Vietnam’s Home Affairs Ministry guides staff reductions for school principals and vice principals after mergers

Vietnam’s Home Affairs Ministry has told provinces and cities how to handle principals, vice principals and other education managers as schools are reorganized. The guidance focuses on when officials can seek early departure under the government’s staff-reduction policy.

Local authorities must first address teacher shortages and surpluses in line with guidance from the Ministry of Education and Training. After those measures are completed, education officials holding leadership or management posts, including principals and vice principals at preschool institutions, may be considered for the policy if they meet the retirement-age conditions in the Law on Teachers, work at schools directly affected by the reorganization and want to leave before the standard retirement age.

The ministry says the policy does not apply in several cases. These include people who are pregnant, on maternity leave or raising children under 36 months old, unless they voluntarily request the staff reduction. It also excludes people facing disciplinary review, criminal proceedings, or inspection because of signs of violations.

A key distinction concerns officials from schools that existed before the merger. If an authorized body has already assigned them a position at the new school, they will not be considered for staff reduction on the basis that the school restructuring directly affected them. Whether a former school manager qualifies therefore depends on both the direct impact of the reorganization and whether the person received a position at the new school.

The ministry asked provincial and municipal authorities to implement the rules and complete payments under the policy no later than November 30, 2026. An earlier guidance issued in August said surplus principals, directors, vice principals and deputy directors could seek the policy after schools had addressed staffing imbalances and arranged existing personnel in leadership positions at the new institutions.