The new law stipulates that diplomas within the national education system can be issued in either paper or digital format, granted to learners who graduate from high school or complete educational and training programs that meet required output standards at the corresponding levels of vocational or higher education.

Under this revised legislation, recognized qualifications in Vietnam’s education system include the high school diploma, vocational secondary diploma, intermediate diploma, college diploma, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree, and specialized diplomas in specific professional fields.

This marks a significant departure from previous regulations, as the revised law eliminates the issuance of lower secondary school (middle school) diplomas. Instead, students completing primary or lower secondary programs - who meet the criteria set by the Minister of Education and Training - will have their completion certified in their academic transcripts.

Students completing upper secondary education (high school), upon meeting required conditions, may sit for the graduation exam. If they pass, they will be issued a high school diploma by the principal of their school.

Those who do not take the exam or fail to meet graduation standards will receive a certificate of program completion instead.

This certificate may be used to register for future high school graduation exams if desired, to enroll in vocational education, or for other purposes in accordance with legal provisions.

The law also confirms that diplomas and certificates issued by educational institutions across all training formats within the national education system hold equal legal value.

The Minister of Education and Training is tasked with setting detailed regulations on the management of diplomas and certificates, as well as the recognition of other certificates for use within the national education framework.

Before the law was passed, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son explained that the government had agreed to discontinue lower secondary diplomas and replace the term with “completion of the lower secondary program or equivalent” throughout the draft law.

Furthermore, the new law allows for diplomas and certificates to be issued in either paper or digital formats, in line with the government’s broader agenda to promote digital transformation in education.

The terminology has also been updated: “specialized training program diploma” is now used instead of “equivalent diploma” to better reflect the nature of degrees such as medical doctor, pharmacist, engineer, and architect - ensuring consistency with the draft amendments to the Law on Higher Education and aligning with international norms.

The revised law also clearly designates the Minister of Education and Training as the authority overseeing the management of diplomas and certificates within the national system, ensuring flexibility, responsiveness to real-world demands, and systemic coherence, transparency, and transferability.

For postgraduate professional training in healthcare - such as residency programs and specialist physician training - the Ministry of Health will manage implementation and oversight, in accordance with the revised Law on Higher Education.

Regarding textbooks in general education, the new law states: “The Government shall regulate free textbook provision for students.”

The Minister of Education and Training will designate a unified set of general education textbooks for nationwide use. The National Textbook Appraisal Council - established and guided by the Minister - will be formed separately for each subject or educational activity to assess textbooks.

Council members will be responsible for the content and quality of their assessments. Textbooks approved by the National Council and rated as satisfactory will then be officially endorsed by the Minister of Education and Training for use in schools.

The Minister is also responsible for setting standards and procedures for compiling and revising general education textbooks.

Tran Thuong