History and Development of Education in Vietnam

Abstract

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Vietnam was under French colonial rule, leading to the establishment of a new education system that incorporated both French and Vietnamese languages. Higher education primarily used French, with the aim of producing human resources to serve the colonial regime. A significant turning point occurred between 1986 and 2005, when Vietnam's education system faced high levels of inequality. In response, the Vietnamese government sought assistance from the World Bank to study and develop policy-oriented solutions to address various issues.

The World Bank introduced an innovative evaluation framework known as the "Fundamental School Quality Level" (FSQL), which provided a scientific and evidence-based approach to improving the efficiency of educational resource allocation. The FSQL criteria encompass four key areas: school management, adequacy and quality of teachers, student learning outcomes, and infrastructure. Vietnam implemented the FSQL framework in 2005 to enhance educational quality, particularly in promoting equity. This initiative led to remarkable improvements within a short period.