Circular No. 36/2013/TT-BGDĐT Amending and Supplementing Certain Articles of the Provision on Conditions, Standards, and Procedures for Recognizing Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children issued together with Circular No. 32/2010/TT-BGDĐT dated December 2, 2010, of the Minister of Education and Training

CIRCULAR

Amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Regulations on Conditions, Standards, and Procedures for Recognizing Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Childrenissued together with Circular No. 32/2010/TT-BGDĐT dated December 2, 2010 of the Minister of Education and TrainingPursuant to Decision No. 239/QĐ-TTg dated February 9, 2010 of the Prime Minister approving the Project on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children for the period 2010-2015;At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Early Childhood Education,

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

Pursuant to Decree No. 36/2012/NĐ-CP dated April 18, 2012, of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of Ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 32/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 19, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Regulations on Conditions, Standards, and Procedures for Recognizing Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children issued together with Circular No. 32/2010/TT-BGDĐT dated December 2, 2010 of the Minister of Education and Training.

Amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Regulations on Conditions, Standards, and Procedures for Recognizing Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children (PCGDMN TNT) issued together with Circular No. 32/2010/TT-BGDĐT dated December 2, 2010 of the Minister of Education and Training, as follows:

1. Clause 1 and Clause 2 of Article 6 are amended and supplemented as follows:

Article 1. "1. For individuals, children recognized as meeting the standard for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children must complete the Early Childhood Education Program (kindergarten 5-6 years old) issued by the Ministry of Education and Training before turning six years old; children who complete the Early Childhood Education Program (kindergarten 5-6 years old) are those who attend school for two sessions per day for a full academic year (nine months) according to the Early Childhood Education Program (kindergarten 5-6 years old) issued by the Ministry of Education and Training, with no more than 45 days of absence.

2. For units, the unit recognized as meeting the standard for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children must meet the following criteria:

a) Children

- Enroll at least 95% of five-year-old children in classes, of which at least 90% of children in the age group complete the Early Childhood Education Program (kindergarten 5-6 years old);

- Attendance rate of children reaches 90% or higher;

- The rate of malnutrition (underweight and stunted) is below 10%. In particularly difficult areas, mountainous regions, and islands:

- Enroll at least 90% of five-year-old children in classes, of which at least 80% of children in the age group complete the Early Childhood Education Program (kindergarten 5-6 years old); 100% of minority kindergarten five-year-olds attend preparatory Vietnamese language classes before entering first grade;

- Attendance rate of children reaches 80% or higher;

- The rate of malnutrition (underweight and stunted) does not exceed 15%.

b) Teachers - 100% of teachers enjoy benefits according to current regulations;

- The number of teachers teaching the five-year-old class meets the current regulations;

- 100% of teachers teaching the five-year-old class have met or exceeded the required educational qualifications, of which at least 50% have exceeded the standard.

c) Infrastructure

- The number of classrooms (nursery care and education rooms) meets the ratio of 1 classroom per class (group);

- Classrooms for the five-year-old class are built solidly or semi-solidly; the common room has a minimum area of 1.5 square meters per child. In particularly difficult areas, classrooms ensure safety, ventilation in summer, warmth in winter, sufficient lighting; the common room has a minimum area of 1.5 square meters per child;

- 100% of five-year-old classes have sufficient toys and equipment as prescribed;

- The school is green, clean, and beautiful; it has clean water and drainage systems; it has a kitchen; sanitary facilities are adequate and meet requirements; playgrounds have outdoor toys."

"Article 8. Time for inspection and recognition

1. Units organize self-inspection and propose recognition in April, district-level units organize inspection and propose recognition in May, provincial-level units organize inspection and propose recognition before October each year;

4. Having been awarded the title "Outstanding Artist" and subsequently meeting one of the following criteria:

2. The Ministry of Education and Training organizes inspection and recognition based on the proposal of the People's Committee (PC) of the province."

3. Clause 2 and Clause 3 of Article 9 are amended and supplemented as follows:
"2. Inspect files and related documents; 3. Inspect the actual results of implementing Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children, conditions ensuring quality childcare, education of children; observe classes (for district-level inspections of commune-level units); compare census data with actual conditions. If necessary, inspections can be conducted at households."

