Circular No. 33/2018/TT-BGDDT dated December 28, 2018 providing guidelines on school’s social responsibility

CIRCULAR

PROVIDING GUIDELINES ON SCHOOL’S SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Pursuant to the Law on Children dated April 5, 2016;

Pursuant to the Law on Education dated June 14, 2005; the Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Education dated November 25, 2009; 

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 123/2016/ND-CP dated September 01, 2016, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of Ministries and Ministry-level bodies;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 69/2017/ND-CP dated May 25, 2017, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 80/2017/ND-CP dated July 17, 2017 on safe, healthy, friendly educational environment, prevention and control of school violence;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 32/2010/QD-TTg dated March 25, 2010 on approval of the Scheme for social responsibility development during the period of 2010-2020;

Upon the request of the Director of the Department of Political Education and Student Affairs,

The Minister of Education and Training hereby promulgates the Circular providing guidelines on school’s social responsibility.

Article 1. Scope and subjects of application

1. This Circular provides guidelines about principles, tasks and responsibilities for implementation of social responsibility activities of schools and educational establishments.

2. This Circular shall apply to early childhood education establishments, general education establishments, vocational education – continuing education centers, special schools, foreign-invested educational establishments or educational establishments entering into training and educational cooperation with foreign partners within the territory of Vietnam, both of them enrolls students under 18 years of age, (hereinafter referred to as school or educational establishment); entities, organizations and persons concerned.

Article 2. Purposes of school’s social responsibility programs and activities

1. Improve knowledge and skills in order for students to successfully deal with personal temporary difficulty, depression or crisis in psychological aspects, promote learning potentials and capabilities of their own. Protect students from risks of abuse, violence and prevent social evils and control student’s the school abandonment and violation of laws.

2. Increase awareness and skills of students' parents or guardians of understanding, supporting and sympathizing with students.   Assist school administrators, teachers and staff members in improving knowledge and skills relating to school’s social responsibility.

3. Establish connections to available resources of communities involved and cooperating with educational establishments in enhancing school’s social responsibility activities.

Article 3. Principles of implementation of school’s social responsibility programs and activities

1. Ensure confidentiality of student’s personal information. In case of wishing to share such personal information, legislative regulations must be observed.

2. Respect particular characteristics, personalities, qualities and family backgrounds of students, and have support activities centre upon students. 

3. Listen to students and provide them with opportunities for being involved as much as possible in discussions about solutions to dealing with their personal issues.

4. Ensure that all of decisions to be made are carefully pondered for the best interests of students without prejudice to legitimate rights and interests of other persons.

5. Assure equal, unbiased and standardized relations between students and participants in school's social responsibility programs and activities.

Article 4. School’s social responsibility activities

1. Detect risks inside or outside of educational establishments that may adversely affect students; unveil cases and issues relating to students who live in special circumstances, are abused, commits violent acts, drop out of schools and violate laws.

2. Organize activities aimed at preventing and controlling risks of student's falling in special circumstances, being abused, suffering from violent acts, truancy or violation of laws.

3. Implement intervention and support procedures for students who live in special circumstances, are abused, suffer from violent acts, drop out of schools and commit violations against laws.

4. Collaborate with student’s families, local authorities and social responsibility service providers in communities in applying intervention and support procedures to students that call for urgent intervention and support measures, or teachers or students that make intervention and give support. 

5. Organize activities to support student development and integration after intervention, or students, teachers and parents that wish to give support for student development and integration.

Article 5. Review and detection of risks

1. Review and seize information, thoughts, aspirations, family situations and abnormal signs of students. Proactively discover students who live in special circumstances, face risks of falling in special circumstances, regularly being absent from classes, dropping out of school, being abused, suffering from violent acts or committing violations against laws.

2. Establish communication channels to receive information from educational establishments, including complaint or suggestion mailboxes, hotlines or other forms of use of information technology, for the purposes of addressing cases or issues likely to cause harm to students.

Article 6. Preventive actions

1. Carry out propaganda, education programs, give students cautions and instructions relating to situations and risks of causing them to fall in special circumstances, be abused, suffer from violent acts,  dropping out of school or violating laws. Closely work with press, radio and television broadcasting agencies and other mass media to raise public awareness in sending timely reports on cases and issues relating to students, and get involved in creating the safe and healthy educational environment.

2. Provide students, their parents or guardians, school teachers and administrators with instructions about how to use support services from educational establishments, the National Child Protection Hotline Number 111, all-level Social Responsibility Centers or other social responsibility service providers in communities.

3. Provide student’s parents, guardians and teachers with information and materials, and equip them with knowledge, skills and methods of detecting cases in which students face risks of falling in special circumstances, dropping out of school, being stressed, depressed or abused or suffering from violent acts, and charge them with reporting to and cooperating in resolving these issues with educational establishments.

