Circular No. 33/2018/TT-BGDĐT guiding social work in schools

CIRCULAR

HGuidelines for social work in schools

BASED ON THE CHILDREN LAW dated April 5, 2016;

Based on the Education Law dated June 14, 2005; the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Articles of the Education Law dated November 25, 2009;

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 a safe, healthy, friendly educational environment, and prevention and control of school violence;

CamendBased on Decision No. 32/2010/QD-TTg dated March 25, 2010 of the Prime Minister approving the Project on Developing Social Work Profession for the period 2010-2020;

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 social work in schools.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

Article 1. This Circular guides the principles, contents, and responsibilities for implementing social work in schools.

Article 2. This Circular applies to preschool education institutions, general education institutions, vocational training centers - regular education centers, specialized schools, educational institutions with foreign investment or joint training programs with foreign countries in Vietnam having students under 18 years old (hereinafter referred to collectively as educational institutions); relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Article 2. Purpose of social work in schools

Point 1. Enhance knowledge and skills for students to resolve their own difficulties, stress, temporary psychological crises, and to develop their learning potential and capabilities. Protect students from risks of harm, violence, and social evils, prevent dropout rates, and violations of the law.

Point 2. Raise awareness and skills of parents or guardians of students in understanding, sharing, and accompanying students. Support administrative staff, teachers, and employees in educational institutions to enhance their knowledge and skills regarding social work in schools.

Point 3. Connect community resources to participate and collaborate with educational institutions to promote social work activities in schools.

Article 3. Principles of implementing social work in schools

Point 1. Maintain confidentiality of personal information of students, sharing of information must be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Point 2. Respect individual characteristics, personality traits, qualities, and circumstances of students, placing students at the center of assistance activities.

Point 3. Listen to the opinions of students and create opportunities for students to participate maximally in discussions on solutions to their own issues.

Point 4. Ensure that all decisions made are carefully considered for the best interests of students without infringing upon the lawful rights and interests of others.

Point 5. Ensure equal, objective, and standardized relationships between students and those involved in social work in schools.

Article 4. Contents of social work in schools

Point 1. Identify risks within and outside educational institutions that negatively impact students; identify cases involving students with special circumstances, abuse, violent behavior, dropout, or law violations.

Point 2. Organize preventive activities to limit the risk of students falling into special circumstances, abuse, violence, dropout, or law violations.

Point 3. Implement intervention and support procedures for students with special circumstances, abuse, violence, dropout, or law violations.

Point 4. Coordinate with families, local authorities, and community social service providers to implement emergency interventions and support for students requiring urgent intervention or teachers and students needing intervention and support.

Point 5. Organize activities to support development and integration into the community for students after intervention or for students, teachers, and parents needing support for development and community integration.

Article 5. Review and identify risks

1. Review, gather information, understand the thoughts, wishes, family circumstances, and unusual phenomena of students. Proactively identify students with special circumstances, at risk of falling into special situations, frequently absent from school, at risk of dropping out, being harmed, subjected to violence, or violating the law.

2. Establish a system for receiving information from educational institutions such as suggestion boxes, hotlines, or other forms of using information technology to receive cases that may cause harm to students.

Article 6. Prevention

1. Promote, disseminate, warn, and guide students about situations and risks of falling into special circumstances, being harmed, subjected to violence, dropping out, or violating the law. Actively cooperate with press, radio, television, and other mass media to promote and mobilize the community and society to promptly reflect information on cases related to students and participate in building a safe and healthy school environment.

2. Guide students, parents or guardians of students, teachers, and managers of educational institutions to use support services from educational institutions, the National Child Protection Hotline at number 111, Social Work Centers at various levels, or social work service units in the community.

3. Provide information, materials, and equip parents or guardians of students, teachers with knowledge, skills, and methods to detect cases where students are at risk of falling into special circumstances, at risk of dropping out, experiencing stress, crisis, at risk of being harmed, subjected to violence, and the responsibility to report and coordinate to resolve issues together with educational institutions.

Article 7. Intervention and Assistance

1. Receive notifications and conduct initial assessments

a) Teachers and staff assigned to advise on implementing social work in schools receive notifications and conduct initial assessments of the support needs of students;

Prepare a detailed report on receiving information according to Form No. 01 issued along with this Circular.

b) Teachers and staff assigned to advise on implementing social work in schools exchange views and seek opinions from students and relevant parties to verify information about incidents. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the support needs of students based on the level and risk of harm;

Prepare a detailed report on assessing the level, risk of harm, and needs of students according to Form No. 02 issued along with this Circular.

c) Determine intervention and assistance measures

Based on the results of verification and assessment of student needs, the Head of the Educational Institution decides on intervention and assistance measures for students.

