MOET has just issued a new circular on student commendation and discipline, effective from October 31.

Under this regulation, students may be subject to disciplinary actions if they violate the Law on Education, school rules, or regulations from competent state agencies.

School administrators and teachers will assess violations based on the nature and consequences of student behavior, categorized as follows:

Level 1: The violation affects only the student themself
Level 2: The violation negatively impacts a group or class
Level 3: The violation negatively affects the entire school

According to the new circular, depending on the level of violation, disciplinary measures for primary school students include reminders and requests for apology.

For secondary (lower and upper) school students, the applicable measures include reminders, public criticism, and self-review reports. In the latter case, the report must include confirmation and a commitment from the student’s family to work with the school in managing, educating, and helping the student recognize their mistakes and take corrective action.

This means that temporary suspension from school – previously the most severe penalty – has been officially removed.

For primary school students, the application of disciplinary measures is as follows:

A reminder is given for Level 1 violations

An apology is required if a student continues to violate rules after being reminded or commits a Level 2 or higher violation
For secondary school students (lower and upper levels), disciplinary actions are applied as follows:

A reminder is issued for Level 1 violations

A public criticism is applied to students who continue to violate rules after being reminded or commit Level 2 violations
A self-review report is required for students who continue to offend after receiving a public criticism or commit Level 3 violations

Self-review reports must be confirmed and co-signed by the student's family, affirming cooperation in managing, educating, and helping the student reflect, correct mistakes, and mitigate consequences for affected individuals or groups.

According to MOET, disciplinary measures are meant to prevent, control, and address student misconduct. The goal is to educate and guide students to self-reflect, adjust behaviors, correct mistakes, and develop self-discipline and constructive habits.

Disciplinary actions must adhere to principles of proactiveness, respect, tolerance, objectivity, and non-bias. They must also be appropriate for the student’s psychological development, gender, physical condition, family background, and regional cultural traits. Violence, insults to dignity, or actions that harm students physically or mentally are strictly prohibited.

Thanh Hung