VIETNAM EDUCATION SYSTEM
Education in Vietnam is divided into five levels: pre-primary, primary, intermediate,secondary, and higher education.Formal education consists of twelve years of basic education. Basic education consists of five years of primary education, four years of intermediate education, and three years of secondary education. The majority of basic education students are enrolled on a half-day basis.
With one of the highest GDP growths rates in Asia,[1] Vietnam is currently trying to overhaul its education system, with a view to preparing students for the increasing role of English as the language of business and the importance of internationalising the education system to maintain a workforce equipped to maintain the rapid economy growth of the last two decades
In comparison with other developing countries, Viet Nam’s population enjoys a relatively high standard of education.
Whilst Confucian-style higher education in Viet Nam may be traced back to the 11th century, the modern pattern of universal primary, secondary and tertiary education has a relatively short history of development. The 1917 Law on Education passed by the French colonial government abolished the Confucian education system and replaced it with an education system modelled loosely on that of France. However, that new system remained fundamentally elitist, reaching only an estimated three per cent of the indigenous population and functioning primarily as a means of training civil servants for colonial service throughout French Indochina.
In the wake of the August Revolution of 1945, and especially after the victory in the war of resistance against the French in 1954, the new government was faced with an illiteracy rate of over 85 per cent of the Vietnamese population and accordingly resolved to make education a priority. The education reforms of 1945 and 1950 established a basic system of national education comprising pre-school programmes, primary and secondary schools, popular education for adults and a network of colleges and universities. Similar reforms were also undertaken between 1945 and 1975 by the Sà i Gòn regime. In the wake of Reunification primary and secondary schools were brought under the control of the Ministry of Education and Training, whilst colleges and universities were brought under the management of the Ministry of Higher Education; since that time a series of further measures have been enacted by central government in conjunction with provincial and municipal authorities to create a fully-integrated national education system.
Primary and secondary education is provided by the government through 13,355 basic and 1,157 secondary schools and is free to all. Since the advent of doi moi a small network of private and semi-private primary and secondary schools has also begun to develop. Primary education commences at the age of 6 (grade 1) and continues to the age of 10/11 (grade 5). Secondary education commences at the age of 11 (grade 6) and continues to the age of 17 (grade 12). In some areas government school facilities cannot accommodate all of the children at once, so students attend in shifts at different times of the day. The school week runs from Monday to Saturday. All children are encouraged to finish secondary school.
In addition to general secondary schools, Viet Nam also has just under 300 secondary vocational schools which allow specialisation in such fields as industry, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, economics, teacher training, medicine, gymnastics and sports and culture and arts.
College or university education normally commences at 18 years of age. There are currently 110 public higher education institutions in Viet Nam, including 23 colleges and 27 universities (including five state Universities, Ha Noi National University, Ho Chi Minh City National University, the University of Hue, the University of Thai Nguyen, the University of Da Lat). Numerous semi-public and private universities and colleges have also been established in recent years; Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam’s centre for science and technology, now has 14 such institutions, accounting for around 30 per cent of the country’s total. The students attending these schools make up approximately 18 per cent of the total number of university students nationwide.
Since secondary vocational and tertiary education are no longer free, but there is stiff competition through examination for the limited number of places. A limited number of scholarships is available for gifted students.
In the early years of the 21st century the Vietnamese education system continues to face many challenges, including poor infrastructure, lack of equipment and teaching materials, low wages precipitating an acute shortage of skilled teachers and academic staff, and a relatively poor linkage of higher education with research, production and employment. However, against a background of such overwhelming difficulty the achievements of the last half century have been impressive. Official figures currently put Viet Nam’s literacy rate at between 78 and 84 per cent, with 97 per cent of school-age children at school, 99 per cent of 6-year-olds in first grade, 90 per cent of 11-year-olds graduating from primary school and 98.5 per cent of children aged 14 completing junior secondary education. A pioneering new bilingual primary education programme implemented in selected mountainous regions to create greater opportunities for ethnic minority children has been hailed as a model of educational reform in the region and is currently being considered by other countries such as Thailand, India, Laos, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. Since the early 1990s too, the quality of university graduates has improved significantly and the reputation of many of the country’s numerous research institutions has become firmly established overseas.
Pre-primary education
Public kindergartens usually admit children ranging from 18 months to 5 years of age. Sometimes, four- or five-year-old children are taught the alphabet and basic arithmetic. This level of education tends to be popular in major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Can Tho and Vung Tau.
Primary education
Children normally start primary education at the age of six. Education at this level lasts for 5 years and is compulsory for all children. The country’s literacy rate is over 90%.
Intermediate education
Junior high school includes sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grade. Until its abolition in 2006, students had to pass the Intermediate Graduation Examination (IGE) presented by the local Department of Education and Training to graduate. This educational level is homogeneous throughout most of the country, except in very remote provinces, which expect to popularize and standardize middle education within the next few years. Intermediate education is not compulsory in Vietnam.
Secondary education
Secondary education consists of grades ten through to twelve. The IGE is a prerequisite entrance examination for secondary schooling. The IGE score determines the schools at which students are able to enroll. The higher the score, the more prestigious the school.
