Allow the establishment of private specialized high schools

The above content is stipulated in Decree 125 recently issued by the Government, regulating investment and operation conditions in the education sector in the new period, replacing Decree 46 of 2017.

The new decree allows the opening of private specialized high schools when they ensure the same operating conditions as public specialized high schools. These schools must have educational programs, teaching and learning materials, and a team of managers, teachers, and staff that meet the standards of specialized schools.

Currently, the country has 70 specialized high schools under provincial authority and 8 specialized and gifted high schools under universities. Of which, there is only 1 private gifted high school under Tan Tao University, Long An province.

Decree 125 also contains notable content on the conditions for establishing preschool and general education facilities. Accordingly, schools in the inner city areas of special-class urban areas can replace the land area for school construction with the construction floor area.

The Ministry of Education and Training explained that in new urban areas, densely populated areas are facing school overload, while the land area for building educational facilities in these areas is increasingly limited. Decree 125 adds this provision to partly overcome the limitations of lack of schools and classes in urban areas with high population density, especially Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, to ensure the principle of the State treating investors equally, without distinguishing between domestic and foreign investors, Decree 125 stipulates that the investment capital for domestic preschool and general education institutions is equivalent to that of preschool and general education institutions with foreign investment.

Specific regulations on capital levels to ensure school operations aim to ensure that educational institutions have sufficient financial resources to organize educational activities as well as maintain and develop school operations.

Decree No. 125 also stipulates the conditions, authority, and procedures for establishing a number of new types of continuing education institutions according to the provisions of the 2019 Law on Education.