Circular No. 37/2020/TT-BGDĐT on organizing activities, using email, and managing electronic information portals at departments of education and training, educational offices, and preschool, primary, and continuing education institutions.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on organization, operation, use of email and electronic information portals at departments of education and training, educational divisions, and preschool education institutions, general education institutions, and continuing education institutions 

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Pursuant to the Law on Electronic Transactions dated November 29, 2005;

Pursuant to the Law on Information Technology dated June 29, 2006;

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 Decree No. 64/2007/NĐ-CP dated April 10, 2007 of the Government on the application of information technology in the activities of state agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 43/2011/NĐ-CP dated June 13, 2011 of the Government on providing information and public services online on the website or electronic information portal of state agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 72/2013/NĐ-CP dated July 15, 2013 of the Government on management, provision, and use of Internet services and information on networks; Decree No. 27/2018/NĐ-CP amending and supplementing certain articles of Decree No. 72/2013/NĐ-CP dated July 15, 2013 of the Government on management, provision, and use of Internet services and information on networks;

Pursuant to Directive No. 34/2008/CT-TTg dated December 3, 2008 on enhancing the use of email systems in the activities of state agencies state administration;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Information Technology,

The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular regulating the organization, operation, and use of email and electronic information portals at departments of education and training, Bac Lieu Department of Education - Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to collectively as departments of education and training), educational divisions, and preschool education institutions, general education institutions, and continuing education institutions 1. This Circular regulates the organization, operation, and use of email and electronic information portals or websites (hereinafter collectively referred to as electronic information portals) at departments of education and training, Bac Lieu Department of Education - Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to collectively as departments of education and training), educational divisions, and preschool education institutions, general education institutions, and continuing education institutions..

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

1. Electronic information portal is the sole access point for educational management agencies and educational institutions on the network environment, linking and integrating various information channels, services, and applications through which users can exploit and utilize.

2. The main managing unit of the email system and electronic information portal is the educational management agency and educational institution specified in Clause 2 of Article 1 of this Circular (hereinafter referred to as the main managing unit).

3. Head of the unit is the director of the department of education and training, head of the educational division, principal, or person in charge of educational institutions.

5. Email group is a set of email addresses gathered under a common email address where member addresses will receive information sent to the group.

5. An email group is a collection of email addresses gathered under a common email name, where members' addresses receive information sent to the group.

Article 3. General Requirements for Electronic Mail and Online Portal

1. The implementation of electronic mail and online portal must meet the following requirements:

a) Adhere to technical standards on information technology applications as stipulated in Circular No. 39/2017/TT-BTTTT dated December 15, 2017 issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications regarding the list of technical standards on information technology applications in state agencies;

b) The domain name for accessing the electronic mail system and online portal of educational management agencies and educational institutions shall be implemented according to current regulations; additionally, a second-level domain with the format "edu.vn" shall be used as appropriate to specific conditions;

c) Educational management agencies provide member online portals to subordinate educational institutions in accordance with actual conditions.

2. Methods for Implementing the Electronic Mail System and Online Portal

a) Self-invest in implementing the system;

b) Rent information technology services;

c) Utilize provided information technology services.

3. Management Requirements for Electronic Mail and Online Portal

a) Have regulations on managing, operating, and using electronic mail and online portal;

b) Have plans for upgrading and maintenance to meet management requirements, information security, and usage needs.

4. Heads of units ensure the stable operation and maintenance of the electronic mail system and online portal, ensuring information security and personal data protection; they are responsible for information posted on the online portal.

Chapter II

ELECTRONIC MAIL

Article 4. Provision, Management, Operation, and Use of Electronic Mail

1. Electronic mail is a method used to exchange electronic information for work purposes in educational management agencies and educational institutions.

2. Educational management agencies and educational institutions must publicly disclose their electronic mail (including on the online portal) to receive information exchanges and feedback from organizations and individuals in society.

3. Unit heads are responsible for providing free electronic mail to civil servants, employees, workers, and units under their management; provide it to subordinate units in accordance with actual conditions and requirements.

4. Unit heads issue regulations on managing, operating, and using electronic mail, including at least the following contents:

a) Provisions on the provision and administration of electronic mail;

b) Provisions on the use of electronic mail in official transactions;

c) Procedures for handling work through the electronic mail system (including daily checks and processing of information);

d) Provisions on the responsibilities of units and individuals in establishing, maintaining, using, and securing personal and unit electronic mail accounts.

5. Unit heads assign staff members to be responsible for implementing electronic mail.

Article 5. Electronic Mail Groups

1. The Ministry of Education and Training establishes electronic mail groups for sending information to provincial education and training departments, including:

a) Electronic mail group for directors of provincial education and training departments:

[email protected].

b)Electronic mail group for secretaries of provincial education and training departments:

[email protected].

2. Provincial education and training departments are responsible for registering with the Ministry of Education and Training (through the electronic mail of the Department of Information Technology [email protected]) to update the email addresses of directors and secretarial departments of provincial education and training departments into the electronic mail groups specified in Clause 1 of this Article.

