According to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), the process of drafting the Law on Teachers began many years ago, with substantial progress made since 2018. From 2018 to 2021, the Ministry conducted in-depth research to support the proposal for the law, engaging a wide range of experts both inside and outside the education sector to review existing legislation, survey real-world practices, and consult international experiences.
From late 2021 to mid-2024, nearly four more years were spent developing the official proposal for the law, marking a formal legal step forward. The drafting and approval process was completed in just one year - a timeline that required the Ministry to mobilise maximum effort and work with urgency and seriousness.
According to Director of the Department of Teachers and Education Administrators Vu Minh Duc (under the MoET), this is the first time in history that the National Assembly has enacted a standalone law fully defining the position, role, rights, responsibilities, and policies applicable to teachers who are considered the cornerstone of the country’s education system.
The Law on Teachers serves as concrete evidence of the Party and State’s overarching commitment to honouring, supporting, protecting, and developing the teaching workforce. It also reflects strong political will in the fundamental and comprehensive reform of education and training.
The law is the result of tight coordination and unified support from central to local levels, representing the collective wisdom, responsibility, and dedication of many agencies, organisations, and individuals. It not only meets the expectations of educators but also receives broad support from voters and citizens nationwide.
To ensure the law's effectiveness from January 1, 2026, within six months of its passage, the MoET will submit three decrees to the government and issue 12 circulars under its jurisdiction. These subordinate regulations will address key issues such as working conditions, salary and allowances, professional standards, codes of conduct, professional titles, and recruitment rights.
Additionally, the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security will issue their own circulars covering teachers within the armed forces. The guiding documents will play a crucial role in ensuring the law's practical feasibility, while anticipating the evolving demands of education in the digital transformation era—characterised by innovation, technological advancement, and deep international integration.
Reflecting on the legislative process, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture and Society, Nguyen Thi Mai Hoa, stressed that the Law on Teachers was a particularly challenging and far-reaching legislative project. It impacts nearly 1.6 million teachers and over 20 million students nationwide. The process demanded great prudence, open-mindedness, and a strong sense of responsibility from both the drafting and reviewing bodies.
The Law on Teachers, she noted, exemplifies a shift in legislative thinking, focusing only on long-term and stable provisions within the National Assembly’s authority, while leaving specific regulations to be elaborated through decrees and circulars. This approach ensures both legal flexibility and practical applicability.
From the perspective of higher education management, Associate Professor Dr Nguyen Duc Son, Rector of Ha Noi National University of Education, remarked that the law provides a powerful source of motivation for education students. It gives them a clearer vision of their career path, a more stable future, and a profession that is more respected. This, in turn, is expected to attract more talented and dedicated young people into the teaching profession.
The law guarantees three essential elements: recognition, livelihood protection, and empowerment, all of which are vital for building a standardised and professional teaching workforce capable of fulfilling the trust placed in them by the Party and the people.
Further underscoring the significance of the legislation, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong identified four key hallmarks of the Law on Teachers. First, it is the first law dedicated solely to teachers, reflecting the Party and State’s special attention to educators. Second, it fulfills the expectations of the drafting and reviewing bodies and the top leadership of the Party, especially General Secretary To Lam. Third, it serves as a model of modern legislative thinking. Fourth, it provides a strong and comprehensive legal foundation for developing concrete policies concerning teachers.
From the practical experience of developing the law, six key lessons were drawn: clearly defining the law’s objectives, principles, scope, and target groups; ensuring consistent and coherent leadership throughout the process; proactive and empathetic inter-agency coordination; harnessing collective intelligence with thorough impact assessments; maintaining a spirit of openness, serious listening, and reasoned explanation grounded in both theory and reality; and enhancing public communication to build widespread social consensus.
Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son concluded that the National Assembly’s adoption of the Law on Teachers marks an extraordinary milestone, not just for the education sector, but for the country as a whole. “This is a joyful moment not only for over 1.6 million teachers but also for everyone who cares about education,” he stated.
“If we want an education system that can transform the country, we must invest in developing the teaching workforce. Throughout the drafting process, our guiding principle has been clear: to build a law that fosters the development of teachers. Whatever action could help achieve that, we pursued with determination. Now with this powerful tool in hand, the Law on Teachers will serve as a sharp instrument and a strong foundation for developing Viet Nam’s teaching workforce in the new era”, Minister Son affirmed.