Students are not free to choose what they study. To graduate, students must pass the following courses:
*Literature
*Mathematics (consisting of algebra, calculus and geometry)
*Physics
*Chemistry
*Biology
*History
*Geography
*Civic (generally consists of law and ethics)
*Foreign language (mostly English; Chinese, French and Russian are taught at some specialized schools)
*Technology (consists of Agriculture/Horticulture, Mechanics, Electronics, Design, etc.)
*Information Technology (Recently introduced, yet to be implemented in poorer regions. Students study basic programming in languages such as Visual FoxPro, Visual Basic and Pascal)
*Physical Education
Advanced classes consists of either:
*Natural sciences: Students follow an advanced curriculum (and different textbooks) in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology.
*Social sciences: Students follow an advanced curriculum (and different textbooks) in literature, history, geography and foreign language.
At the start of secondary school, students can enroll in Specialist Classes if their grades from the previous year are good enough. These students specialize in a particular subject; this can be any of the subjects listed above, except Technology, Physical Education and Civics. Students enrolled in these programs have a heavier workload than regular secondary school students. The workload varies from school to school, but grade 11 students are generally expected to study grade 12 courses concurrently. Other courses include university-level courses. Some schools go as far as requiring their students to finish secondary school by the end of grade 10.
Only prestigious schools offer these classes, and they have yet to be standardized.
Leaving Examination
All students in Vietnam are required to take the national Leaving Examination at the end of grade 12 to get a diploma. The Leaving Examination is administered by the Ministry of Education and Training. Students still have to pass their regular end-of-term examinations along with passing the Leaving Examination.
The Leaving Examination includes six subjects: mathematics, Vietnamese literature, foreign language and three others determined by the Ministry of Education and Training. Students usually sit for The Leaving Examination in late May or early June.
Higher education
University entrance is based on the scores achieved in the entrance examination. High school graduates need high scores to be admitted to universities. Securing a place in a public university is considered a major step towards a successful career, especially for those from rural areas or disadvantaged families. The pressure on the candidates therefore remains very high despite the measures taken to reduce the importance of these exams. In 2004, it was estimated that nearly one million students took the exam, but on average only 20% passed.
Normally, candidates take three exams; each lasts 180 minutes for the fixed group of subjects they choose. There are 4 fixed groups of subjects:
*Group A: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry
*Group B: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry
*Group C: Literature, History, Geography
*Group D: Literature, Foreign Language, Mathematics
Besides, there are also groups H, M, N, R, T and V.
Candidates have a total of four attempts at the examination.
Most of Vietnam’s universities also offer master’s (2 years) and Doctor of Philosophy (4 years) degrees.
In addition to universities, there are community colleges, art and technology institutes, professional secondary schools, and vocational schools which offer degrees or certificates after courses lasting from a-few-months to 2-years.
Private universities
According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training, there are currently 23 private universities, accounting for 11% of the total. These private universities are currently training 119,464 students, 11.7% of the total student body. The government is planning to increase the private universities’ share of the sector to 30% by 2011.[citation needed]
The presence of foreign universities is increasing. Universities such as RMIT and University of Hawaii offer degrees in fields such as business, English as a Second Language and Information Technology. Running a foreign education system in Vietnam is challenging. Quality control and affordability are key issues, as well as red tape and dealing with corrupt government officials.
Teaching quality issues
The entire higher education system is facing several crises such as outdated curricula, a lecturer-centered method of teaching and learning, a lack of linkage between teaching and research activities, and a large discord between theory and practical training that leads to a large number of graduates being unable to find a job while skills shortages drive inflation to double-digit levels.
Aside from degrees offered by foreign universities, qualifications from Vietnamese universities are not recognized worldwide.
Teaching methods delivered in the public system are teacher-oriented. Class discussions are uncommon, and students are expected to be studious and passively attentive in the classroom. This method is a reflection of colonial influence and is a sharp contrast to American and British pedagogy, where interaction and debate are more prominent.
Advanced and specialized high school students are generally expected to study additional courses, which can amount to a total of nine periods a day. Parents also enroll their children cram schools. The regular teachers usually teach these cram sessions themselves as a means of supplementing their income. Students who do not attend these sessions are usually at a disadvantage.
Public schools are under-funded. Currently, only primary schools are subsidized by the government to 50% of the total tuition cost. The drop-out rate after fifth grade is high and most students cannot afford to attend higher senior high school and university due to poverty. The average monthly salary of local Vietnamese public teachers is between 60USD and 100USD, so many supplement their income by working in the private sector or as tutors.
Private language centers offering English as a Second Language are in high demand in the larger cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Students flock to these schools to increase their employment opportunities. These classes are usually taught by foreign expatriates who are generally paid between 10USD-20USD per hour, depending on both their qualifications and the quality of the school. Lower standards in some of the lower-paying schools have resulted in low-quality teachers (known to the local community as “backpacker teachers”) proliferating.
Teachers have been criticized for engaging in a culture of ignoring students and colleagues’ plagiarism.