EDUCATION

Recent years have seen a growth in the number of its private schools in Vietnam. This is partly due to the demands of the country’s growing expat population. There are a number of prestigious international schools in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, and these offer top-quality education to both expats and wealthy Vietnamese families. 

Despite its status as a developing country, Vietnam has a good standard of public education and a literacy rate of over 90 percent.

Outside the country’s main urban centres there are schools that are under-resourced and poorly staffed. However, in the cities, many expats choose to enrol their children at a good public school to save on the extremely high costs of international school fees.
 

Public schools in Vietnam

Expat students may find the teaching methods employed at Vietnam’s public schools to be quite alien: students are expected to study quietly and passively, which contradicts the more innovative learning methods and active class discussions encouraged in Western culture.

There are, however, a small number of schools in Ho Chi Minh City which are making a break from traditional Vietnamese style methods and offering American-style learning. These more modern public schools tend to have extremely long waiting lists.

Vietnamese students are often put under enormous amounts of pressure to perform well academically, by both their families and teachers. Most children have extra private tuition after school.

There are five levels of schooling within the Vietnamese public school system:

• Pre-school : Three to six years old
• Primary school : Six to 11 years old
• Secondary school : 11 to 15 years old
• High school: 15 to 18 years old
• Tertiary education: 18 years old and upwards
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International schools in Vietnam

International schools in Vietnam are a relatively modern phenomenon – the oldest international school in the country was established less than 30 years ago – but over the past few decades many new international schools have emerged to fill a gap in the market and cater for the country’s rapidly growing expat population.
 
The top international schools tend to employ native English speakers or those who have trained in the country that the particular school is affiliated with.
 
The most popular international schools in Vietnam tend to be over-subscribed and there are long waiting lists, so it's best to make applications as soon as possible.

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Applying for international schools in Vietnam

Most international schools in Vietnam accept applications throughout the school year, but it's worth bearing in mind that some of the more popular schools fill up fast. Thus, it is best to apply ahead of time.
 
Some international schools in Vietnam have entrance exams that test potential students for proficiency in English and Maths. In many cases, international schools will request an interview with both the parents and the student before a formal offer is made.
 
The required paperwork for an international school application will depend on each school, but these are some of the documents that expat parents should have prepared:

• -   A copy of the child’s birth certificate
• -   Copies of the passports of the child's parents
• -   Latest school results (including official transcripts, report cards and/or standardised test results). Some schools request reports for as many as three previous years.
• -   A copy of the child's study permit (or proof of application)
• -   Medical records, including vaccination certificates
• -   A copy of at least one parent's work permit, permanent resident visa, dependency visa, etc.
• -   A completed copy of the particular school's application for admission form, which may include a writing sample.

International schools may ask parents to pay fees in advance or provide a non-refundable admission fee for each child. Fees vary for different schools and increase with the age of the child. In Grade 1, fees can reach up to VND 300 million while, in Grade 12, fees peak at around VND 500 million. Fees are even higher for students that board.

There are also addition non-refundable admission fees of around VND 3 million to consider.

Most private schools in Vietnam provide students with bus transport and cafeteria lunches, but these are additional costs.

Expat parents also need to make allowances for school uniforms, extra-curricular activities, school trips and stationary.