Circular No. 30/2021/TT-BGDĐT on the compilation, examination, approval, and selection of materials for use in preschool education institutions

CIRCULAR

Regulations on the compilation, review, approval, and selection of materials for use in preschool education institutions

for use in preschool education facilities

Pursuant to the Education Law No. 43/2019/QH14 dated June 14, 2019;

Pursuant to Decree No. 69/2017/NĐ-CP dated May 25, 2017 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Based on the proposal of the Director of the Department of Preschool Education;

The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular stipulating the procedures for the compilation, review, approval, and selection of materials for use in preschool education institutions.

PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation and applicable subjects

1. This Circular stipulates the procedures for the compilation, review, approval, and selection of materials for use in preschool education institutions.

2. This Circular applies to organizations and individuals compiling materials, review boards at various levels, and preschool education institutions selecting materials to implement the Preschool Education Program.

Article 2. Definitions

1. In this Circular, "Materials" refer to publications used to guide and organize the implementation of the Preschool Education Program, including materials for management staff and preschool teachers, and learning materials for children.

2. In this Circular, "Sample Materials" refers to complete drafts of materials that have been edited, typeset, and printed in book form or created using electronic means, with the phrase "sample" marked on the material.

Article 3. Requirements for materials

1. Requirements for materials for management staff and preschool teachers

a) Comply with the viewpoints and policies of the Communist Party of Vietnam; abide by the Constitution and laws of Vietnam;

b) The content and format of the materials must be appropriate to Vietnamese culture, history, geography, ethics, customs, and traditions; ensure scientific, pedagogical, aesthetic qualities, and align with the conditions for implementing the Preschool Education Program in localities; guarantee the rights of children;

c) Be consistent with the goals, content, methods, and organizational forms of educational activities prescribed in the Preschool Education Program; meet trends of integration, requirements for reforming teaching methods, and organizing nurturing, caring, and educating children in preschool education institutions;

d) Terminology, concepts, definitions, events, and images must be accurate, objective, and consistent; images, events, and data must have clear sources;

đ) The presentation of materials must be balanced, harmonious, with symbols, icons, font styles, sizes, illustrations, maps, and drawings suitable to the educational content and regulations of Vietnamese law.

2. Requirements for children's learning materials shall be implemented in accordance with current regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training regarding the selection of toys and learning materials used in preschool education institutions.

Chapter II
COMPILE, REVIEW, APPROVE MATERIALS

Article 4. Compilation of materials

1. Standards for organizations and individuals compiling materials

a) Organizations participating in the compilation of materials must be established according to Vietnamese law, have functions in management, business, or activities in the field of education; have a team of compilers meeting the requirements stipulated in point b, Clause 1, Article 3 of this Circular;

b) Individuals participating in the compilation of materials must have a university degree or higher; have expertise relevant to the materials being compiled; have at least five years of work experience in the relevant field; understand preschool education; possess good moral character.

2. Requirements for the compilation of materials

a) The compilation of materials must comply with the provisions of the Publishing Law and the Intellectual Property Law;

b) Organizations and individuals compiling materials must comply with the provisions of Article 3 of this Circular.

Article 5. Organization and operation of the material review council

1. Material Review Council

a) The material review council (hereinafter referred to as the Council) shall be established by the Minister of Education and Training; the material review council for local education materials shall be established by the Director of the Department of Education and Training.

b) The Council shall consist of scientists, educators, educational managers with experience and reputation in education, and representatives of related organizations; there must be at least two members who are teachers directly nurturing, caring for, and educating children at preschool education facilities. The number of Council members shall be odd, with a minimum of seven people.

c) The Council consists of: Chairperson, Secretary, and Members.

2. Criteria for Council Members

a) Possess good moral character; have sufficient time and health to participate in material review.

b) Have a bachelor's degree or higher, understand early childhood education science, and have expertise relevant to the reviewed materials; in cases where Council members are teachers, they must have at least five years of direct experience nurturing, caring for, and educating children at preschool education facilities.

c) Individuals involved in compiling the materials proposed for review shall not participate in the material review council.

3. Duties and Authorities of Council Members

a) The Council Chairperson is responsible before the head of the agency issuing the decision to establish the Council and implements the Council's work plan; assigns tasks to Council members; resolves issues within their authority and makes recommendations to competent authorities to handle situations arising during the material review process; performs other rights and duties as stipulated in point c, Clause 4 of this Article.

b) The Council Secretary assists the Chairperson in preparing the content and program of Council meetings; compiles minutes summarizing all opinions of Council members; performs other tasks as prescribed in point c, Clause 4 of this Article.

c) Council members are responsible for fully participating in Council meetings; providing written opinions and being accountable for their comments and evaluations during the material review process. In case they cannot attend the Council meeting, they must report to the Chairperson at least half a day before the meeting and provide written opinions; perform other tasks assigned by the Chairperson.

