What is your assessment of the opportunities and challenges facing the education sector in the 2025–2026 school year?

This school year presents unprecedented opportunities for the education sector. Never before has education and training received such significant attention and high expectations from the Party and the State. 

A national target program for education and training development is being drafted. Four key education laws (the Law on Teachers, the Law on Education, the amended Law on Higher Education, and the amended Law on Vocational Education), expected to be issued this year, will lay down a solid legal foundation for building a modern and effective education system. Digital transformation, AI integration, and STEM education are also creating new opportunities to enhance quality and promote systemic innovation.

However, the sector also faces major challenges. The implementation of the two-tier local government model, especially at the commune level, poses high demands for managing organizational and staffing changes. Other issues include education equity, private tutoring, teacher recruitment and rotation, and universal education. 

How is the ministry preparing to ensure that education activities remain stable amid the two-tier local government structure?

The ministry has adopted a comprehensive set of solutions. In terms of institutional improvement, it has issued two decrees and six circulars that define decentralization and the delineation of authority in state management of education. 

On technical guidance, the ministry has issued documents covering topics such as enrollment beyond administrative boundaries, organizing two-session school days, implementing tasks for the 2026-2027 school year, and adapting curriculum and textbooks to changes in administrative boundaries.

The ministry has also held roundtable discussions, set up hotlines, and received reports to address local difficulties.

To enhance staff capacity, the ministry has developed training materials, organized training sessions, and published a handbook to help commune-level education managers and local education departments access information in a clear and concise way. Six inspection teams have been sent to 15 provinces to review implementation.

We will continue reviewing legal documents, strengthening professional guidance, improving the education data system to ensure interoperability, and supporting localities in carrying out their newly delegated responsibilities.

What is the ministry’s approach to managing private tutoring and implementing two-session school days?

Regarding private tutoring, the ministry maintains the viewpoint that “while extra classes can reinforce knowledge, they contribute little to overall human development.” The deep-rooted consequences of widespread private tutoring require firm intervention. 

Therefore, in the 2025-2026 school year, the ministry will continue requesting local authorities to issue clear regulations on private tutoring, enhancing local accountability while requiring schools to implement the national general education program effectively.

What are your assessments about the first students following the 2018 new general education program?

The first cohort graduating under the 2018 general education program shows many positive outcomes. Students have experienced diverse learning activities, expressed individual strengths, chosen subjects aligned with career orientation, and accessed comprehensive knowledge through integrated subjects.

However, some shortcomings have also emerged. At the high school education level, subject selection is limited by teacher availability and classroom space. At the lsecondary level, integrated subject teaching faces challenges due to inconsistent teacher capacity and teaching materials.

To address this, the ministry issued a document, requiring high schools to publicly disclose their teaching plans for elective subjects, encourage inter-school collaboration to broaden choices, and support students who need to adjust their subject selection.

For secondary schools, the ministry continues to train integrated subject teachers, develop illustrative teaching materials, and implement teacher cluster models to foster mutual support and improve teaching quality and student engagement.

Are there plans to adjust the national high school graduation exam to align with the new general education program?

The national high school graduation exam currently serves several key purposes: assessing students’ learning outcomes based on competency and character development standards; using exam results to determine graduation eligibility; evaluating teaching quality at schools and the effectiveness of education management authorities; and providing reliable data for university and vocational education admissions.

To prepare for piloting computer-based high school graduation exams starting in 2027 (per the prime minister’s directive), the ministry is focusing on key tasks: drafting the proposal for organizing computer-based exams (to be submitted in 2026), mobilizing experts to develop a standardized question bank (to be used from 2027), and building procedures and regulations for computer-based testing. Nationwide training and workshops are also being held.

Currently, the ministry is developing exam software and piloting computer-based exams in various provinces. During this school year alone, trials will be conducted with over 100,000 students.

Thanh Hung