All About Education In Vietnam and Vietnam Education System

Education is prioritized nationally in Vietnam. Government expenditure for education has increased to 20% since 2008. Significant advancements have been made in the field as a result of the government's strong commitment to education and long-standing cultural and social support.

Strong gender parity, low student-to-teacher ratios, high primary school completion rates, and a low dropout rate are all present in Vietnam. Universal access to education was made possible by the nation's "Fundamental School Quality Level Standards," which also made sure that every primary school satisfied the very minimum of requirements.
Despite these successes, the nation nevertheless confronts significant difficulties. For lower secondary education, access and quality remain issues, especially in isolated locations, quality is constrained. Female students and members of racial and ethnic minorities face greater barriers to accessing and finishing school.
The broad goals of the Education Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) are to modernize the educational system, get it closer to regional and worldwide quality standards, and make sure that everyone has access to opportunities for lifelong learning.

Additional goals for education at all levels are described in the EDSP:
- To guarantee that all children have the adequate intellectual, emotional, and physical development required for entry into primary school, achieve universal early childhood and care education.
- In economically underprivileged areas, raise the standard of the universal lower secondary education and pursue the universal higher secondary education.
- Strengthen residential schools for ethnic minorities and offer inclusive instruction at all levels.
- Restructure the vocational education system, start new universities that meet learners' requirements, and make sure that students have the credentials they need to compete on the global job market.
- Increase access to private higher education and give racial and ethnic minorities additional university prep programs.
- Create chances for lifelong learning and diversify continuing education options to constantly advance professional credentials.
Additionally, the EDSP contains nine strategic solutions aimed at improving education management, extending the network of educational institutions, building human resources, and bolstering investment and training.
Vietnam has an Education For All Action Plan for 2003-2015, which was modified in 2012. It is a part of its national education goals.

I. Educational System in Vietnam

Currently, the structure of the national education system in Vietnam includes: 

- Kindergarten (3 years old - 6 years old)
- Elementary School (Grades 1 - 5)
- Secondary School (Grades 6 - 9)
- High School (Grades 10 - 12)
- College or University 
- Postgraduate Education

Before attending college or higher education, students must complete 12 years of education. In detail: 

Education in Vietnam Flowchart - Source: Google.com

1. Preschool education

Early childhood education includes kindergarten education and preschool education. Preschool instruction aims to foster a child's physical, emotional, intellectual, and aesthetic growth in order to help them establish the foundational aspects of their personalities. In addition, it builds and develops in children psycho-physiological functions, essential competencies and traits, necessary life skills relevant to their age, activating and optimizing their potential talents, and provides the groundwork for subsequent learning and for lifetime learning.

2. Nursery Education

Children between the ages of three months and three years old receive a kindergarten education.

3. Kindergarten education

Children from 3 years old to 6 years old are educated in Kindergarten. 

4. General education

General education includes: 

- Primary education

- Secondary education (basic education stage)

- High School (upper secondary education, career-oriented education stage)

4.1. Primary education

From grade 1 through grade 5, there are 5 academic years dedicated to primary education. After finishing their elementary education, students will enroll in lower secondary school.

4.2. Secondary education

Students who have finished elementary school are admitted into lower secondary education. 

Secondary education grades 6 through 9 are taught over the course of four academic years. Students have two alternatives after graduating secondary school: continue on to high school or pursue additional training courses at the introductory and intermediate levels.

4.3. High School education

Students who have completed lower secondary school are admitted to upper secondary education. During high school, students have the option of transferring to an intermediate level training program if they wish and satisfy the program's criteria. 

From grade 10 until the end of grade 12, high school education is offered throughout three academic years. Graduates from high school have the option of attending college or vocational training.

4.4. Special Education

- High School for the Gifted

Beginning with specialized math classes at top basic science colleges, a system of specialized high schools was formed beginning in 1966. 

From then, specialized schools were extensively established in all provinces and cities. Developing students' skills in order to cultivate talents was the initial goal of the specialized school system, as envisioned by educational administrators. Students who graduate from secondary school must meet the academic and behavioral standards of their previous institution, and they must also successfully pass the admission tests for the specialized institutions they wish to attend.

The Vietnam high schools for the gifted consists of two systems: specialized schools affiliated with universities (formerly known as national specialized schools) and specialized schools in the province. 

- Continuing Education Center

The Vietnam national education system includes the Continuing Education Center as an educational facility. District, municipal, and provincial continuing education centers are included in this category. As a result, there is at least one Continuing Education Center in practically every province.

A location for universal education for people of all ages is the Continuing Education Center.

- Ethnic Boarding School

These are boarding schools with special needs, which may be secondary or even high school. In order to develop and build human resources for the ethnic regions, these schools are for students from ethnic minorities, distant places, and areas with specific socioeconomic issues. Students are permitted to stay in school and are covered for their food and lodging costs.

- Reformatories

This kind of school is specifically designed for young offenders. These students get cultural education, vocational training, and moral instruction at the school so that they can graduate and move back to the neighborhood after a few years. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs currently supervises these schools instead of the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security, which handled them in earlier years.

5. Job education

Technical and vocational education are other names for vocational education. A form of educational facility created exclusively for career training is a vocational school. 

5.1 Primary education (vocational)

Along with training at the intermediate level and college level, training at the elementary level aims to provide students the abilities to carry out straightforward duties in a career.

5.2 Intermediate education

Programs for intermediate level training accept participants who have completed at least lower secondary school.

