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Education in Vietnam is divided into five levels: pre-primary, primary, intermediate, secondary, and higher education. Formal education consists of twelve years of basic education. Basic education consists of five years of primary education, four years of intermediate education, and three years of secondary education. The majority of basic education students are enrolled on a half-day basis. With one of the highest GDP growths rates in Asia,[1] Vietnam is currently trying to overhaul its education system, with a view to preparing students for the increasing role of English as the language of business, and the importance of internationalising the education system to maintain a workforce equipped to maintain the rapid economic growth of the last two decades.
School grades
The school year is divided into two semesters. The first semester begins in late August and ends some time before T t, while the second one begins right after the first one and lasts until June.
Level/Grade Preschool Pre-school playgroup Kindergarten Primary school First grade Second grade Third grade Fourth grade Fifth grade Secondary school 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-11 3-4 4-6 Typical age
Sixth grade Seventh grade Eighth grade Ninth grade High school Tenth grade Eleventh grade Twelfth grade Post-secondary education
11 12 12-13 13 14 14-15
15 16 16 17 17 18
Ages vary (usually four years, referred to as Freshman, Tertiary education (College or University) Sophomore, Junior and Senior years)
Literature/Reading Mathematics (consisting of separate subjects Algebra (year 10 only), Calculus (year 11 and 12 only) and Geometry (both year 10, 11 and 12)) Physics Chemistry Biology History Geography Civics (generally consists of economics, philosophy, politics, law and ethics) Foreign language (mostly English; Chinese, French and Russian are taught at some specialized schools) Technology (consists of Agriculture/Horticulture, Mechanics, Electronics, Design, etc.) Information Technology (Recently introduced, yet to be implemented in poorer regions. Students study basic programming in languages such as Visual FoxPro, Visual Basic and Pascal) Physical Education
Natural sciences: Students follow an advanced curriculum (and different textbooks) in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. Social sciences: Students follow an advanced curriculum (and different textbooks) in literature, history, geography and foreign language.
At the start of secondary school, students can enroll in Specialist Classes if they pass the class entrance exam, which usually consists of a Mathematics exam, a Literature exam, and an exam of the subject that the student wants to specialize in. The specialised subject can be any of the subjects listed above, except Technology, Physical Education and Civics. Students enrolled in these programs have a heavier workload than regular secondary school students. The workload
varies from school to school, but grade 11 students are generally expected to study grade 12 courses concurrently. Other courses include university-level courses. Some schools go as far as requiring their students to finish secondary school by the end of grade 10. Only prestigious schools offer these classes, and they have yet to be standardized.
[edit] Leaving Examination
All students in Vietnam are required to take the national Leaving Examination at the end of grade 12 to get a diploma. The Leaving Examination is administered by the Ministry of Education and Training. Students still have to pass their regular end-of-term examinations, along with passing the Leaving Examination. The Leaving Examination includes six subjects: mathematics, Vietnamese literature, foreign language, and three other subjects determined by the Ministry of Education and Training. Students usually sit for The Leaving Examination in late May or early June.
Group A: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry Group B: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry Group C: Literature, History, Geography Group D: Literature, Foreign Language, Mathematics
Besides these, there are also groups H, M, N, R, T and V. Candidates have a total of four attempts at passing the examination. Most of Vietnam's universities also offer master's (2 years) and Doctor of Philosophy (4 years) degrees. In addition to universities, there are community colleges, art and technology institutes, professional secondary schools, and vocational schools which offer degrees or certificates, after courses lasting from a few months to two years.
According to Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training, there are currently 23 private universities, accounting for 11% of the total. These private universities are currently training 119,464 students, 11.7% of the total student body. The government is planning to increase the private universities' share of the sector to 30% by 2011.[citation needed] The presence of foreign universities is increasing. Universities such as RMIT and University of Hawaii offer degrees in fields such as business, English as a Second Language and Information Technology. Running a foreign education system in Vietnam is challenging. Quality control and affordability are key issues, as well as red tape.
resulted in a proliferation of low-quality teachers (known to the local community as "backpacker teachers").