Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training has issued new rules for organizing STEM education in general schools. Circular 86/2026/TT-BGDĐT took effect on September 30, 2026.
STEM is not a new subject and does not add to the workload
The ministry says STEM education integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students use this knowledge to solve practical problems and develop personal qualities, abilities, digital skills, innovative thinking and career orientation.
Circular 86 does not create a compulsory subject or educational activity, additional compulsory study time, separate grades, files or registers. It also does not add a burden for students or teachers.
Schools include STEM content in their education plans, subject teaching plans, educational activities and lesson plans. A separate STEM education plan is not required.
STEM is organized in three forms: STEM lessons, STEM experiential activities, and students' scientific and technical research activities. Experiential activities chosen by learners are voluntary.
Dedicated STEM classrooms and mass equipment purchases are not required
Circular 86 calls for effective use of existing facilities and teaching equipment. Schools do not have to maintain a dedicated STEM classroom or buy a separate equipment package to organize STEM education.
STEM festivals, contests and exchanges are not mandatory conditions. The number of products, projects or awards cannot be used as a compulsory performance criterion.
Nine principles for organizing STEM education
1. Content must match the goals and expected outcomes of subject curricula and must not create pressure or overload for students and teachers. STEM education does not create separate compulsory subjects, educational activities, study time, grades, files or registers beyond the general education program and related rules.
2. STEM content is designed through interdisciplinary integration. Students combine and apply knowledge and skills to solve problems.
3. Students are at the center of learning. With teacher guidance, they propose and choose solutions to problems linked to everyday life, production, science and technology.
4. Learning takes place through experience and design. Activities follow a scientific inquiry process, an engineering design process, or a combination of the two. Students practice exploring scientific knowledge and creatively apply knowledge and skills to design, make, test and improve products.
5. Activities must fit actual conditions. Schools should use existing teaching equipment and available safe, low-cost materials effectively.
6. Educational activities should be open and flexible in how they are carried out, while setting clear criteria for products and expected learning outcomes.
7. Digital technology and artificial intelligence must be used responsibly, with safeguards for students' physical and mental safety, information security and personal data.
8. Access to STEM education should be equitable across regions and student groups. Priority goes to ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas, border areas, islands and places with especially difficult socio-economic conditions. Schools must also ensure access for students with disabilities and promote gender equality.
9. Families, businesses and society should coordinate actively, effectively and with quality in accordance with the law.
Sources: Thanh Niên
