Circular No. 31/2017/TT-BGDĐT guides the implementation of psychological counseling work for students in general education schools.

CIRCULAR

GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING SERVICES FOR STUDENTS IN GENERAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS

Pursuant to Decree No. 123/2016/NĐ-CP dated September 1, 2016 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of Ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

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;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 80/2017/NĐ-CP dated July 17, 2017 on creating a safe, healthy, friendly educational environment and preventing school violence;No.về bạo lực học đường;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister's Decision No. 1501/QĐ-TTg dated August 28, 2015 approving the Project "Strengthening Revolutionary Ideological Education, Morality, and Civic Education for Youth, Teenagers, and Children during the Period of 2015-2020";No.ãNo.về thanh niên, thiếu niên và nhi đồng giai đoạn 2015 - 2020";

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Political Education and Student Affairs;

The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular guiding the implementation of psychological counseling services for students in general education schools., amended and supplemented by Decree No. 109/2025/NĐ-CP and Decree No. 193/2025/NĐ-CP thông.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

1. This Circular stipulates the purpose, principles, contents, forms, conditions for ensuring, and organization of implementing psychological counseling services for students in general education schools.

2. This Circular applies to students, management staff, teachers, psychological counselors, personnel of primary, lower secondary, upper secondary, regular education institutions, vocational education institutions offering supplementary lower secondary and upper secondary programs (collectively referred to as general education schools), and related agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

1. Psychological counseling for students is the provision of psychological support to help students enhance their understanding of themselves, family circumstances, social relationships, thereby increasing positive emotions and making decisions in difficult situations encountered while studying at school.

2. Psychological consultation for students involves interaction, psychological assistance, and intervention (if necessary) by counselors and teachers with students facing difficulties in learning, family circumstances, relationships with others, or self-perception, thereby increasing positive emotions and making choices and implementing decisions in those situations.

Article 3. Purpose of psychological counseling services for students

1. To prevent, support, and intervene (when necessary) for students experiencing psychological difficulties in learning and life, finding appropriate solutions, reducing negative impacts that may occur, contributing to building a safe, healthy, friendly educational environment, and preventing and combating school violence.

2. To assist students in developing life skills, strengthening willpower, confidence, resilience, and appropriate attitudes in social relationships, enhancing physical and mental health, contributing to shaping and perfecting personality.

Article 4. Principles of Implementation

1. Ensuring close cooperation among forces within the school and the participation of parents or legal guardians of students (collectively referred to as parents of students) and related external forces in student psychological counseling activities.

2. Ensuring students' rights to participate voluntarily, autonomously, and independently in psychological counseling activities and confidentiality of information according to the law.

Chapter II

CONTENTS AND FORMS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING SERVICES FOR STUDENTS

Article 5. Content

1. Age-appropriate, gender-specific, marriage, family, and adolescent reproductive health counseling.

2. Counseling and education on cultural behavior skills, prevention of violence, abuse, and construction of a safe, healthy, friendly educational environment.

3. Counseling to enhance coping abilities and problem-solving skills in family relationships, teacher-student relationships, peer relationships, and other social relationships.

4. Counseling on effective study skills and career guidance (depending on grade level).

5. Psychological consultation for students encountering difficulties requiring timely support, intervention, and resolution. Introducing and supporting students to seek treatment from specialized facilities and experts for cases of psychological disorders beyond the school's counseling capacity.

Article 6. Forms of Implementation

1. Developing special topics on psychological counseling for students and arranging them as separate lectures or integrating them into class activities, flag-raising ceremonies. Organizing integrated teaching of psychological counseling content within core subjects and experiential activities, extracurricular educational activities.

2. Organizing specialized talks, extracurricular activities, clubs, forums on topics related to the content that needs to be counseled for students.

3. Establishing information channels, providing materials, and regularly exchanging with parents about the psychological development and issues requiring counseling and support for students.

4. Providing individual counseling, group counseling, direct counseling in the counseling room; online counseling through internal networks, school websites, emails, social media, telephones, and other communication means.

5. Cooperating with relevant organizations and individuals to organize psychological counseling activities for students.

Article 7. Coordination Work in Psychological Counseling

1. Coordination within the school

Staff members responsible for psychological counseling for students must closely coordinate with class advisors, overall leaders of the Youth Union, Secretaries of the Communist Youth Union Ho Chi Minh, subject teachers, and other educational forces within the school when implementing psychological counseling activities for students.

