Teaching French in secondary schools: Expanding options for students.

After more than 20 years of implementation, the French-Vietnamese bilingual program has gradually been replaced to align with the 2018 General Education Program, through a 'new look' in the form of a network of schools that have received 'LabelFranceÉducation' - an educational accreditation certificate from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has recorded positive results in teaching French.

At the Francophone Festival held last weekend at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School (Ho Chi Minh City), the French Consul General Étienne Ranaivoson emphasized the extensive bilateral cooperation in the field of education . In particular, following the upgrading of relations between the two countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024, during the visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to France, a cooperation agreement on education between the two governments was signed.

"The growth of the LabelFranceÉducation network is a prime example; in just three years, the network has expanded from 11 to 32 educational institutions," Mr. Ranaivoson emphasized.

French Consul General Étienne Ranaivoson (second from left) and Anne-Laure Vincent, Education Cooperation Attaché - French Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, met with students at the Francophone Festival at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School last weekend.

Photo: Lan Chi

Most accredited schools in Asia

Speaking with the author on the sidelines of an event at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai School, the French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City remarked: "Although I've only been in office for a little over seven months, I've already noticed the dynamism from the school to the students choosing French language programs. More and more schools are being awarded the LabelFranceÉducation – a certification granted by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to schools worldwide for the quality of French language teaching – demonstrating the very high level and quality in Vietnam. Learning French today means connecting with the Francophone community, comprising 400 million people across continents, from many countries and with diverse cultures. This will be an advantage in both academic pursuits and future careers."

Mr. Arnaud Pannier, Education Cooperation Attaché at the French Embassy, ​​also gave a very positive assessment of French language teaching in Vietnamese secondary schools over the past years: "The transition from the bilingual program to the network of certified schools, although there have been some changes, has not encountered any difficulties, from 11 schools in 2022, to 17 schools in 2023, 21 schools in 2024, and 32 schools in 2025. Currently, there are 17 schools that are candidates for LabelFranceÉducation, and if all of them meet the standards, we will have nearly 50 schools throughout Vietnam. This is a scale almost equivalent to the system of schools with bilingual programs before."

• Admission requirements for grades 1, 6, and 10 in the French language program in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Mr. Pannier, the advantage for Vietnamese schools is that after more than two decades of development, the bilingual program has high demands in both teaching and learning quality. Therefore, schools within this system can easily meet the standards for educational accreditation from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs . For example, there is a "Francophone space" where students are provided with learning materials in French; there is a team of teachers, with the team leader having a master's degree or equivalent, and teachers regularly participate in continuing education courses…

One of the key differences is that the previous bilingual program was regional in scope, encompassing Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia; whereas the LabelFranceÉducation network is global, with approximately 600 certified schools worldwide. With 32 schools, Vietnam has the most certified schools in Asia, followed by China with 31. Currently, 5,600 students are enrolled in LabelFranceÉducation schools out of a total of 30,000 students who choose French as a foreign language in Vietnam, according to the Education Cooperation Attaché.

Many students learned about French language programs at universities both domestically and internationally at the Francophone Day on April 11, 2026.

Photo: Lan Chi

From specialized subjects to a second foreign language.

Mr. Pannier stated that following the agreement on educational cooperation between the two governments, signed during the visit of General Secretary and President To Lam in 2024, the French Embassy submitted a plan to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and received approval for a €1 million funding package. With this funding, for the past two years, numerous programs have been organized to further enhance the professional skills of Vietnamese schools certified under the LabelFranceÉducation program. These programs include summer activities in France, such as teacher training and language learning for students with outstanding results in national exams. LabelFranceÉducation schools will also be guided and supported to establish sister school relationships with schools in France to facilitate future exchanges.

"On May 28th and 29th, we will be holding a forum on Francophone education in Quy Nhon, bringing together hundreds of delegates, including representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training and provincial Departments of Education and Training; principals of primary, secondary, and high schools; French teachers; and many partners of the Francophone community… from all over the country. In addition to workshops and experience sharing sessions, a joint declaration is expected to be signed to emphasize the role of French language teaching in the education system," Mr. Pannier told Thanh Nien newspaper.

According to the Education Cooperation Attaché, in addition to ensuring high-quality, in-depth teaching at the LabelFranceÉducation network of schools, the French Embassy in Vietnam also aims to encourage more students to choose French as a second foreign language: "In the future, we may consider granting accreditation – on a national scale – to schools wishing to teach French as a second foreign language." This would give more secondary and high school students more options in French as a foreign language.

Building upon the previous bilingual program.

As can be seen, the current French language program is a successor to the previous bilingual program, reformed and integrated into the formal system, ensuring its legal basis for widespread application nationwide.

Specifically, the thematic content of the bilingual program continues to be implemented within the French curriculum framework of the 2018 General Education Program. Enrollment for the French program in the network of LabelFranceÉducation-certified schools also remains unchanged compared to the bilingual program, still following a separate pathway from primary school, lower secondary school to upper secondary school.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giang-day-tieng-phap-o-truong-pho-thong-mo-rong-su-lua-chon-cho-hoc-sinh-185260413171845916.htm