3. Educational management agencies establish common electronic mail groups for work purposes in accordance with actual conditions and needs.

Chapter III

ONLINE PORTAL

Article 6. The role of the electronic information portal

1. The electronic information portal of the education management agency and educational institution is an integrated portal for educational information and online public service information within its jurisdiction.

2. Information posted on the electronic information portal of the education management agency and educational institution must be official, complete, accurate, and timely on the internet.

Article 7. Principles for providing information

1. Information provided on the electronic information portal of the education management agency and educational institution must align with the viewpoints, policies, and guidelines of the Party, state policies, and laws.

2. Information provided on the electronic information portal of the education management agency and educational institution must comply with legal regulations concerning cybersecurity, national secrets protection, intellectual property rights, and online information management.

3. When posting, quoting, or reusing information from the electronic information portal of the education management agency and educational institution, the author's information, source of the information, and current state regulations regarding information exploitation must be clearly stated and followed.

Article 8. Main information on the electronic information portal of the education management agency

1. Introduction information:

a) Information about the organizational chart, functions, tasks, and authority of the agency and subordinate units; full name, position, telephone number, email address, and responsibilities of the leadership of the education management agency;

b) Contact, exchange, and clarification of doubts between the education management agency and the public.

2. News and events related to activities and issues under the management of the education management agency.

3. Regulations related to the activities of the education management agency.

4. Information on administrative procedures and online public services including:

a) Information on the provision of online public services implemented according to Decree No. 43/2011/NĐ-CP dated June 13, 2011 of the Government on the provision of information and online public services on the website or electronic information portal of state agencies and Circular No. 32/2017/TT-BTTTT dated November 15, 2017 of the Ministry of Information and Communications on the provision of online public services and ensuring convenient access to the electronic information portal of state agencies;

b) List of online services and online public services;

c) Procedures, formalities, files, places of acceptance, names and transaction information of the direct handlers of the files, deadlines for resolution, fees and charges (if applicable); procedures for online registration and filling out application forms for admission tests and online notification of results.

5. Information for propaganda, dissemination, and guidance on the implementation of laws, systems, and policies.

6. A section for collecting opinions from organizations and individuals including: List of issues requiring opinions; content of the issue seeking opinions; contact addresses and email addresses for receiving opinions and deadlines for receiving opinions.

7. Specific data supporting search, exchange, and sharing of information, ensuring connectivity and integration between systems, and technological compatibility.

8. Statistical yearbook for at least the last five years including statistical data on schools, classes, students, and infrastructure of educational institutions within the management scope.

9. Digital resource page (including digital learning materials, eLearning lectures, e-books, software) shared for use by education managers, teachers, and students in the area; the resource page has a connection to the library resources of the education management agency to the library resources of the Ministry of Education and Training.

10. Information on quality assessment and universal education literacy.

11. Information for searching examination scores and results (including excellent student exams, general vocational exams, graduation exams at various levels).

12. Information for searching about the issuance and certification of diplomas and certificates.

13. Information on projects, investment items, bidding, and public procurement.

14. Information on the online meeting system (web conference) of the Ministry of Education and Training. The education management agency is responsible for contacting the Ministry of Education and Training (through the Department of Information Technology) to receive guidance, support, and implementation.

15. Introduction information, contact information, and online public service information related to foreigners as stipulated in this Article of this Circular in English for reference.

16. Information related to foreign language and computer centers as stipulated in Clause 3, Article 27 of the Regulation on the organization and operation of foreign language and computer centers issued together with Circular No. 21/2018/TT-BGDĐT dated August 24, 2018 of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 9. Main information on the educational institution's website

1. Introduction Information

a) Information about organizational chart, structure, functions, tasks, authorities; summary of formation and development process; full name, position, telephone number, email address, and responsibilities of the educational institution’s leaders;

b) Contact information for communication, exchange, and answering inquiries from the public.

2. News and events related to activities and issues under the management of the educational institution.

3. Regulations relevant to the activities of the educational institution.

4. Information about online admission services for new academic levels (including online registration and form submission, and online result notification).

5. Opinion solicitation section including: List of issues requiring opinions; content of the issue seeking opinions; address, email for receiving opinions and deadline for receiving opinions.

6. Metadata supporting search, exchange, and sharing of information, ensuring interconnectivity and integration between systems, and technological compatibility.

7. Information on transparency for educational institutions and deadlines for posting such information in accordance with Circular No. 36/2017/TT-BGDĐT dated December 28, 2017 issued by the Ministry of Education and Training on implementing transparency for educational institutions and training establishments within the national education system.

8. Admissions information including admissions plan, admissions announcement (which includes information on target groups, admissions quotas, admission methods, conditions, application forms, time, and location of exams), list of candidates admitted.

9. Statistical yearbook for the most recent five years including statistical data on school size, classes, teachers, students, and infrastructure.

10. Digital resource page (including digital learning materials repository, E-learning lectures, e-books, software) shared for educational administrators, teachers, and students of the school; the resource page has links to the educational administration’s digital resource library.

