HCMC’s education sector enters the 2026-2027 academic year amid rapid population growth in some areas. Demand for schools and classrooms, particularly at the high school level, continues to increase while land available for educational facilities remains limited. Following the reorganization of administrative units, school and classroom data in some areas have yet to be fully synchronized, complicating forecasting and planning.

Teacher shortages persist, particularly in special education and among teachers capable of teaching in English. School healthcare and psychological counseling personnel largely perform these duties alongside other responsibilities. Digital infrastructure, digital learning materials and facilities such as playgrounds, swimming pools and multipurpose halls also remain inadequate at many schools.

W-học sinh TPHCM nguyễn huế 12.jpg
Students in HCMC attend the opening ceremony for the 2025-2026 academic year.

While these challenges cannot be resolved overnight, HCMC’s student population continues to grow rapidly. The city will have 2,621,038 students in the new academic year, an increase of 96,258. Preschool enrollment records the largest rise, with 46,982 additional children, while primary schools add 11,863 students, lower secondary schools 14,941 and high schools 22,472.

The city is expected to have 3,476 schools, 78,802 classrooms, 79,564 classes and 126,247 teachers. The scale of the system means HCMC must not only ensure enough school places but also narrow disparities in educational quality and learning conditions between different areas.

Before September 5, the city expects to put more than 1,000 new classrooms into use, with total investment of around US$146 million, to meet growing demand.

Teachers remain the toughest challenge

As student numbers continue to rise, staffing remains one of HCMC’s biggest bottlenecks. During the 2025-2026 academic year, the city needed to recruit teachers for 5,696 positions, but shortages remained after recruitment, particularly in Art, Music, Fine Arts and Information Technology.

In the new academic year, teacher demand will be reviewed according to student numbers, class sizes, subjects and requirements for two-session-per-day schooling. The city will also flexibly transfer and second teachers and arrange for them to teach across schools or clusters of schools.

The goal is to fill all allocated teaching positions, with particular attention to shortages of preschool teachers and teachers for subjects under Vietnam’s 2018 General Education Curriculum.

HCMC is also seeking to raise professional standards, aiming for at least 95% of preschool teachers and 98% of primary and lower secondary teachers to meet required standards by 2028.

Professional development will focus on management capacity, digital skills, AI, foreign languages, psychological counseling, inclusive education, STEM, and competency-based testing and assessment.

From administrative management to development-oriented governance
One notable shift this academic year is the move from administrative management toward development-oriented governance, with educational quality, effectiveness and student development at the center.

Tasks must clearly identify responsibilities, timelines and expected results. Organizational restructuring and the reorganization of schools and classes must not disrupt teaching or students’ right to education.

Schools will be given greater autonomy, accompanied by greater accountability. Management and inspection will gradually move from responding to individual incidents toward risk management, early warnings and the prevention of violations, particularly in examinations, admissions, private tutoring, financial management, and the use of teaching equipment and materials.

In teaching, the education sector is required to continue implementing the 2018 General Education Curriculum in a streamlined and practical way that develops students’ qualities and competencies, while addressing an overreliance on memorization and “teaching to the test.”

Two-session-per-day schooling will be introduced where conditions allow. Teaching, testing and assessment methods will continue shifting toward evaluating competencies rather than focusing solely on knowledge.

From the 2026-2027 academic year, HCMC will provide shared textbooks for 100% of disadvantaged students and students who register for them across all grade levels.

AI, STEM, computer science, digital technology, career guidance and entrepreneurship have been identified as areas for greater emphasis. The city plans to gradually equip students with digital skills and the ability to use AI safely and responsibly, with instruction tailored to each level of education.

The education sector has adopted the principle that “each piece of data should be entered once and used multiple times,” working toward a unified and shared data system that is accurate, complete, clean, continuously updated and reusable.

AI must be used safely and ethically, with data security ensured and without diminishing the central role of teachers.

Cutting achievement chasing and ceremonial activities

W-học sinh TPHCM nguyễn huế 4.jpg
  • Covers content
  • Not interested
  • Inappropriate
  • Seen too often

ADBRO is the full service ad network for high impact contextual advertising with direct access to the exclusive in-image inventories across major local publishers.

We provide free creative adaptation into rich media, interactive and playable ads formats. Campaigns in our channel are delivered under guaranteed prices for actions with programmatic & managed delivery. We provide contextually segmented in-target audiences for over 60 industries with a full range of brand safety solutions.

ADBRO operates across SE Asia, including Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia.

To test our channel for your advertising campaigns or consider partnership programs for publishers, please contact us at www.adbro.me

High school students in HCMC.

Another notable element of HCMC’s plans for 2026-2027 is a push to reduce activities that are largely ceremonial or conducted for appearances.

Emulation campaigns will be tied more closely to educational quality and the responsibilities of individual organizations and staff, while schools are expected to curb excessive formalism and the pursuit of achievements for their own sake in competitions and awards.

The education sector aims to cut by at least 50% the number of contests, campaigns and titles considered largely ceremonial.

HCMC also wants to reform career guidance beginning at the lower secondary level, helping students better understand their abilities and strengths, employment trends and labor-market demand.

Lower and upper secondary schools will be encouraged to strengthen links with vocational institutions, universities and businesses, expanding learning opportunities and giving students more options when choosing their pathways after lower secondary education.

Le Huyen