The Ministry of National Education, now known as the Ministry of Education and Training, was established on September 2, 1945, when the Provisional Government was introduced to the people. Over the past 80 years, despite numerous upheavals and transformations, Vietnam's education system has achieved significant milestones.

Vietnamese education has developed through five key stages over the last eight decades.

1945-1954: Building a new ideological foundation, eradicating illiteracy, maintaining and expanding the national education system, and training a generation of "resistance citizens."

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Hanoi primary school students. Photo: Pham Hai

Following the August Revolution, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born amid great adversity: internal strife, external threats, economic collapse, and over 90% of the population being illiterate.

The government prioritized eradicating illiteracy and reviving education. In liberated areas, literacy and adult education movements flourished, schools reopened, and universities resumed teaching in Vietnamese.

In occupied regions, education became a battleground for ideological resistance. Despite the French establishing a narrow, colonial-style education system designed to enslave, suppress revolutionary ideas, and manipulate youth, underground literacy classes were secretly maintained. Schools became sites of surveillance, recruitment, and repression of patriotic teachers and students.

1954-1975: The North largely eradicated illiteracy and established a complete national education system, while the South developed a flexible revolutionary education system and democratic school networks.

After 1954, the country was divided into North and South, each following divergent political systems and development paths that deeply influenced education.

The North focused on eradicating illiteracy, launching a third widespread literacy campaign. The 1956 education reform introduced a 10-year general education system, new curricula and textbooks, and systematic teacher training.

From 1958, education became a core component of socialist development. Curricula emphasized practical skills and labor. Universities expanded rapidly, from 5 (1959-1960) to 17 (1964-1965). During the U.S. bombing campaign (1965-1975), education adapted to wartime conditions.

The South maintained two parallel systems: one under the Republic of Vietnam and another in liberated zones. Between 1954 and 1960, literacy classes operated under legal cover despite difficulties. From 1961, a revolutionary education system emerged with its own curricula and textbooks. Schools expanded rapidly. Between 1969 and 1975, education adopted flexible models, with semi-legal and legal classes in suburban areas, especially after the Paris Peace Accords.

1975-1986: Unifying the national education system, stabilizing and expanding its reach, eliminating illiteracy, raising public knowledge, and formulating comprehensive education policies.

In the first three post-war years, education focused on urgent recovery tasks: taking over institutions, stabilizing, and unifying the system nationwide. From 1979 to 1986, the third comprehensive education reform took place amid severe socio-economic crises.

In June 1975, the Party Secretariat issued two directives guiding the educational transition in the South, focusing on illiteracy eradication, cultural supplementation, school expansion, and administrative unification.

The 1976 Party Congress affirmed the ideological foundation: "Education is the cultural foundation of a nation, the future strength of a people."

Central Committee Resolution 14 (January 1979) launched the third educational reform. However, facing economic and social turmoil, the 1982 Party Congress acknowledged, “the biggest issue today is the severe decline in education quality.”

Between 1975 and 1978, the education sector swiftly restored nearly all schools in the South. By late 1978, most southern provinces had essentially eradicated illiteracy. Private schools were dissolved, many public universities merged, and postgraduate education (PhD-equivalent) was introduced.

During the 1979-1986 crisis, a unified 12-year general education system was established nationwide, with a single curriculum and textbook set. However, the crisis heavily impacted education: deteriorating infrastructure, meager budgets (3.5-3.7% of total state expenditure, mostly for salaries), and widespread poverty. Up to 40% of classrooms were temporary huts. Teachers struggled financially, student enrollment fluctuated, and education quality declined.

1986-2000: Education declared a top national priority, with legal frameworks and institutional reforms promoting socialization and diversification.

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Students in Hanoi on the first day of school. Photo: Hoang Ha

The 6th Party Congress (December 1986) acknowledged systemic weaknesses and emphasized the need for new thinking, positioning education as a crucial part of national renewal.

Central Committee Resolution 6 (1989) advocated for diversified training, the expansion of non-public schools, and shifting from state subsidies to mixed financing, including tuition fees.

The 7th Party Congress (1991) declared education and training “a top national policy,” with goals to “raise public knowledge, train human resources, and nurture talent.” Education investment was deemed developmental investment.

These principles were institutionalized through legislation, including the Law on Universal Primary Education (1991) and especially the Education Law (1998).

2000-2025: Consistently upholding education as a top national policy, allocating 20% of the state budget to education, driving digital transformation, and promoting global integration.

Central Committee Resolution 29 (2013) reaffirmed education's strategic importance, mandating a minimum 20% allocation of the national budget to the sector.

In the early 21st century, education focused on foundational consolidation and universal access. By 2000, Vietnam achieved universal primary education and literacy. In June 2010, all 63 provinces and cities met the standard for universal lower secondary education. New curricula and textbooks were introduced from 2002.

The Education Law of 2005 abolished semi-public models, replacing them with private and non-public institutions, creating a legal framework for educational socialization. Vocational training gained attention with the Vocational Training Law (2006). For the first time, the 2005 Education Law introduced the concept of “quality accreditation.”

During this period, fundamental and comprehensive education reform began. The 11th Party Congress (2011) reaffirmed education and training as a top national policy. The Education Development Strategy 2011-2020 (Decision 711, 2012), the Higher Education Law (2012), and particularly Resolution 29-NQ/TW (2013) provided a legal foundation for comprehensive reform.

The COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) accelerated online learning under the principle: “suspend school, but don’t stop learning.” Since then, digital transformation has become a strategic direction for the education sector.

Le Huyen