The Economist: Vietnam's education is among the best in the world

The British newspaper The Economist recently published an article praising the Vietnameseeducation system, highlighting the value of domestic education and the ability of good teachers. According to the article, President Ho Chi Minh, the founder of Vietnam, outlined a clear path for the country’s development, thereby highlighting the benefits of education: “For the benefit of ten years, we must plant trees. For the benefit of a hundred years, we must educate people.”

The British newspaper The Economist published an article praising Vietnam's education system. Photo: Thanh Tung/VNA

The article points out that despite rapid economic growth in recent years, Vietnam’s per capita GDP, at $3,760, is still lower than regional peers such as Malaysia and Thailand, but the quality of education in Vietnam can be a little less controversial. According to the article, Vietnamese students are educated in one of the best education systems in the world, reflected in their excellent performance in international assessments of reading, mathematics and science. The latest data from the World Bank (WB) shows that, in terms of overall learning scores, Vietnamese students outperform not only their peers in Malaysia and Thailand, but also in the UK and Canada, countries six times richer. Even in Vietnam, student scores do not reflect the levels of gender and regional inequality that are common in other countries. The article argues that a child’s propensity to learn is the result of a number of factors – many of which start at home with their parents and the environment they grow up in. But that alone is not enough to explain Vietnam’s stellar performance. The article suggests that the secret lies in the classroom: children learn more in school, especially in their early years. In a 2020 study, Abhijeet Singh of the Stockholm School of Economics found that Vietnam’s schools are more productive by examining data from identical tests taken by students in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. He found that Vietnamese children aged 5-8 outperformed their peers in other countries. The article argues that Vietnam’s schools, unlike those in other developing countries, improve over time. A 2022 study by researchers at the Washington DC-based Center for Global Development found that 56 out of 87 developing countries have seen a decline in education quality since the 1960s. Vietnam is among the few countries where schools have consistently bucked the trend. The paper argues that the biggest reason is teacher quality. They are not necessarily better qualified, but simply more effective at teaching. A study comparing Indian and Vietnamese students found that much of the difference in math test scores was due to the quality of teaching. Vietnamese teachers do their jobs well because they are well-managed. They receive regular training and are given the freedom to make their classes more engaging. To address regional inequality, those who teach in remote areas are paid more. Most importantly, teachers are evaluated based on student performance. Teachers who have good students are awarded the title of “Excellent Teacher”. The Party also cares deeply about education, the article says, and ensures that policies are adjusted to update curricula and teaching standards. Provinces are required to spend 20% of their budgets on education, which helps ensure regional equity. Society at large also shares the high regard for education, as families are influenced by Confucian ideology. Less well-off families are also willing to invest in their children’s education. All of this has paid off. As schools improve, so does Vietnam’s economy. However, the article also points out challenges for Vietnam’s education system. Companies increasingly want workers with more sophisticated skills, such as team management, that Vietnamese students are not trained in. Growth also draws migrants to cities, overloading urban schools. Many teachers are leaving the profession for higher-paying jobs in the private sector. The article concluded that to ensure that Vietnam remains the country with the best quality education, the government will have to deal with these issues, as President Ho Chi Minh once reminded, education must be given constant attention.

Minh Hop (TTXVN reporter in London)

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