Thu Ha, 30, whose son was born in 2020, recently faced a tough choice after he was accepted to two private elementary schools. Instead of comparing tuition or teaching styles, her main concern was which school produced more successful applicants to top-tier public middle schools - and eventually, to specialized high schools.

“My son is strong in math and English. But more than his current skills, what drives my planning is the reality of how early you need to prepare for competitive school admissions,” she said.

In her experience, families who wait until grade 5 to begin preparing for selective middle school exams often find it too late. “If you're aiming for a high-quality public middle school, the academic foundation needs to be laid much earlier. Ideally, you start focused preparation by mid-grade 3,” she added.

Ha prioritizes a disciplined environment and rigorous curriculum. “To succeed at the next level, you need to build both knowledge and learning habits during primary school,” she explained.

Likewise, Mai Hang, another Hanoi parent, began mapping out her daughter’s education as soon as she entered senior kindergarten. She meticulously reviewed a list of the top 20 primary schools that had the most students admitted to THCS Cau Giay - a well-known public middle school in the city.

“To compete for those limited slots, children need early exposure - not just to core subjects, but also to structured learning environments that foster consistency and independence,” she said.

While Hang acknowledged that children develop at different paces, she emphasized that early planning doesn’t necessarily mean pressuring the child. “It’s about creating a clear pathway to avoid last-minute stress when the time comes,” she noted.

However, some experts caution against this reverse-engineered approach to education.

Tran Thi Phuong Chi, a teacher at Thanh Xuan Secondary School, said many parents are now selecting primary schools based solely on future exam outcomes, reflecting the growing anxiety and competitiveness in Vietnamese education.

“This mindset can lead parents to overlook what children truly need in early childhood - like emotional growth, life skills, and the joy of learning,” she warned.

“When young children are burdened with the pressure of a middle school exam years away, it can trigger early burnout or anxiety. Some end up disengaged from learning altogether,” Chi said.

She added that the primary years should be a time to nurture curiosity and foundational skills - not to serve as a training ground for high-stakes testing.

Instead of focusing solely on “output” metrics like middle school acceptance rates, Chi encouraged parents to seek schools that offer safe, nurturing, and balanced learning environments.

“The ideal school helps each child grow in their own way - with teachers who recognize individual strengths, and teaching methods that combine academics with emotional and social development,” she said.

Ultimately, every child is different. Chi stressed that educational choices should reflect the child’s needs, not just a family’s aspirations.

“Long-term planning is helpful, but it must never become a burden. Rather than fixating on future exams, families should focus on building good study habits, self-confidence, independence, and resilience. With that foundation, academic success will follow naturally,” she concluded.

Thuy Nga