"Article 10. Recognition File for Meeting the Standard for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children

1. File of the unit

4. Article 10 shall be amended and supplemented as follows:

a) Survey form for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education (Annex I);
b) Record book for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education (Annex II) and record book for children in the age group transferring in and out, with disabilities (if any);
c) List of children completing the Early Childhood Education Program (kindergarten 5-6 years old);
d) Report on the process and results of Universal Access to Early Childhood Education; accompanied by statistical tables on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education (Annex III);
đ) Inspection report; Inspection report of the district level for commune-level units;
e) Number of files: 01 set.
2. File of the district/provincial level unit
a) Report on the process and results of Universal Access to Early Childhood Education, accompanied by statistical tables on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education (Annex III) compiled from early childhood education units at the commune level (for district-level units), compiled from district-level units and accompanied by statistics of each district-level unit (for provincial-level units);
b) Recognition file for meeting the standard for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children of commune-level units (for district-level units), of district-level units (for provincial-level units);
c) Decision recognizing the standard for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children of the People's Committee of the district for commune-level units, of the Provincial People's Committee for district-level units;
d) Inspection report on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education of the inspection team for commune-level units (if at the district level), for district-level units (if at the provincial level);đ) Number of files: 01 set."
"Article 11. Recognition Procedure
1. For units

5. Article 11 is amended and supplemented as follows:

a) The unit conducts self-inspection and evaluation of the results of Universal Access to Early Childhood Education, prepares an inspection report;
b) After self-evaluation according to the standards specified for the unit, if the standards are met, the People's Committee of the commune prepares a file to request the People's Committee of the district to inspect and recognize the commune as meeting the standard for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children.
2. For district-level units
a) Within seven working days from the date of receipt of complete and valid files requesting recognition of Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for Five-Year-Old Children from the unit, the People's Committee of the district shall organize a review of the files and notify the results of the review in writing to the unit."
2. For the district-level units
a) Within seven working days from the date of receiving complete and valid applications for recognition of PCGDMNTNT from the grassroots units, the People's Committee at the district level shall organize the examination of the application and notify the result of such examination in writing to the grassroots units;
b) Establish a verification team consisting of representatives from the Department of Education and Training, the Department of Planning and Finance, the Civil Service Department, the Association for Promoting Learning, and the Women's Union; organize inspections, prepare inspection records, if the standards are met, issue a decision recognizing the basic units as meeting the standards;
c) After self-assessing according to the standards prescribed for the district level, if the standards are met, the People's Committee of the district shall prepare a file requesting the People's Committee of the province to inspect and recognize the district as meeting the standards for universal preschool education;
3. For provincial-level units
a) Within 14 (fourteen) working days from the date of receiving complete and valid files requesting recognition of universal preschool education, the Provincial People's Committee shall organize the examination of the files and notify the results of the examination in writing to the district-level units;
b) Establish a verification team consisting of representatives from the Department of Education and Training, the Department of Finance, the Department of Planning and Investment, the Civil Service Department, the Association for Promoting Learning, and the Women's Union; organize inspections at 100% of district-level units and at least 1/3 of basic units in each district according to the principle of representative sampling; prepare inspection records, if the standards are met, issue a decision recognizing the district-level units as meeting the standards;
c) After self-assessing according to the standards prescribed for the provincial level, if the standards are met, the Provincial People's Committee shall prepare a file requesting the Ministry of Education and Training to inspect and recognize the provincial level as meeting the standards for universal preschool education;
4. The Ministry of Education and Training
a) Within 20 (twenty) working days from the date of receiving complete and valid files, the Ministry of Education and Training shall organize the examination of the files requesting recognition of universal preschool education of the provincial-level units and notify the results of the examination in writing to the provincial-level units;
b) Establish a verification team including representatives from the Early Childhood Education Division, the School Infrastructure and Equipment Bureau and Children's Toys Bureau, the Planning and Finance Division, the Teachers and Educational Institution Management Bureau; organize inspections at the provincial-level unit according to the principle of representative sampling, at least half of the district-level units, and 2-3 commune-level units in each district-level unit to be inspected, prepare inspection records;
c) Issue a decision recognizing the provincial-level unit as meeting the standards.
5. Annually, basic units, district-level units, and provincial-level units shall organize self-inspections, recognitions, and data updates on universal preschool education to take measures to improve the quality of universal preschool education, ensuring conditions for maintaining and sustaining the development of preschool education under five years old, report to the competent authority. The Ministry of Education and Training will conduct surprise inspections when necessary. 6. For units that have been recognized as meeting the standards, if they fail to maintain the results of universal preschool education for two consecutive years, their names will be removed from the list of units that have met the standards. Recognition must be carried out as with units being inspected for the first time.

Article 2. This Circular takes effect from December 20, 2013. For units that have conducted inspections and completed files requesting recognition of universal preschool education and submitted them to the Ministry of Education and Training before this Circular takes effect, they shall still follow Circular No. 32/2010/TT-BGDĐT dated December 2, 2010, issued by the Minister of Education and Training.

Article 3. The Director of the Ministry's Office, the Heads of the Planning and Finance Division, the Early Childhood Education Division, the heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training, the Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities, and the Directors of Departments of Education and Training are responsible for implementing this Circular./.