the Ministry in accordance with the law.

15. Regarding management of education and training institutions

a) Request competent authorities to issue or issue within its jurisdiction documents prescribing, providing guidance, and organizing the implementation within its jurisdiction of charters and regulations on organization and operation of educational institutions; establishment, recognition, reorganization, dissolution, transformation of types, renaming, and issuance of licenses for educational activities of educational institutions in accordance with the law;

b) Decide establishment, reorganization, dissolution, and renaming of national defense and security education centers in higher education institutions and vocational education institutions (except for military schools);

c) Classify and rank educational institutions and public service providers under its management in accordance with regulations of law;

d) Assume the role of the authority directly managing national universities and other public service providers as prescribed; approve specific missions and development strategies of public higher education institutions affiliated with the Ministry in accordance with regulations of law.

16. Regarding international cooperation and foreign investment in education

a) Issue within its jurisdiction or request competent authorities to issue documents prescribing, providing guidance and organizing cooperation, joint training and foreign investment in education;

b) Propose signature of and implementation of international treaties and agreements on education under the state management of the Ministry; propose accession and participation in international educational organizations; act as Vietnam’s national focal point in relations with international educational organizations of which Vietnam is a member as assigned by the Government or the Prime Minister;

c) Request the Government to issue regulations and guidelines for receipt, training, and management of foreigners studying at educational institutions in Vietnam in accordance with regulations of law; management of foreigners entering Vietnam to perform management, teach and conduct scientific research and academic exchange at educational institutions in Vietnam; and management of Vietnamese citizens studying, teaching, and conducting scientific research and academic exchange abroad under the Ministry’s state management of education.

17. Regarding emulation and commendation in the education field

a) Issue within its jurisdiction or request competent authorities to issue documents prescribing, providing guidance and organizing emulation and commendation in the education field;

b) Provide guidance on emulation and commendation in educational institutions; organize emulation movements and conduct emulation and commendation in the education field;

c) Provide guidance and give honor to educators, and consider awarding the titles of “Nhà giáo nhân dân” (“People’s Teacher”) and “Nhà giáo ưu tú” (“Meritorious Teacher”) in accordance with regulations of law.

18. Decide and direct the execution of the Ministry’s programs for administrative reform according to the objectives and contents of state administrative reform programs approved by the Government and the Prime Minister.

19. Manage associations, non-governmental organizations, and public services in the fields under the state management of the Ministry in accordance with regulations of law.

20. Manage organizational apparatus, job positions, payroll, civil servants, public employees, and employees, comply with regulations on salaries, and implement policies on preferential treatment, commendation, discipline, training, and professional development for civil servants, public employees, and employees under the management of the Ministry in accordance with the law.

21. Conduct inspection and specialized inspection, resolve complaints, denunciations, petitions, and reflections, organize citizen reception, prevent and control corruption and wastefulness and handle violations against law under the state management of the Ministry in accordance with regulations of law.

22. Perform other tasks and exercise other powers assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister or as prescribed by law.

Article 3. Organizational structure

1. Early Childhood Education Department.

2. General Education Department.

3. Higher Education Department.

4. National Defense and Security Education Department.

5. Department of Student Affairs.

6. Legal Department.

7. Department of Personnel and Organization.

8.  Planning and Finance Department.

9. Ministry Office.

10. Educator and Education Managers Department.

11. Quality Control Department.

12. Science, Technology and Information Department.

13. International Cooperation Department.

14. Vocational Education and Continuing Education Department.

15. Education and Times Newspaper.

16. Institute of Educational Strategy and Policy.

Units prescribed in clause 1 thru clause 14 of this Article are administrative organizations affiliated to the Ministry of Education and Training that assist the Minister in performing state management; the units prescribed in clause 15 and clause 16 of this Article are public service providers serving state management by the Ministry of Education and Training.

The Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam shall propose the list of other public service providers affiliated to the Ministry of Education and Training to the Prime Minister for promulgation.

The Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam shall promulgate decisions on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structures of units affiliated to the Ministry of Education and Training as per the law, except those under the jurisdiction of the Government or the Prime Minister.

Article 4. Transitional clauses

Vietnam Journal of Education and the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences shall continue to perform their functions, tasks, and powers in accordance with applicable regulations until the effective date of the Decision on functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Institute of Educational Strategy and Policy, issued by the Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam. Such Decision shall be issued before August 01, 2026.

Article 5. Effect

1. This Decree takes effect from July 12, 2026.

2. This Decree replaces the Government’s Decree No. 37/2025/ND-CP dated February 26, 2025 on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam.

Article 6. Responsibilities for implementation

The Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam, Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and cities, shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decree.