Article 7. Intervention and support

1. Receiving reports and carrying out the initial assessment

a) Teachers or staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities are tasked with receiving reports and carrying out the primary assessment of student support demands;

Prepare detailed reports on receipt of information according to the Form No. 01 attached hereto.

b) Teachers or staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities are tasked with communicating with and collecting opinions from students and persons concerned in order to verify information relating to cases and issues. Carry out the full assessment of student’s demands for support based on the degree and risk of harm to reporting students;

Prepare detailed reports on assessment of degree and risk of harm and demands of students by using the Form No. 02 hereto attached.

c) Determine intervention and support methods

Based on results of verification and assessment of student’s demands, Heads of educational establishments shall be authorized to decide on intervention and support methods relevant to specific students.

2. Cases of intervention and support inside of educational establishments

a) Teachers or staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities shall develop intervention and support plans, based on results of the comprehensive assessment of cases or issues or student's demands, determine objectives and necessary intervention and support activities;

Prepare intervention and support plans for students inside of educational establishments by using the Form No. 03 hereto attached.

b) Approve intervention and support plans

After receipt of intervention and support plans for students, Heads of educational establishments shall be responsible for approving them within the maximum duration of 03 working days.

c) Implement intervention and support plans

Teachers or staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities shall preside over and cooperate with students, their families and other related parties in carrying out intervention and support activities for students according to plans approved by Heads of educational establishments. Monitor and oversee implementation of intervention and support activities and promptly make necessary adjustment to these activities.

d) Review and assess risks likely to arise after student intervention or support

Teachers or staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities shall assess situations and risks of student’s suffering from harm after intervention or support activities have been performed, and give comments or conclusions on current conditions of students and risks of student’s suffering harm after performing these activities.  Report on review and assessment of student's conditions after student intervention or support shall be prepared using the Form No.04 hereto attached;

In case where students have no longer suffered from harm or are relieved of risks of suffering from harm, Heads of educational establishments must be informed to make their decisions on termination of intervention and support procedures;

In case where students are still stricken with harm or face risks of suffering from harm, intervention and support activities shall be continued, or new intervention and support plans must be formulated to adapt to current conditions of students.

3. Cases of intervention and support in communities

a) If students are abused, suffer from violent acts or fall into other cases beyond the intervention and support capabilities of educational establishments

Educational establishments shall file and address these ultra vires cases to one of the following bodies: Commune-level People’s Committees; the National Child Protection Hotline Number 111, commune-level police authorities, district-level agencies of labor, war invalids and social affairs; provincial or municipal-level Social Responsibility Centers or other district-level social responsibility service providers operating at localities where these educational establishments are located;

These educational establishments shall directly call the National Child Protection Hotline Number 111 to receive instructions or send written documents stating student’s cases or issues to involved bodies within the maximum duration of 12 hours from the time of receipt of the notification;

Teachers or staff members liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities shall cooperate with entities admitting students in supporting, monitoring and overseeing the process of receipt of student case reports, intervention and support in order to ensure relevance to student’s demands.

b) If students drop out of school or face risks of dropping out of school owing to cultural, religious, immigration problems or difficult living conditions which are beyond the support capabilities of educational establishments

Educational establishments shall inform, whether directly or in writing, People's Committees of communes where students are residing in order to appeal to them to support and convince these students to get back to school or apply measures to manage these students within their remit. 

Article 8. Assistance in development

1. Teachers or staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving advice on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities shall assume the following responsibilities

a) Work with teachers and child protection officers at the communal level to give further support to students after implementation of intervention and support procedures so that these students are entitled to equal treatment to take part in activities of educational establishments and communities;

b) Update and provide students, school teachers and staff members and parents or guardians thereof with information about relevant laws and social policies in order to enable students to have access to social support systems;  

c) Counsel Heads of educational establishments in designing and developing school’s social responsibility services meeting student's demands;

d) Counsel Heads of educational establishments to make recommendations to competent regulatory authorities about policies relating to students and enhance student's exercise of their legitimate rights.

2. Encourage educational establishments to proactively design programs for striking up relationships between schools and local enterprises or agencies, mobilize resources to support students in special circumstances and assist teachers in undertaking social responsibility activities at these educational establishments.

Article 9. Responsibilities of affiliates of the Ministry of Education and Training

1. Department of Political Education and Student Affairs

a) Preside over and cooperate with relevant entities in directing, inspecting and overseeing the implementation of this Circular at localities and educational establishments within their remit;

b) Cooperate with affiliates of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs in providing instructions for local social responsibility service providers and developing plans to cooperate in and carry out social responsibility activities for educational establishments under their authority;

c) Preside over and cooperate with educational establishments providing social responsibility education programs in designing and assessing professional training materials relating to school’s social responsibility activities which are used by school officers, teachers and staff members;

d) Conduct the final review and assessment in order to draw experience in performing school's social responsibility activities and make any necessary amendments or supplements to applicable regulations.

2. Departments of Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education or Continuing Education shall cooperate with the Department of Political Education and Student Affairs in combining school’s social responsibility activities with programs for training and improvement of competences of involved officers and teachers of educational establishments.

3. Department of School Teachers and Administrators shall preside over and direct localities to carry out an integration of contents of training of teachers holding part-time positions as liaison officers counseling implementation of school's social responsibility activities into general plans in the education sector.