4. Principles of Operation of the Council

a) The Council operates on the principles of centralization, democracy, objectivity, and honesty.

b) A Council meeting is considered valid when at least three-quarters of the total number of members participate, including the Chairperson and Secretary of the Council.

c) The results of each Council meeting are recorded in minutes, which include all member opinions and are made public at the Council. The minutes must be signed by all participants in the Council meeting.

d) During the review process, the Council may request the organization conducting the review to seek professional advice from relevant agencies, organizations, or individuals if necessary.

Article 6. Documentation for Material Review

1. Request for material review from an organization or individual.

2. Sample of the material proposed for review.

3. Report on the compilation process of the material and experimental process (if applicable).

4. Curriculum vitae of the author(s) of the compiled material.

5. Legal certification of the organization compiling the material.

Article 7. Procedure for organizing the review

1. Not later than 15 (fifteen) days before the first meeting of the Council, the documents to be reviewed shall be sent by the organizing unit to the members of the Council; the Council members shall comment and evaluate the documents in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of this Circular.

2. Evaluation and classification of documents

Based on the provisions of Article 3 of this Circular, the Council members shall evaluate and classify the documents as follows:

a) General evaluation and classification of documents into one of three categories: "Pass", "Pass but requires revision", "Fail";

b) Documents are classified as "Pass" if they meet all requirements stipulated in Article 3 of this Circular;

c) Documents are classified as "Pass but requires revision" if the requirements stipulated in this Circular are classified as "Pass" or "Pass but requires revision". Depending on the extent of the revisions made, the Chairman of the Council shall confirm "The document has been revised and meets the Council's requirements" or decide to seek opinions from Council members through an appropriate method;

d) Documents are classified as "Fail" in other cases.

3. The Council convenes to discuss and evaluate the classification of documents

Based on the provisions of Article 3 of this Circular, the Council convenes to discuss and evaluate the classification of documents as follows:

a) Documents are classified as "Pass" by the Council if at least ¾ (three-quarters) of the Council members evaluate them as "Pass";

b) Documents are classified as "Pass but requires revision" by the Council if at least ¾ (three-quarters) of the Council members classify them as "Pass" and "Pass but requires revision" or at least ¾ (three-quarters) of the Council members classify them as "Pass but requires revision";

c) The Council classifies "Fail" in other cases.

The Council reports the results of the review to the organizing unit for submission to the authority that established the Council to consider approval.

4. Activities for preparation by the main reviewing unit

a) Propose a list of Council members;

b) Prepare material conditions, facilities, and funding to support the Council's activities;

c) Receive drafts, transfer them to Council members; receive files and reports, proposals, and recommendations of the Council to submit to the leadership/head of the agency that established the Council for consideration and decision;

d) Submit to the competent authority for approval of documents permitted for use in preschool education institutions;

đ) Retain documents, minutes of Council meetings, and related materials in accordance with regulations.

Article 8. Approval of documents

1. Authority to approve documents

a) The Minister of Education and Training approves documents guiding management staff and teachers in implementing the Preschool Education Program;

b) The Director of the Department of Education and Training approves local educational documents, guiding management staff and teachers in implementing the Preschool Education Program in preschool education institutions within their province/city.

2. Documents for requesting approval of documents

a) A request for approval from the main organizing unit for the review;

b) Documents classified as "Pass" by the Council; for documents classified as "Pass but requires revision," there must be revised documents, reports on adoption, explanations, and confirmation by the Chairman of the Council that they have been revised according to the Council's requirements;

c) Decision to establish the Review Council;

d) Minutes of the Review Council meetings;

đ) Explanation of the documents to be reviewed, including: author(s), chief editor(s), co-chief editor(s), overall chief editor(s) (if any); purpose of compilation, target audience, and scope of use; structure; content; process; experimental results (if any); other relevant information.

Chapter III

SELECTION OF DOCUMENTS FOR USE

IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Article 9. Principles for Selecting Materials

1. Materials shall be selected based on practical experiences from implementing the Early Childhood Education Program, school education programs, the general academic year plan of the entire sector, local resources, schools, and parents or child caregivers.

2. Ensure feasibility, clarity, ease of implementation, and practicality in enhancing the quality of childcare, care, and education activities for children.

3. Ensure transparency and compliance with legal regulations.

4. Materials shall be compiled in accordance with Articles 3 and 4 of this Circular.

5. For materials intended for management staff and kindergarten teachers, they must be reviewed and approved by the competent authority; for learning materials intended for children, they shall be selected according to current regulations regarding the selection of toys and learning materials used in early childhood education institutions.

