Expanding the teaching of foreign integrated programs in Vietnam

The above content is stated in the Project on International Integration in Education and Training until 2030, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long on December 19. This contributes to gradually making English the second language in schools, according to the conclusion of the Politburo on August 12.

Currently, there are only a few localities nationwide that have public schools that teach foreign programs. For example, Ho Chi Minh City has an integrated program, and Hanoi calls it a dual degree system.

The common point is that in addition to the Vietnamese general education program, students learn some subjects such as math and science in English, according to international curriculum.

While Ho Chi Minh City expanded the program to 160 public schools, Hanoi stopped with the secondary school system, remaining in only two high schools.

Also aiming to gradually make English a second language, the project aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning foreign languages, especially English, at all levels of education and training; promote international cooperation in teaching and learning foreign languages.

The project aims for 100% of high school students to achieve foreign language proficiency according to the regulations of the 2018 general education program (level 3/6 - equivalent to B1); improve foreign language proficiency, teach subjects in foreign languages ​​for teachers, lecturers and managers.

For university level, the goal by 2030 is to have more than 20% of training programs in partnership with foreign schools in the world's top 500; the ratio of Vietnamese lecturers going abroad and foreign lecturers coming to teach, research, and exchange academic knowledge annually will reach 8% of the total number of lecturers. Currently, the whole country has about 85,000 people teaching at this level.

The government also wants to attract two more branches of prestigious foreign higher education institutions to open in Vietnam, in addition to the five currently operating schools. These are RMIT University Vietnam, British University Vietnam (BUV), American University Vietnam (AUV), Fulbright Vietnam, and Tokyo Medical University Vietnam.

To open a branch in Vietnam, foreign universities must be among the top 500 universities in the world in prestigious rankings in the last three years.

At the same time, the Government encourages domestic higher education institutions to open representative offices abroad.