British newspaper praises Vietnam's education, emphasizing "among the best in the world"

The British newspaper The Economist recently published an article praising the Vietnamese education system, highlighting the value of domestic education and the capacity of good teachers. According to the article, President Ho Chi Minh, the founder of Vietnam, outlined the 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 cultivate people."

Báo Anh hết lời khen ngợi giáo dục Việt Nam, nhấn mạnh 'nằm trong số tốt nhất thế giới'

The British newspaper The Economist recently published an article praising the Vietnamese education system, highlighting the value of domestic education and good teacher capacity. (Source: Education Times Newspaper)

The article points out that despite recording rapid economic growth in recent years, Vietnam's per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP), at US$3,760, is still lower than regional peers such as Malaysia and Thailand, but the quality of Vietnam's education can have little to complain about.

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 in reading, math and science .

The latest data from the World Bank (WB) shows that, on aggregate, 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. However, this alone is not enough to explain Vietnam’s outstanding performance. The article points out that the secret lies in the classroom: children learn more in school, especially in their early years.

In a 2020 study, Abhijeet Singh at the Stockholm School of Economics found higher productivity in Vietnamese schools by examining data from identical tests taken by students in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. He said Vietnamese children aged 5-8 outperformed their peers in other countries.

The article notes that schools in Vietnam, unlike those in other developing countries, have improved over time. A study published in 2022 by researchers at the Washington DC-based Center for Global Development found that 56 out of 87 developing countries have recorded a decline in education quality since the 1960s. Vietnam is among the few countries where schools have consistently bucked this trend.

The article suggests that the biggest reason is the quality of teachers. They are not necessarily better qualified, but simply more effective in teaching. A study comparing Indian and Vietnamese students suggests that much of the difference in math test scores is 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 interesting. To address regional inequalities, those who teach in remote areas are paid more. Most importantly, teachers are evaluated based on student performance. Teachers with good students are awarded the title of “Excellent Teacher”.

The Party also cares deeply about education, ensuring that policies are adjusted to update curricula and teaching standards, the article said. 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 pays 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, which Vietnamese students are not trained in. Growth also brings migration to cities, overloading urban schools. Many teachers leave the profession for higher-paying jobs in the private sector.

The article concludes that to ensure Vietnam remains the country with the best quality education, the government will have to address these issues, as President Ho Chi Minh once reminded, education must be given constant attention.

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