Navigating Vietnam’s Evolving

Educational Landscape:
Analyzing the Impact of
Circular No. 4/2020/TT-BGDĐT
on International Education in Vietnam

Presented by:
Fiona Müller

(File: Flag-Map of Vietnam, 2023) Moreland University

Abbreviations and Acronyms
Circular No. 4 Circular No. 4/2020/TT-BGDĐT detailing a number of articles of the Government's
Decree No. 86/2018/NĐ-CP dated June 06, 2018 on Foreign Cooperation and
Investment in Education

Decree No. 86 Decree No. 86/2018/NĐ-CP on Foreign Investment and Cooperation in Education

DOET Department of Education and Training (Provincial level)

GPE Global Partnership for Education

GVN Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

HSC Host Country Studies

ISSP International School Saigon Pearl (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

MOET Ministry of Education and Training

VLC Vietnamese Language and Culture studies

Traditional Education System (London & Duong, 2023, pp. 11–14)

● Education in Vietnam has a long history that is strongly rooted in Confucianism,

which emphasizes moral values, obedience, and respect for authority.
● During the country's occupation by colonizing nations such as France, the United
States, and Japan, education was primarily accessible only to the elite.
Historical
Post-Independence Education Reforms

● Vietnam began prioritizing education, with a focus on promoting literacy and

Context and
providing foundational education for all (Global Partnership for Education [GPE],
n.d.). Perspectives
● Vocational training and technical education also expanded to support
economic development (GPE, n.d.). on Education
● The Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (GVN) issued Decree No.
86 on June 6, 2018. This was groundbreaking legislation that aimed to integrate
national development objectives with global educational standards.
in Vietnam
○ Increased the permissible quota of Vietnamese students in K–12 foreign
education institutions to 50%. Prior to Decree No. 86, the quotas were 0%
for kindergartens, 10% for primary schools, and 20% for secondary schools
(Department of Education and Training [Australia], 2020, p. 4).
Synopsis of Circular No. 4 Figure 1
VLC Curriculum Outline

● Issued by Vietnam’s Ministry of Education (MOET) on

March 18, 2020 and went into effect on May 5, 2020.

● Followed Decree No. 86 to elaborate on regulations

outlined in the decree, specify implementation
procedures (Article 5), and provide guidelines for
evaluation (Article 7).

● Enforced the compulsory inclusion of Vietnamese

Language and Culture (VLC) program into the
curriculums of foreign-invested schools operating in
Vietnam (Article 1).

● Designed with the intention that all students, regardless

of nationality, gain an understanding of the
Vietnamese language, culture, history, traditions, and
societal norms (Article 6).

● Established specific requirements for VLC programs,

including qualifications for Vietnamese studies teachers,
curriculum content, and instructional hours, as detailed
by Nguyen and Komarnisky (2020, p. 2) and reproduced
in Figure 1.
 Circular No. 4
The Positives
● Potential to support Vietnamese students enrolled in international schools in forming a strong
national identity.
● Fosters students’ bilingual capabilities beginning at a young age, helping them to navigate an
increasingly global and international world.
● Vietnamese high school graduates of an approved integration program receive both Vietnamese
and international diplomas.

The Pitfalls
● MOET’s Circular No. 4 provides a detailed outline of the VLC curriculum’s structure, content,
and objectives. This lack of flexibility limits teachers’ autonomy and critical thinking
opportunities.
● Mandating the implementation of a standardized curriculum with very specific requirements
for compliance across diverse international education settings is challenging, with the process
being unique to each school, and the circular lacks adequate support or guidance on how
schools can access necessary resources.
 Effects of Circular No. 4 on Teaching and Learning
in International Schools in Vietnam

