Education in Vietnam

The Vietnamese education system is characterized by an outdated curriculum that fails to prepare students for the labour force and a culture that places heavy emphasis on good studies. These two characteristics explains the majority of the phenomenon we observe about Vietnamese education today.

Table of contents:

1. Wealth inequality

2. Lack of practical knowledge

3. MOET

4. International students

5. Government reforms

To start off, receiving high quality post-secondary education is seen as the starting point for a good career. Because admissions into all Vietnamese universities is decided by a single test (the National High School Graduation Examination (NHSGE)) [source: wikipedia] taken by all Vietnamese students, there is naturally a lot of pressure experienced by both parents and students to perform well. There are also admissions exams to attend "Specialised High Schools," designated secondary institutions that are regarded as prestigious. Because of this, it is common practice to hire tutors or attend private lessons outside of class to try to boost grades. In some circles, it is considered necessary to seek tutoring in order to pass exams, as some of the tested material are only covered in extra-curicular tutoring sessions. This extra cost, combined with the existing tuition costs for primary and secondary school, increases inequalities caused by wealth gaps between students.

Furthermore, this historical high emphasis on test scores led to a curriculum that optimizes for test scores and fails to teach students practical knowledge. Critics claim that Vietnamese classes are the epitome of a textbook: full of abstract and theoretical knowledge that don't have much real world application. In classes, Vietnamese students are expected to sit quietly and listen to the teacher; active discussion is not present. (In contrast, western education places high emphasis on student participation.) The majority of new university graduates are presently unable to find work, often due to a lack of skills. One study from the Vietnam National University in Hanoi places the unemployment rate for recent graduates at 26.2%.

Many aspects of Vietnamese curriculum has more or less remained stagnant since Soviet rule from decades ago. For example, students are required to study Marxist-Leninist ideology, material that has little use in the labour force. This lack of change is commonly attributed to the heavily centralized administration system: the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) in Hanoi is responsible for implementing most aspects of schools. The ministry exercises control over administration and curricula in all levels of education, from primary school to post-secondary institutions, where it lays out rigid staffing guidelines and rigid curricula. This has obvious hinderance to the learning of students, but has furthermore been cited as a cause of stifling academic curiosity and scientific advancements in universities. (To put it more bluntly, universities are controlled by people appointed by the communist party instead of professors, which doesn't make for a great academic culture/environment.)

The Vietnamese economy has seen tremendous growth, with an average annual growth rate of 11.69% in the past 20 years. (28.68 billion USD in 1999 to 261.9 billion USD in 2019) Out of this, a strong middle class emerged. Due to the lack of high quality universities in Vietnam, the growing middle class with more disposable income begun seeking post-secondary education elsewhere. From 1999 to 2016, the number of international degree students from Vietnam exploded by 680 percent. Presently, Vietnam accounts for 10% of international students, the second largest market in the world. Business is the preferred major for outbound Vietnamese students, accounting for 30% of undergraduate degrees.

Because of this, the government has instigated many reforms as an attempt of "modernization", with varying degrees of success. To address the wealth inequalities, the government has invested more funding into subsidizing education. Dropouts from lack of affordability has went down, with junior high intake going from 69.5% in 2001/2 to 92% in 2012/3 nationwide. At the state level, education is the largest expenditure on the budget, standing at 20% of total expenditures in 2015. (Compared to the global average of 14.1%.) Most students who study abroad remain self-funded, despite the government's efforts of providing scholarships.

In recent years, the government has reduced the regulations placed by the MOET on post-secondary institutions. However, even with the autonomy to set their own curricula and admissions guidelines, universities have a tendency to retain socialist curricula and a high degree of bureaucratic centralization.

In conclusion, Vietnam's education system has a long way to go. The country's education has been lagging behind economic growth and the lack of skilled workers has started to leave negative effects on the economy. However, with a government that is willing to modernize, a culture that places heavy emphasis on academics, and the significant strides that has been made in recent years, there is promise for a better future of education in Vietnam.



Main sources:

• Wikipedia

• World Education News and Reviews