11. Online school management system (if available). It includes modules for managing student records, academic performance and discipline, teacher management, equipment and electronic library management, examination and admissions management.

Article 10. Other Information

In addition to the information stipulated in Articles 8 and 9 of this Circular, educational administrative agencies and educational institutions provide other appropriate information based on specific conditions and needs, including:

2. Information on online learning (E-learning), virtual meeting rooms, and webcasting of conference and seminar sessions.

3. Information on Party organizations, Youth Union, and other mass organizations.

4. Press releases, interview responses, and official statements by educational administrative agencies and educational institutions regarding related issues.

5. Answers to questions from teachers, students, and parents regarding related issues.

6. Scholarships, loan facilities, career counseling, and other support services for students.

7. Public opinion survey section.

Article 11. Management, operation, and use of electronic information gateways

1. The head of the unit shall establish an Editorial Board for the electronic information gateway (operating on a part-time basis); assign a leader within the unit to serve as the head of the Editorial Board.

2. The head of the unit shall issue regulations on the management, operation, and use of the electronic information gateway, which must include at least the following contents:

a) Content posted on the electronic information gateway;

b) Procedures for receiving, processing, editing, updating, and handling information posted on the electronic information gateway;

c) Timeframes for providing and updating information on the electronic information gateway;

d) Responsibilities of units and individuals in providing, compiling, reviewing, and approving content posted on the electronic information gateway;

đ) Regulations on responsibilities for managing and operating technical aspects of the electronic information gateway;

e) Work schedules of members of the Editorial Board.

3. The head of the unit shall assign a subordinate department or staff member to be the focal point for management responsible for coordinating with service providers or independently implementing and ensuring technical operations that maintain stable and secure functioning of the electronic information gateway (registering and managing domain names, adjusting interfaces, managing servers, assigning permissions, creating accounts and passwords, deploying security solutions, and providing technical support and handling).

Article 12. Use of technology and application of technical standards

The electronic information gateway of educational management agencies and educational institutions shall use the following technologies, standards, and technical solutions:

1. Vietnamese Unicode character code set according to standard TCVN 6909:2001 for data storage and information exchange on the electronic information gateway in the Vietnamese version.

2. Technical solutions supporting users accessing the electronic information gateway from mobile devices.

3. Solutions supporting persons with disabilities to access information as prescribed.

4. Solutions providing full-text search tools.

5. Solutions allowing RSS content sharing.

6. Metadata supporting search, exchange, and sharing of information, ensuring interconnectivity and integration between systems, and technological compatibility.

7. Support for new generation Internet addresses IPv6 and DNSSEC consistent with the IPv6 deployment roadmap.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 13. Responsibilities of the Department of Education and Training

2. Incorporate the construction, upgrading, management, and operation of email systems and electronic information gateways into annual work plans.

Article 14. Responsibilities of the District Education and Training Departments

1. The District Education and Training Departments shall be responsible for guiding and implementing organizational activities and use of email and electronic information gateways at their departments and subordinate educational institutions in accordance with this Circular.

2. Incorporate the construction, upgrading, management, and operation of email systems and electronic information gateways into annual work plans.

3. Report on the implementation results of organizational activities and use of email and electronic information gateways as required by the Department of Education and Training.

Article 15. Responsibilities of educational institutions

1. Educational institutions shall be responsible for implementing and using electronic mail and online information portals to ensure transactions, connections, sharing, and public disclosure of information on the internet in accordance with the provisions of this Circular.

2. Incorporate the construction, upgrading, management, and operation of email systems and electronic information gateways into annual work plans.

3. Report the results of organizing activities and using electronic mail and online information portals when requested by the education management agency.

Article 16. Inspection and Evaluation of Electronic Mail Systems and Online Information Portals of Education Management Agencies and Educational Institutions

1. The electronic mail systems and online information portals of education management agencies and educational institutions shall be inspected, evaluated, and ranked periodically or at random according to the requirements of competent state authorities.

2. The inspection and evaluation content includes checking compliance and assessing the degree of implementation of the provisions of this Circular and related legal documents.

3. The Ministry of Education and Training shall organize inspections, evaluations, and rankings of the operation of electronic mail systems and online information portals of provincial education and training departments, and publicly disclose the results on the Ministry's online information portal.

5. District education and training offices shall organize inspections, evaluations, and rankings of the operation of electronic mail systems and online information portals of subordinate educational institutions, and publicly disclose the results on their online information portal.

Article 17. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from November 20, 2020.

2. This Circular replaces Circular No. 53/2012/TT-BGDĐT dated December 20, 2012, issued by the Ministry of Education and Training, which stipulates the organization of activities and use of electronic mail and online information portals at provincial education and training departments, district education and training offices, and preschool, general, and continuing education institutions.

The Director of the Office, the Director of the Department of Information Technology under the Ministry of Education and Training, the Heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training, the Directors of provincial education and training departments, the Heads of district education and training offices, and the Heads of educational institutions are responsible for enforcing this Circular./.