2. For interventions and assistance within the educational institution

a) Teachers and staff assigned to advise on implementing social work in schools develop an intervention and assistance plan based on the comprehensive assessment of incidents or student needs, determine objectives and intervention activities for students;

Prepare an intervention assistance plan for students within the educational institution according to Form No. 03 issued along with this Circular.

b) Approve the Intervention Assistance Plan

After receiving the Intervention Assistance Plan for students, the Head of the Educational Institution has the responsibility to approve it within a period not exceeding three working days.

c) Implement the Intervention Assistance Plan for Students

Teachers and staff assigned to advise on implementing social work in schools take the lead and coordinate with students, families of students, and relevant parties to implement intervention and assistance activities for students according to the plan approved by the Head of the Educational Institution. Monitor and supervise the implementation of intervention and assistance activities and make timely adjustments if necessary.

d) Review and assess risks after intervention and assistance for students

Teachers and staff assigned to advise on implementing social work in schools assess the status and risks of students being harmed after intervention and assistance, draw conclusions about the current status of students and the risk of harm after implementing intervention and assistance measures. Report on reviewing and assessing the status of students after intervention and assistance according to Form No. 04 issued along with this Circular;

If students no longer suffer harm or are at risk of harm, report to the Head of the Educational Institution to conclude the intervention and assistance process;

If students still suffer harm or are at risk of harm, continue intervention and assistance or develop a new intervention and assistance plan appropriate to the situation of the students.

3. For interventions and assistance in the community

a) In cases where students are harmed, subjected to violence, or other incidents with complexity beyond the intervention and support capacity of the educational institution

The educational institution shall transfer or refer to one of the following agencies: People's Committee of the commune; National Child Protection Hotline at number 111; Public Security Agency of the commune; Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs of the district; Social Work Center of the province, city, or social work service centers at the district level in the locality;

The educational institution shall contact directly with the National Child Protection Hotline at number 111 to receive guidance or issue a letter transferring or referring the case of the student to relevant agencies within a period not exceeding twelve hours from the time of receipt of notification;

Teachers and staff assigned to advise on implementing social work in schools shall cooperate with the unit receiving students to provide support, monitor, and supervise the reception, intervention, and assistance process to ensure suitability with the needs of the students.

b) In cases where students drop out or are at risk of dropping out due to cultural, religious, migration, or difficult family economic circumstances beyond the support capacity of the educational institution

The educational institution shall notify directly or report in writing to the People's Committee of the commune where the student resides to provide support and mobilize the student to return to school or implement management solutions at the local level.

Article 8. Support for Development

1. Teachers and staff assigned to be the main liaison for implementing social work activities in schools

a) Coordinate with teachers and child protection officers at the commune level to support students to participate equally in activities at educational institutions and in the community after completing the intervention and assistance process;

b) Update and provide information on relevant laws and social policies to students, teachers, and staff within educational institutions, as well as parents or guardians, to assist students in accessing social support systems;

c) Advise the head of the educational institution to establish and develop social work services in schools that meet the needs of students;

d) Advise the head of the educational institution to propose recommendations to competent authorities regarding policies related to students and promote the implementation of students' rights.

2. Encourage educational institutions to proactively build partnerships between schools and local agencies and enterprises, mobilize resources to support students with special circumstances, and support teachers in social work activities at educational institutions.

Article 9. Responsibilities of Units under the Ministry of Education and Training

1. Department of Political Education and Student Affairs

a) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant units to direct the organization and implementation, inspection, and supervision of this Circular's implementation in localities and educational institutions;

b) Coordinate with units under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to guide local service providers on social work, develop plans for collaboration and organize social work activities for educational institutions in the area;

c) Take the lead and coordinate with training institutions in the field of social work to organize the development and review of specialized training materials on social work in schools for staff, teachers, and employees in educational institutions;

d) Organize summaries and evaluations of social work activities in schools to promptly amend and supplement regulations as appropriate.

2. Departments of Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education, and Continuing Education shall cooperate with the Department of Political Education and Student Affairs to integrate social work content into training programs aimed at enhancing the capacity of staff and teachers in educational institutions.

3. The General Department of Teachers and Educational Management shall take the lead and direct localities to update the content of training and professional development for part-time teachers assigned as liaisons for implementing social work in schools into the overall plan of the sector.

Article 10. Responsibilities of People's Committees at all levels

1. Direct local agencies and sectors to actively and proactively collaborate with educational institutions in their areas to address cases where students are subjected to violence, abuse, dropout, or are at risk of dropping out due to cultural, religious, migration, or economic family difficulties beyond the support capacity of the educational institution.