Article 10. Responsibilities of all-level People’s Committees

1. Command local agencies and divisions to actively cooperate with educational establishments within their remit in handling cases of student’s suffering violent acts, being abused, dropping out of school or posing risks of dropping out of school due to cultural, religious, immigration problems or difficult living conditions which are beyond the support capabilities of educational establishments.

2. Conduct the inspection of and encourage local agencies and divisions to actively cooperate with educational establishments in performing school’s social responsibility activities under their delegated authority.

Article 11. Responsibilities of Departments and Subdepartments of Education and Training

1. Preside over and counsel all-level People’s Committees to take control of the formulation of the mechanism for cooperation between educational administration agencies or educational establishments and agencies of labor, war invalids and social affairs, social responsibility centers and other social responsibility service providers in localities in order to assist in performing school's social responsibility activities and receive cases in which students are referred to social responsibility service providers other than educational establishments.

2. Direct and organize the implementation, guide the inspection and supervision of the implementation of this Circular at educational establishments under their management.

3. Coordinate with agencies of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and finance bodies at the same level to advise local authorities to develop and implement policies and regulations for school officers, teachers and staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of counseling implementation of school’s social responsibility activities, depending on local socio-economic conditions.

Article 12. Responsibilities of Heads of educational establishments

1. Develop plans to implement regulations specified in this Circular and provide necessary conditions for school officers, teachers and staff members of educational establishments to participate in training and education programs to improve their qualification and professional skills relating to school’s social responsibility activities.

2. Assume responsibility for implementing school’s social responsibility activities, assign staff members as liaison officers in charge of counseling the implementation of school’s social responsibility activities. For non-public educational establishments or educational establishments which are capable of balancing their finances on their own, depending on practical conditions of each educational establishment, they may designate full-time officials in charge of school's social responsibility activities.

3. Assure conditions necessary to perform social responsibility activities at each educational establishment.

4. Coordinate with and assist educational establishments providing social responsibility training programs in organizing classes in practice, internship and exchange of experience in social responsibility activities at their educational establishments.

Article 13. Responsibilities of school officers, teachers and staff members

1. Teachers or staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities shall be responsible for presiding over and cooperating in performing these activities under their authority as provided herein.

2. School teachers, staff members and officers in educational institutions shall be responsible for detecting and reporting to Heads of educational establishments or informing teachers or staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities about cases in which students are in special circumstances, are abused, suffer from violent acts, drop out of school or violate laws or have other risks, and closely cooperate with school teachers and staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities in taking preventive, intervention and support measures for students of their educational establishments.

Article 14. Responsibilities of student’s parent representation commissions

1. Collaborate with head teachers, subject teachers and parents to discover and receive information on cases of students living in special circumstances, suffering from violence, abuse, dropping out of school and committing violations against laws. Take initiative in proposing and cooperating with educational establishments in organizing preventive measures applied to students.

2. Actively cooperate with school teachers and staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities in participating in intervention and support activities for students at their educational establishments and communities upon requests of these educational establishments.

3. Delegate responsibilities to members of student’s parent representation commissions for cooperation with educational establishments in support for student development.

Article 15. Responsibilities of Communist Youth Unions and Young Pioneer Organizations at educational establishments

1. Instruct members of these unions and organizations to promote self-management roles and actively participate in school’s social responsibility activities.

2. Actively establish social responsibility clubs, teams and groups composed of key members who are members of these unions and organizations at educational establishments and classes to support students living in special circumstances to receive equal treatment for participating in educational activities within educational establishments and communities.

Article 16. Responsibilities of students of educational establishments

1. Proactively detect and report to school teachers and staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities, or other teachers and staff members on cases in students live in special circumstances, are abused, performing violent acts, drop out of school or violate lawsoft or have other issues relating to teachers and students.

2. Actively participate in preventive, intervention and support activities for students who live in special circumstances, are abused, suffer from violent acts, are bullied, drop out of school or violate laws.

3. Proactively receive updated knowledge, improve their self-protection capacity, knowledge and skills to avoid dangerous situations. Assume responsibility for reporting to their parents or school teachers and staff members assigned as liaison officers in charge of giving counsels on carrying out school’s social responsibility activities, other school officers, teachers or staff members at educational establishments on personal issues and difficulties.

Article 17. Responsibilities of educational establishments providing social responsibility training programs

1. Get involved in designing materials and cooperate with training and education establishments in organizing training and education sessions on improvement of competences of school officers, teachers or staff members in performing school’s social responsibility activities.

2. Collaborate with other educational establishments in organizing classes in practice, internship and exchange of experience in social responsibility activities for students majoring in social responsibility.

Article 18. Recommendations to social organizations

1. Stimulate members of organizations and people from different social classes to participate in and support social responsibility activities in order to maintain a safe, healthy, friendly and violence-free educational environment.

2. Organize the connection to and collection of information and recommendations of social organizations and students to forward them to state agencies to give suggestions and advice on developing policies related to students and promote student’s exercise of their rights.

Article 19. Entry into force

1. This Circular shall take effect from February 10, 2019.

2. People’s Committees of centrally-affiliated cities and provinces, Departments of Education and Training, social organizations, and relevant affiliates of the Ministry of Education and Training, shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.