Many universities raised tuition by 30-70 percent

On June 13, at a meeting discussing solutions on controlling prices of important goods, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong said his ministry agreed with the Ministry of Finance on not raising tuition in the 2022-2023 academic year.

Thuong said there would be a roadmap on raising tuition, commencing from September of the 2022-2023 academic year, under which public preschool tuition would increase by 75 percent and universities by 12.5 percent.

PhD dissertation scandal

In May, a doctoral dissertation on solutions to develop badminton for civil servants and public employees in Son La City raised controversy among the public. It was said that such studies were nonsensical. Questions, therefore, were raised about the quality of doctoral dissertations.

The PM requested the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) to consolidate the quality of the postgraduate assurance system and implement solutions to upgrade postgraduate training quality to make it closer to international standards.

History becomes compulsory subject

History was listed among optional learning subjects for high school students from the 2022-2023 academic year, according to the 2018 new general education program. In late June, after many arguments, the National Assembly decided that history needs to have both compulsory and optional parts.

Education report in 2011-2020 released

On August 8 the Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences held a seminar publicizing analyses about Vietnam’s education in 2011-2020. The authors asked MOET to build an education development strategy in 2021-2030 to solve problems discovered in the report.

The report said that higher education has not changed considerably over the last 10 years, but quality has improved with some universities named in international rankings. The number of scientific articles published in international journals has increased. People's expenses on higher education have increased by twofold.

2018 general education program enters important period

2022 was an important year in the implementation of the 2018 new general education program when it began for high-school students. Many schools complained that they seriously lacked teachers who can teach integrated subjects. Meanwhile, MOET said 16,000 teachers had quit.

Use of tech apps in enrollment

Since the 2022 enrollment season, MOET has been using technology in university student enrollment in all phases. However, because of the lack of preparation, some troubles occurred with software, thus affecting student benefits and school enrollment. Some 78 schools were found enrolling more than the allowed students and were fined.

IELTS exam halted suddenly

On November 8, MOET released a dispatch on strengthening management over the organization of tests to grant certificates on foreign language skills, including IELTS. After that, the British Council and Education Vietnam postponed the IELTS test. Some days later, MOET released a decision on granting licenses to organize IELTS to these organizations.

Food poisoning at Ischool Nha Trang

The food poisoning at Ischool Nha Trang was the largest collective food poisoning case at schools so far. On November 17-22, 662 people were hospitalized. One first grader died on the way to hospital in HCM City. On November 23, provincial police began taking legal proceedings on the case. 

Things to do in 2023

The 2018 new general education program will continue to be the focus for schools, especially for high schools. After the pandemic, online education, especially cross-border online education, has developed strongly, which will influence Vietnam's education in the time to come.

Dam Quang Minh - Tran Thi Thu Thuy