The Education System in Vietnam

The educational system of Vietnam is represented by a broad government-controlled network of schools, universities and colleges. It has 5 classifications: kindergarten; primary, intermediate, secondary, and higher education.

Pre-primary or kindergarten accepts children with age of 18 months to 5 years. it is not compulsory and is generally popular I major cities such as Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Can Tho, and Vung Tau. Primary education is the normal starting level for most Vietnamese and is required for every student. It admits children of age 6 and lasts for 5 years. After finishing the 5th grade, students needed to pass the Elementary Graduation Examination. Intermediate education consists of grade 6 to 9 and graduating students are required to pass the Intermediate Graduation Examination (IGE). The secondary education or high school is from grade 10 to 12 and students must attend a graduation test given by the Province’s education service. The test is generally has 6 subjects, 3 of which are always included – foreign language, mathematics, and literature.

All students aspiring to go to college or a university must pass the University Entrance Examination (UEE). In 2004, the government projected that almost 1 million Vietnamese students took the exam. Usually students take 3 exams, each lasts for 3 hours for the fixed group of subjects (Group A – Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry | Group B – Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry | Group C – Literature, History, Geography | Group D – Literature, Foreign Language, Mathematics). The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam reported there are approximately 30 non-public universities in the country.