2. Coordination between the school and external forces

a) Coordination with parents of students: Regularly exchanging information about students; raising parents' awareness about the characteristics of age-specific psychological development and their impact on students; regularly paying attention, identifying, and promptly taking appropriate measures to support any abnormal manifestations of students.

b) Coordination with specialists, professional psychological counseling centers, healthcare facilities, judicial agencies, and legal protection bodies for psychological therapy and timely handling of cases requiring deep intervention for students.

c) Coordination with agencies and organizations specializing in educational psychology, teacher training institutions meeting the required conditions, experts, and scientists to train teachers and counselors in knowledge, skills, and appropriate attitudes necessary for conducting psychological counseling work in schools.

d) Coordination with the Communist Youth Union Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh Pioneer Youth Organization, and other political-social organizations to organize psychological counseling activities.

e) Coordination with individuals, agencies, and organizations with relevant functions to organize psychological counseling activities suitable to the needs of students and the educational requirements of the school.

Chapter III

CONDITIONS TO ENSURE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDENT PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING WORK

Article 8. Organizations and Personnel

1. The school establishes a Student Counseling and Support Team and arranges part-time staff and teachers to carry out psychological counseling work for students. The Student Counseling and Support Team consists of: A representative from school leadership serving as the Team Leader; members include part-time staff and teachers responsible for psychological counseling, school health personnel, personnel in charge of Youth and Pioneer work, representatives of student parents, and some students who are class officers, Youth and Pioneer officers.

2. Part-time staff and teachers responsible for counseling must have experience and be trained in professional counseling skills (holding a certificate in school psychological counseling according to the program issued by the Ministry of Education and Training). Part-time teachers engaged in psychological counseling work are entitled to reduced teaching hours according to regulations set by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 9. Material and financial resources

1. The school shall arrange a separate counseling room (for primary schools, this may be a counseling corner depending on the scale and conditions of the school) to ensure privacy, confidentiality, easy access, and suitability for organizing counseling activities; equip necessary material facilities, equipment, materials, and learning resources to ensure the fulfillment of counseling tasks.

2. The funding for psychological counseling work shall be sourced from:

a) The regular expenditure of the school;

b) Donations and support from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals in accordance with the provisions of the law;

c) Other legitimate sources of income.

3. The funds allocated for psychological counseling work shall be managed and utilized for their intended purposes in accordance with the regulations stipulated by the law.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 10. Responsibilities of the School Principal

1. Establish a Student Counseling Support Team; define its functions, duties, coordination mechanisms, directives, and develop plans and organize psychological counseling activities for students.

2. Conduct surveys, establish initial psychological data for new entrants; classify, monitor, and regularly update the characteristics and developments of students' psychology.

3. Summarize, conclude, and report to the direct supervisory management authority annually.

Article 11. Responsibilities of Departments of Education and Training, District Offices of Education and Training

1. Direct and organize the implementation of this Circular at schools under their jurisdiction.

2. Guide, inspect, and supervise psychological counseling work at schools under their jurisdiction.

3. Study and advise local People's Committees on relevant policies and systems to support and motivate teachers and staff who concurrently perform psychological counseling work, in line with the socio-economic conditions of the locality.

4. Regularly organize professional training and workshops on student psychological counseling work for concurrently employed teachers, full-time counselors, and other members involved in psychological counseling within the school.

5. Organize summaries, conclusions, and reports to the direct supervisory management authority annually or submit ad hoc reports on the implementation of this Circular at schools under their jurisdiction.

Article 12. Responsibilities of Units under the Ministry of Education and Training

1. The Department of Political Education and Student Affairs shall take the lead, coordinate with related units to advise on directing the implementation, inspection, and supervision of the implementation of this Circular by provincial education and training departments in conjunction with annual political education and student affairs tasks; periodically organize summaries and conclusions on student psychological counseling work in general education schools. Lead and coordinate with the Department of Teachers and Educational Management to direct and inspect the training and issuance of certificates for professional training in school psychological counseling.

2. The Departments of Primary Education, Secondary Education, and Continuing Education shall coordinate with related units to guide the integration of counseling content for students into school subjects and educational activities and other issues related to this Circular within their jurisdiction.

3. The Department of Teachers and Educational Management shall take the lead, coordinate with related agencies to develop training programs for teachers performing student psychological counseling work in general education schools.

Article 13. Responsibilities of higher education institutions that train majors in educational psychology sciences

1. Organize surveys and develop training plans, teaching contents on psychological counseling work for students to effectively meet the needs of localities and educational institutions.

2. Develop materials and organize training, issue certificates for training in vocational skills on school psychological counseling for staff and teachers of general schools if they meet the required conditions.

Article 14. Effectiveness and Responsibility for Implementation

1. This Circular takes effect from February 2, 2018.

2. Provincial People's Committees, city People's Committees directly under the Central Government, Departments of Education and Training, higher education institutions that train majors in educational psychology sciences, and relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.