6. College Education

High school graduates or intermediate graduates may enroll in training programs at the college level.

A college training program with the study volume equivalent to 2 to 3 years of intensive study, depending on the major or profession, for those who have graduated from high school; from 1 to 2 years of intensive study for those who have graduated from the intermediate level and have a high school diploma; or who have studied and passed the necessary amount of high school cultural knowledge as prescribed by the Government Ministry of Education and Training. 

Graduates from colleges may continue their studies in university training programs in the relevant professional direction or in other professional directions, provided they meet the program's requirements.

7. University education

7.1 Pre-university education

A high school diploma or equivalent is required in order to become a pre-university.

Students from ethnic minorities who are denied admission to colleges might enroll in pre-university programs. After a year of study, these students can select one of the nation's universities to study (except Foreign Trade University and military schools).

7.2 University education

A university training program has a duration equivalent to 3 to 5 years of intensive study for individuals who have graduated from high school or from an intermediate level. Additionally, they committed to the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Training and successfully studied and passed the exam with an acceptable level of literary knowledge.

If they fulfill the requirements of the training program, university graduates can apply to study for a master's degree in the relevant professional direction or be admitted to study in other professional directions.

8. Postgraduate Education

8.1 Master's

University graduates are accepted into master's degree programs. Depending on the demands of the training sector, the training for a master's degree takes between 1 and 2 years of intensive study. After finishing the master's level training program, students can continue their studies for a doctorate in the relevant professional direction or, if they meet the program requirements, be admitted to study in other professional directions.

8.2 Ph.D

If a graduate of a master's degree or a university graduate satisfies the program's standards, they may be accepted into a doctoral training program.

Depending on the demands of the training sector and the learners' entry level, PhD training lasts 3 to 4 years of rigorous study.

II. Characteristic of Vietnam Education System

1. Teaching approach

The emphasis of teaching in the Vietnamese classroom is on theoretical knowledge rather than class debate. Students learn and take notes. With high class numbers ranging from 30 to 45 students, students do not actively engage and ask lecturers questions. Class sizes at private schools are often less than 25 pupils.

Teaching approach in Vietnam - Source: Google.com

In addition, in terms of curriculum, teachers in Vietnam place a strong emphasis on textbooks. The most important thing for students is to learn concepts from the textbook. Students are unable to assess the present economic, social, and political situation in Vietnam based on the facts they acquire in class, resulting in obsolete knowledge.

2. Subjects

The three core subjects that must be studied in the Vietnamese curriculum are English, Vietnamese Literature, and Math, in addition to other Natural Science and Social Science courses.

Students take more Natural Science courses (Physics, Biology, and Chemistry) or Social Science courses (Geography, History, Civic Education) depending on the emphasis they desire. Due to the difficulty of testing, especially when it comes to entrance examinations, and the severity of each subject (middle school, high school, and college), students typically lack the time necessary to cultivate their unique talents and soft skills. Some schools force pupils to enroll in sports and performing arts classes, but the course selections are not varied.

3. Test

Grades are the only means through which a student's performance is evaluated in Vietnamese classrooms. Midterm and final examinations, as well as monthly tests, quizzes, and assignments all contribute to grades. In general, teachers don't provide parents a lot of input on their children's classroom behavior outside of grades. Typically, teachers only provide feedback to pupils through school reports at the conclusion of the academic year.

The "Entrance Exam for 10th Grade" is a requirement in Vietnam for ninth graders at the conclusion of secondary school or middle school.

Students must take the National High School Exam, also known as the K Thi THPT Quc Gia, in their senior year of high school, which serves as both a graduation exam and a college admission exam. Students can select their schools and majors if they receive a high score on this National High School Exam/College Entrance Exam. The typical score varies according to the major and the college in Vietnam.

4. Educational Honors

Vietnamese students in middle and high school are urged—and even forced—to compete in various local and international events. For particular disciplines like Math, Science, and English, students who are in a "Highly Selective Class" (class for the gifted) are required to study that subject in depth and breadth and to compete in various events. Depending on grade level, pupils will receive bonus points on the high school or college admission test if they place in the top three in various nationwide events. Vietnamese students are therefore extremely motivated to enroll in extracurricular activities and put in additional effort in the classroom in order to succeed in such competitions.

5. Technology

Only a few public and private schools in Vietnam regularly have access to projectors for lectures. Using writing on a chalkboard is still the most common type of instruction.

6. Extracurricular Activities

The popularity of extracurricular activities is rising in Vietnamese high schools. Students can join a variety of student-run groups outside of regular instructional hours. Schools greatly promote these activities, and students who participate in these organizations have the chance to plan school-wide events and activities that are supported by the schools. Event planning, sports, student publications, debates, and other activities are common areas for student groups.

Vietnamese parents are evolving to be more understanding of their children's growth and development, as seen by the growing number of Vietnamese students who are choosing to study abroad. 

The national education system is split into several subsystems, as can be seen from the aforementioned, with the aim of creating acceptable circumstances for each topic to engage in education. For example, the elementary and secondary levels will correspond to the proper age.

To increase teaching effectiveness, education also calls for instructors to be flexible in their thinking and in the way they approach their lessons with their students at each grade level. Usually, old concepts are dropped. Instead, it is altered and expanded with fresh curricula and apparatus to fit the culture and civilization that assimilates the ideals of the rest of the world in the creation of contemporary science and technology.

Thus, it can be seen that in Vietnam, the basic structure of the national education system is quite tight and suitable for each certain age group.