Teachers

● Increased Workload: Vietnamese studies

Schools
● Unrealistic Timelines and
Expectations: The
circular sets an ambitious
timeline for compliance
and implementation, and
schools are responsible
for ensuring they meet
these standards, which
include restructuring
their programs and
● Restrictive Practices: Additionally, the
organizing necessary
staffing and materials
(MOET, 2020, Article 10).
teachers are required to complete and Students
submit multiple new documents and
● Effects vary widely
forms regarding various topics to the
depending on students’
appropriate Provincial Department of
age, citizenship, abilities,
Education and Training (DOET) for
and which school they
approval (e.g., weekly lesson plans for the
attend.
entire year, which must cover the overall
language scope and sequence for the Student Well-Being: The
●
class). Tasks like these can be time circular primarily focuses
consuming for teachers. on academic standards
and assessments, with
limited attention to
current MOET curriculum’s lack of
students' holistic
flexibility restricts creativity and innovation
development and
in teaching practices and limits their
well-being.
ability to tailor instruction based on the
individual needs of learners.
 International School Saigon Pearl (ISSP) (ISSP, 2022)

● Host Country Studies (HCS) classes at ISSP follow the same curriculum as MOET’s VLC program. It is
compulsory for international students and Vietnamese citizens only in the Early Years program, though the
requirements for international students are lower than for Vietnamese.

● From Kindergarten onwards, only students with Vietnamese citizenship continue the HCS course, and
international students begin studying Mandarin.
Figure 2
An Example of Kindergarten Timetable at ISSP

A Model of

Circular No. 4

in Effect

From Elementary School Curriculum, by ISSP, n.d. (https://www.issp.edu.vn/curriculum/elementary-school/).

 References

Canh, L. Q., Levon, C., & Nguyen, T. K. V. (2019). Vietnamese corruption barometer 2019: Vietnamese citizens’ views and

experiences of corruption. Towards Transparency; Hong Duc Publishing House.

https://towardstransparency.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/VCB-2019_EN.pdf

Department of Education and Training (Australia). (2018, December). Brief overview of the Government of Vietnam’s

Decree 86/2018/ND-CP on foreign cooperation and investment in education (replaces the Decree

73/2012/ND-CP). Australian Education International.

https://internationaleducation.gov.au/International-network/vietnam/publications/Documents/Overview%20of

%20Decree%2086.pdf

Global Partnership for Education. (n.d.). Transforming education in Vietnam | Education in Vietnam.

https://www.globalpartnership.org/where-we-work/vietnam
Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. (2018, June 6). Decree No. 86/2018/NĐ-CP on foreign investment

and cooperation in education. THƯ VIỆN PHÁP LUẬT.

https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/dau-tu/nghi-dinh-86-2018-nd-cp-quy-dinh-ve-hop-tac-dau-tu-cua-nuoc-n

goai-trong-linh-vuc-giao-duc-337783.aspx

ISSP. (2022, March 7). Vietnamese language program for students at International School Saigon Pearl (ISSP).

https://www.issp.edu.vn/vietnamese-language-program/

ISSP. (n.d.). An example of kindergarten timetable at ISSP [Screenshot]. Retrieved February 23, 2024.

https://www.issp.edu.vn/curriculum/elementary-school/

London, J.D. & Duong, B.-A. (2023). The politics of education and learning in Vietnam: Contributions to a theory of

embedded accountabilities (PE10). Research on Improving Systems of Education.

https://doi.org/10.35489/BSG-RISE-2023/PE10
Ministry of Education and Training. (2020, March 18). Circular No. 4/2020/TT-BGDĐT elaborating to Decree No.

86/2018/NĐ-CP dated June 6, 2018 of government on foreign cooperation and investment in education sector.

THƯ VIỆN PHÁP LUẬT.

https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/EN/Giao-duc/Circular-04-2020-TT-BGDDT-elaborating-86-2018-ND-CP-forei

gn-cooperation-in-education-sector/441401/tieng-anh.aspx

Nguyen, L. P., & Komarnisky, R. (2020). New requirements for international schools to provide compulsory Vietnamese

language and culture studies to enrolled Vietnamese students. Baker & McKenzie (Vietnam) Ltd.

https://www.bakermckenzie.com/-/media/files/insight/publications/2020/03/vietnam-new-requirements-for-int

ernational-schools-march-2020.pdf?la=en