2. Organize inspections and督促各地方部门和单位积极与学校合作，按照分级管理的要求开展学校社会工作活动。

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

1. Take the lead and advise People's Committees at all levels to direct the establishment of mechanisms for coordination between educational management agencies, educational institutions, and labor, social affairs, and social work centers, as well as other local social service providers to support social work activities in schools and to accept cases of students transferred or referred for external school services.

2. Direct, organize the implementation, and guide the inspection and supervision of the implementation of this Circular at educational institutions under their jurisdiction.

3. Coordinate with labor, social affairs, and financial agencies at the same level to advise local authorities on the development and implementation of policies and benefits for staff assigned to advise on the implementation of social work in schools, in accordance with the socio-economic conditions of the locality.

Article 12. Responsibilities of Heads of Educational Institutions

1. Develop plans to implement the contents prescribed in this Circular and create conditions for staff within educational institutions to participate in training and upgrading their professional skills related to social work in schools.

2. Be responsible for implementing social work in schools, allocate personnel to concurrently serve as advisors for the implementation of social work in schools. For non-public educational institutions and those capable of self-financing, they may hire dedicated staff to implement social work in schools based on the institution's conditions.

3. Ensure the necessary conditions for the implementation of social work activities in schools.

4. Collaborate and support social work training institutions to organize practical training, internships, and professional experience exchanges on social work in schools.

Article 13. Responsibilities of Staff, Teachers, and Employees in Educational Institutions

1. Staff, teachers assigned to advise on the implementation of social work in schools shall be responsible for leading and coordinating the implementation of social work activities in schools according to the authority defined in this Circular.

2. Teachers, employees, and staff in educational institutions have the responsibility to identify and report to the head of the educational institution or inform staff assigned to advise on the implementation of social work in schools about cases of students with special circumstances, subjected to violence, abuse, dropping out, law violations, or other risks, and closely cooperate with staff assigned to advise on the implementation of social work in schools to carry out preventive, intervention, and assistance activities for students in educational institutions.

Article 14. Responsibilities of Parent-Student Representative Councils

1. Collaborate with class teachers, subject teachers, and parents of students to identify and receive information about cases of students with special circumstances, subjected to violence, abuse, dropping out, or law violations. Proactively propose and collaborate with educational institutions to organize preventive activities for students.

2. Actively participate and collaborate with staff assigned to advise on the implementation of social work in schools to engage in intervention and assistance activities for students in educational institutions and the community when requested by the educational institution.

3. Assign responsibilities to members of the Parent-Student Representative Council to collaborate with educational institutions in activities supporting student development.

Article 15. Responsibilities of Youth Union and Young Pioneers organizations in educational institutions

1. Guide members to actively play their role in self-management and participate in social work activities at schools.

2. Proactively establish clubs, groups, and teams for social work with core members being Youth Union and Young Pioneer members within the school and classes to assist students with special circumstances to equally participate in educational activities at educational institutions and in the community.

Article 16. Responsibilities of students in educational institutions

1. Actively identify and report to teachers and staff designated to advise on the implementation of social work in schools or other teachers and staff within the institution regarding cases of students with special circumstances, who have been harmed, engaged in violent behavior, dropped out of school, violated laws, or other issues related to teachers and students.

2. Actively participate in preventive, intervention, and assistance activities for students with special circumstances, who have been harmed, subjected to violence, bullied, dropped out of school, or violated laws.

3. Proactively update knowledge and enhance personal protection skills, knowledge, and skills to prevent dangerous situations. Have the responsibility to report to parents or teachers and staff designated to advise on the implementation of social work in schools, and other staff within the institution about personal issues and difficulties.

Article 17. Responsibilities of training institutions for social work majors

1. Participate in developing materials and cooperate with departments of education and training to organize training and seminars to improve the capacity of social work in schools for staff, teachers, and employees in educational institutions.

2. Coordinate with educational institutions to arrange for social work major students to practice, intern, and exchange professional experience in social work.

Article 18. Recommendations for social organizations

1. Mobilize members of the organization and society to participate and support social work activities in schools to maintain a safe, healthy, friendly, and non-violent educational environment.

2. Organize connections, information collection, and recommendations from social organizations and students to be submitted to state agencies for advice and consultation in building policies related to students and promoting the exercise of student rights.

Article 19. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from February 10, 2019.

2. Provincial People's Committees, Departments of Education and Training, social organizations, and relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training are responsible for implementing this Circular.