Circular No. 03/2026/TT-BGDĐT stipulates the code of conduct for teachers

 

CIRCULAR

REGULATING THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR TEACHERS

Pursuant to the Teachers Law No. 73/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Government Decree No. 37/2025/NĐ-CP dated February 26, 2025, stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Based on the proposal of the Director of the Teacher and Educational Management Staff Department;

The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular regulating the code of conduct for teachers.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

1. This Circular regulates the code of conduct for teachers in educational institutions within the national education system.

2. This Circular applies to teachers performing teaching and educational duties in educational institutions within the national education system.

3. Teachers in educational institutions under the People's Armed Forces and teachers assigned from the armed forces to educational institutions shall comply with the code of conduct as prescribed in this Circular and other relevant laws.

Article 2. Purpose of Establishing the Code of Conduct for Teachers

1. To ensure standards of perception, attitude, and behavior of teachers in their relationships with students, colleagues, educational institution managers, parents or guardians of students, and the community.

2. To ensure a safe, friendly, respectful educational environment that values differences; to innovate and create; to prevent and combat negative influences and school violence.

3. To serve as a basis for teachers to cultivate, maintain, study, and enhance their moral qualities, ethics, and cultural conduct in digital environments, especially when participating in activities on social media platforms.

4. To provide a unified legal foundation for educational institutions to develop and implement appropriate codes of conduct based on practical conditions.

Article 3. Principles of Establishing the Code of Conduct for Teachers

1. Compliance with relevant legal provisions; consistency with ethical standards, traditional customs, and cultural traditions of the nation; ensuring equality, non-discrimination, and respect for cultural diversity, privacy, and personal secrets.

2. Ensuring the representation of the position, role, legitimate rights, obligations, and responsibilities of teachers in professional activities.

3. Ensuring concise, clear, understandable, and executable criteria; suitability with levels of education, training methods, and cultural values of the nation and regional characteristics.

4. The development of detailed codes of conduct at educational institutions must ensure feasibility, democracy, transparency, and objectivity.

Chapter II

CONTENT OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT

Article 4. General Code of Conduct

1. Strictly adhere to the Party’s guidelines and policies, state laws, and regulations regarding the rights and obligations of teachers; comply with assignments and dispatches by authorized organizations and individuals as stipulated by law.

2. Diligently perform duties; teach and educate according to educational goals and principles; fully implement and ensure the quality of educational programs; actively study and improve teacher ethics, expertise, and professional skills; be honest in learning, scientific research, and teaching duties; selectively absorb and appropriately apply progressive scientific and technological values and human civilization in professional activities; take responsibility for using information and online conduct.

3. Maintain the integrity, reputation, honor, personality, and character of teachers; set exemplary standards; have courteous and friendly attitudes; lead a healthy and positive lifestyle; practice thrift, oppose waste, corruption, and achievement-seeking; regularly engage in self-criticism and criticism; preserve and promote national cultural identity.

4. Protect and maintain the appearance of educational institutions; prevent school violence; foster unity, build, love, and help others; protect the reputation and honor of others and the institution; create a safe, healthy, friendly, civilized, democratic, innovative, and creative educational environment; actively participate in management, governance, and other professional activities of the institution.

5. Use clear, understandable, proper, truthful language; dress neatly, courteously, and appropriately for the educational environment and related regulations.

6. Do not abuse the position, title, image of teachers, or professional activities to commit illegal acts or personal gain; do not leave work without authorization; do not disseminate content contrary to the Party’s and State’s viewpoints and policies; do not smoke, consume alcoholic beverages while performing duties; do not use prohibited substances or stimulants as regulated by law; do not engage in social vices; do not ignore, avoid, or conceal violations committed by students or colleagues.

Article 5. Conduct Towards Students

1. Have exemplary attitudes, tolerant spirit, responsibility, and affection; provide feedback, comments, praise, or criticism appropriately based on the individual and circumstances; encourage and motivate students' efforts and development.

2. Create a safe, positive, and equal educational environment; encourage students to participate in research, production labor, community service activities, and sustainable development.

3. Respect and accurately assess students' capabilities; protect students' legitimate rights and interests; create motivation for students to develop their qualities and abilities; listen and promptly advise and support students in areas of study and society in accordance with their age-appropriate psychology.

4. Do not discriminate against students in any form; do not insult, harm, bully, stereotype, abuse, or harm students in any form; report promptly to leadership and competent authorities when discovering student violence or abuse; do not force students to participate in voluntary activities; do not disclose students' information in violation of regulations; do not falsify or deliberately distort results in student recruitment and evaluation activities.

Article 6. Conduct towards colleagues

1. Be honest, sincere, united, cooperative, share responsibilities, help each other; self-criticism and criticism must be objective, serious, frank, and constructive for the progress of colleagues.

2. Respect and listen to the opinions of colleagues, coordinate, exchange experiences, learn from each other in professional activities.

3. Do not offend, divide, cause internal disunity; do not shirk or pass on responsibility; do not disclose colleagues' information publicly in violation of regulations.

Article 7. Conduct towards educational institution managers

1. Comply with the division of work, directives, and management of educational institution managers within the scope of assigned functions and tasks.

2. Listen and humbly accept evaluations and suggestions from educational institution managers regarding professional activities.

3. Actively advise and clearly express opinions to educational institution managers according to assigned functions and tasks.

