Teachers’ salaries now ranked highest in the public sector

Under the newly enacted Law on Educators, teachers' salaries are now classified at the highest level within the administrative and public service salary scale.

The law also assigns the Government the responsibility of detailing the wage framework to ensure this “highest-ranking” principle is honored.

In addition, teachers are entitled to various allowances  -  including those for responsibility, hardship regions, special education needs, seniority, and mobility  -  helping to significantly enhance their overall income.

“Connecting knowledge to life” selected as the national textbook series

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) recently selected the “Connecting Knowledge to Life” series by Vietnam Education Publishing House as the official national textbook to be used uniformly across the country from the 2026–2027 academic year.

This decision, effective from January 1, 2026, follows a comprehensive evaluation. The chosen series:

Covers all subjects across all three educational levels
Has demonstrated scientific and pedagogical quality during its broad rollout in 34 provinces and cities
Offers high consistency and supply reliability nationwide

MOET noted that a unified textbook system ensures equal access to knowledge across regions, and a coherent curriculum from Grade 1 to 12 minimizes disruptions  -  especially for children of migrant families and those in under-resourced areas.

The ministry also reiterated its plan to make textbooks free by 2030, easing the financial burden on families.

Provincial education directors granted authority to hire teachers

One of the most impactful reforms involves decentralizing teacher recruitment.

A resolution passed by the National Assembly on December 10, which also takes effect on January 1, 2026, gives directors of provincial Departments of Education and Training (DOET) the authority to:

Recruit and appoint teachers, educational staff, and school administrators
Transfer, reassign, or promote personnel across public preschools, general education institutions, continuing education centers, specialized schools, and vocational secondary schools

This applies to inter-district movements or any activity spanning more than one commune-level administrative unit.

At the commune level, local People’s Committee chairs are now authorized to manage personnel changes within their jurisdiction  -  including assignment, reassignment, secondment, or dismissal of teachers and education staff.

Middle school diploma officially abolished

The amended Education Law, effective from January 1, 2026, also changes the structure of Vietnam’s national qualifications framework.

From now on, degrees and certificates may be issued in paper or digital form.

However, the system now only includes:

Upper-secondary diploma
Vocational secondary diploma
College degree
Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees
Diplomas from specialized or intensive programs

This means the lower-secondary diploma is abolished.

Instead, students completing the lower-secondary education program (grades 6–9) and meeting all requirements will receive a completion confirmation noted in their school records, certified by the principal.

Only upper-secondary graduates will receive an official diploma upon meeting graduation criteria.

Thanh Hung