Article 10. Selection Committee for Materials Used in Early Childhood Education Institutions

1. The Selection Committee for Materials Used in Early Childhood Education Institutions (hereinafter referred to as the Selection Committee) shall be established by the head of the early childhood education institution, with the responsibility of selecting appropriate materials to effectively implement the Early Childhood Education Program.

2. The Selection Committee shall consist of the head or deputy head of the early childhood education institution, heads of specialized groups, and representatives of teachers from different classes/groups. Members of the Selection Committee must have at least a college-level teaching qualification and at least five years of experience working in early childhood education. The total number of committee members must be odd, with a minimum of seven people. For institutions with fewer than five classes/groups, the minimum number of committee members is five people.

3. The Selection Committee is responsible for selecting and proposing materials to be used in early childhood education institutions in accordance with this Circular.

4. Members of the Selection Committee are responsible for their comments and evaluations on the selected materials.

5. The Selection Committee operates under the principles of centralization, democracy, objectivity, and honesty. Minutes of each meeting must be recorded and signed by all attending members of the committee.

Article 11. Procedure for Selecting Materials

1. Early childhood education institutions base their selection on the requirements and principles for selecting materials stipulated in this Circular; the academic year implementation plan; practical childcare, care, and education activities for children, and review existing materials, collect proposals from teachers and management staff to establish a list of proposed materials. The list of proposed materials must be signed by the heads of specialized groups and representatives of teachers from different classes/groups. Based on the proposed material list, the head of the early childhood education institution will organize the Selection Committee.

2. The Selection Committee convenes meetings to discuss and evaluate the suitability of the proposals and the selected materials. The material list must be approved by at least three-quarters of the Selection Committee members. Meeting minutes must be signed by all attending members of the Selection Committee.

3. Based on the Selection Committee's proposal, the head of the early childhood education institution approves the list of materials to be used in the institution; develops a plan for equipping these materials, and proposes to higher-level management authorities or seeks socialized funding for equipment.

Chapter IV
RESPONSIBILITIES OF AUTHORITIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS

Article 12. Ministry of Education and Training

1. The Early Childhood Education Department shall organize the review and submit to the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Training for approval the guidance materials for managers and kindergarten teachers to implement the Early Childhood Education Program and other materials when requested by the Minister.

2. Guide, supervise, inspect, and examine the compilation, review, approval, and selection of materials for use in early childhood education facilities.

Article 13. Department of Education and Training

1. Organize the review and approval of local educational materials guiding managers and kindergarten teachers to implement the Early Childhood Education Program in early childhood education facilities within their provincial/city jurisdiction.

2. Guide, supervise, inspect, and examine the compilation, review, approval, and selection of materials for use in early childhood education facilities for early childhood education facilities, organizations, and individuals within their authority.

3. Handle according to their authority against early childhood education facilities, organizations, and individuals violating the provisions of this Circular.

4. Summarize and report to the Ministry of Education and Training through the Early Childhood Education Department on the situation of reviews, approvals, and materials (incorporated into the annual task report).

1. Guide, supervise, inspect, and implement this Circular for individuals and organizations, early childhood education facilities within their authority.

2. Suspend the use of materials at early childhood education facilities under their authority that violate the provisions of this Circular; report to the competent authority to take timely measures.

3. Handle according to their authority against early childhood education facilities, organizations, and individuals violating the provisions of this Circular.

4. Summarize and report to the Department of Education and Training about the situation of using materials from early childhood education facilities under their management.

1. Organize the selection of materials, report to the competent authority as prescribed in this Circular; report to the Department of Education and Training the results of material selection; be responsible before management agencies, parents/caregivers of children regarding the decision to select materials.

2. Managers, teachers, and staff in early childhood education facilities effectively use selected materials in implementing the Early Childhood Education Program, enhancing the effectiveness of childcare and education activities.

3. Have the responsibility to provide full information about selected materials to parents/caregivers of children.

Article 16. Heads of Early Childhood Education Facilities

1. Be responsible before educational management agencies, parents/caregivers of children regarding the decision to select materials used in the facility.

2. Report to higher-level management agencies about decisions to select materials used, annual procurement plans, and the situation of utilizing materials in their managed facility.

3. Check the situation of using materials, listen to feedback from teachers, parents, caregivers to propose timely corrective measures.

4. Publicize to teachers, staff, parents/caregivers of children about the selected materials used in the managed education facility.

Article 17. Publishers

Organize the compilation and follow the process to publish materials in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Publishing and this Circular.

Chapter V
IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 18. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect from December 21, 2021.

Article 19. Responsibility for Implementation

Directors of Departments of Education and Training; Heads of Departments of Education and Training; heads of early childhood education facilities; Directors of Publishers, relevant organizations, and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular./.