Hanoi Announces New Criteria for Principal Appointments Amid School Restructuring

Hanoi has announced six new criteria for appointing school principals as part of its public school restructuring initiative. This move, detailed in a directive from the Hanoi People's Committee sent to the Department of Education and Training and local authorities on July 21, aims to streamline management and optimize educational resources. Under the new model, restructured schools will operate with a multi-campus structure, where each existing school becomes a campus. Each school will have one principal, while each campus will have one vice-principal. The six common criteria for principal selection are: 1. Possessing strong ethical qualities, outstanding professional and managerial capabilities, credibility, responsibility, and dedication to the job, meeting the demands of the new era. 2. Having a higher level of professional training that aligns with the function, tasks, and developmental scale of the school post-restructuring. 3. Demonstrating excellent governance, the ability to unite and build a strong, cohesive unit, and achieving notable successes in management and professional work. 4. Being within an appropriate age range for the management team's structure at the local level, with a remaining service period of at least 36 months, barring exceptional circumstances. 5. Showing potential for higher positions, having been earmarked for future leadership roles, and possessing the capacity and direction for development. 6. Having been evaluated as successfully completing duties or better for three consecutive years. Principals will primarily be selected from the current pool of principals. If this group does not meet the standards or voluntarily resigns, vice-principals will be considered for the roles. Surplus principals from the restructuring may be appointed as vice-principals or in other suitable positions, following a similar appointment process. These individuals will continue to receive allowances based on their former positions for at least six months. Teachers and staff will largely remain in their current roles. Teachers with insufficient teaching hours will be assigned to teach across multiple campuses to meet their quotas. Each school will have a maximum of two accountants and one administrative officer. Each campus will be staffed with one librarian, one laboratory/equipment technician, and one medical staff member. Surplus personnel will continue their duties until the end of the year to ensure a smooth handover; those with suitable qualifications may be considered for teaching positions. Hanoi's restructuring aligns with the national policy to consolidate public school networks. The goal is to ensure at least one kindergarten, primary, and junior high school per commune or ward, reducing administrative units by at least 50% without diminishing the number of classes or students' learning opportunities. For high schools, the existing 124 institutions will remain, with ongoing efforts to increase class sizes and enhance facilities to meet student demand. The restructuring is expected to be completed by July 26, with leadership and management appointments finalized by August 10. Source: VnExpress