4. Do not offend, cause internal disunity; do not ignore, avoid, or conceal violations by educational institution managers.

Article 8. Conduct towards parents or guardians of students

1. Be ready to cooperate, support, and share with parents or guardians of students regarding teaching and educational activities for the progress of students.

2. Proactively and promptly provide truthful information about students; teaching programs and plans when authorized by the competent authority.

3. Encourage and create conditions for parents or guardians of students to participate in educational activities for the progress of students.

4. Do not offend, impose, seek personal gain, or force parents or guardians of students to participate in activities contrary to state regulations and voluntary activities.

Article 9. Conduct towards the community

1. Adhere to and comply with public rules and regulations; respect communal space; behave civilly, politely, appropriately, and protect the environment when participating in community activities.

2. Promote voluntary, conscientious, and active participation in social activities; protect the environment; effectively implement and coordinate in implementing charitable, humanitarian movements, caring for the poor, vulnerable groups, and disadvantaged individuals in society as prescribed by law; participate and spread the movement to build a learning society, develop reading culture, encourage learning, and talent development.

3. Actively disseminate humanistic values, good deeds, beautiful images, and cultural behavior in society and schools to the community; proactively participate in communication and propaganda about education, combat fake news related to the field of education and teachers on official social media channels; disclose and report transparently when participating in social activities.

4. Do not participate in or support superstitious, divisive activities and activities that undermine national solidarity.

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 10. Responsibilities of Units under the Ministry of Education and Training

1. The Teacher and Educational Manager Department shall take the lead in guiding and inspecting the implementation of this Circular.

2. Relevant units under the Ministry shall cooperate with the Teacher and Educational Manager Department in guiding and inspecting the implementation of this Circular.

Article 11. Responsibilities of People's Committees at all levels

1. Responsibilities of Provincial and Central City People's Committees

a) Popularize, direct, implement, and guide the implementation of regulations on teachers' conduct rules in educational institutions under their jurisdiction;

b) Ensure conditions for educational work, propaganda, and strictly enforce teachers' conduct rules;

c) Regularly inspect the organization and implementation work of educational management agencies; handle organizations and individuals violating this Circular seriously and promptly in accordance with the law; conduct surprise inspections for cases where teachers or educational institutions, educational management agencies under their jurisdiction have serious violations of teachers' conduct rules.

2. Responsibilities of Commune, Ward, and Special Administrative Region People's Committees under provinces

a) Implement, guide, and inspect the implementation of teachers' conduct rules at educational institutions under their jurisdiction;

b) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant agencies and organizations in propaganda, supervision, commendation, and handling violations in accordance with regulations;

c) Implement reporting systems as prescribed by the Minister of Education and Training.

Article 12. Responsibilities of Departments of Education and Training

1. Advise local party committees and authorities on guiding the implementation of regulations on teachers' conduct rules in educational institutions under their jurisdiction and solutions to effectively implement the provisions of this Circular.

2. Direct educational institutions to organize the implementation of this Circular; organize inspections and supervision of the establishment and implementation of teachers' conduct rules at educational institutions under their jurisdiction; promptly commend and reward organizations and individuals who perform well; handle organizations and individuals who violate in accordance with the law.

3. Implement reporting systems as prescribed by the Minister of Education and Training.

Article 13. Responsibilities of Educational Institutions

1. Based on the provisions of this Circular and relevant laws, the head of the educational institution shall issue detailed conduct rules for teachers suitable to the practical requirements and conditions of the educational institution.

2. Publicize teachers' conduct rules on the institution's website or post them on bulletin boards; disseminate conduct rules to educational institution managers, teachers, students, and parents or guardians of students; regularly promote and ensure the implementation of teachers' conduct rules; establish a channel for reporting teachers' conduct behavior ensuring safety and confidentiality of information as prescribed.

3. Implement commendation and disciplinary measures for collectives and individuals in the implementation of teachers' conduct rules according to the law.

4. Implement reporting systems as prescribed by the Minister of Education and Training.

Article 14. Ministries and Agencies Equivalent to Ministries with Affiliated Educational Institutions

1. Direct affiliated educational institutions under their jurisdiction to organize the implementation of this Circular.

2. Ensure conditions for educational work, dissemination, and strict enforcement of teachers' conduct rules in affiliated educational institutions under their jurisdiction.

3. Regularly inspect the organization and implementation work of affiliated educational institutions under their jurisdiction; promptly commend and reward organizations and individuals who perform well and handle individuals and organizations who violate.

4. Implement reporting systems as prescribed.

Article 15. Implementation Provisions

1. This Circular shall take effect from January 30, 2026.

2. Decision No. 16/2008/QĐ-BGDĐT dated April 16, 2008 of the Minister of Education and Training on promulgating the Code of Ethics for Teachers and Article 6 of Circular No. 06/2019/TT-BGDĐT dated April 12, 2019 of the Minister of Education and Training on the Code of Conduct in Early Childhood Education Institutions, Primary and Secondary Schools, and Regular Education Institutions shall cease to be effective from the date this Circular takes effect.

3. The Director of the Office, the Director of the Department of Teachers and School Management Staff, the Heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training, the Chairpersons of People's Committees at all levels, the Directors of Departments of Education and Training, the Heads of educational institutions and organizations and individuals concerned are responsible for implementing this Circular.