Vietnam Education System: UNIS Hanoi’s Commitment to Local Teachers

The Vietnam education system is a structured, centralised framework from pre-primary through tertiary levels under the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). Compulsory primary and secondary stages and exam-driven pathways with an emphasis on academic rigour.

We engage with this system at UNIS Hanoi to enable local teachers to work their way through international best practice, building Vietnam’s national education system and its sustainable development.

Table Of Contents

Overview of the Vietnam Education System: Structure & Context
Partnering with Vietnam Education System: UNIS Hanoi’s Commitment
Why UNIS Hanoi Is a Trusted Partner in the Vietnam Education System
Join Our Partnership for Educational Excellence

Overview of the Vietnam Education System: Structure & Context

The Vietnam education system is designed to offer inclusive education chances to equip students well for professional and academic achievement. It’s a centralised and rigorous system, with the MOET playing a crucial role in policy, curriculum, and exam standards.

There are 5 major levels in the system, each serving a distinct developmental purpose and reflecting national priorities:

Preschool (ages 3–6): Offering optional kindergarten and nursery to develop early social, emotional, and intellectual foundations. Learning programmes encourage children to learn through play and introduce them into formal education gradually.
Primary Education (ages 6–11): Compulsory five years of Vietnamese language, mathematics, moral education, science, and arts. This stage establishes foundational literacy and numeracy, shaping lifelong learning habits.
Lower Secondary (ages 12–15): Four mandatory years within a broad subject field, such as foreign languages, history, geography, and technology. Progression is tracked through examination and teacher evaluation.
Upper Secondary (ages 16–18): Three years with academic or vocational tracks options. The students prepare for university entrance exams or professional certifications. University and career entry are determined by public examinations.
Higher Education: College, university, and vocational school competitive entrance exams. Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees comprise the basis of Vietnam’s human resources.

Partnering with Vietnam Education System: UNIS Hanoi’s Commitment

UNIS Hanoi is committed to empowering Vietnamese educators through sustained partnerships. Our initiatives, Vietnam Learning Together Conference (VLTC), Early Childhood Education Renovation Programme (ECERP), and SENIA training, create lasting impact by equipping teachers with international best practices.

1. Vietnam Learning Together Conference (VLTC)

The Vietnam Learning Together Conference is an annual professional development event that celebrates collaboration and shared expertise.

In 2025, its seventh edition adopted the theme “Unity in Diversity: Building Global Bridges Through Education.” The event attracted over 600 local and international teachers.

Vietnam Learning Together Conference (VLTC)

Highlights included a keynote address from UNIS parent Phil Psilos, with over 60 speakers contributing, among them our Grade 12 students, who provided fresh perspectives on modern learning.

The conference encourages learning and innovation in a peer-to-peer environment. A primary teacher demonstrated how 3D-printing can enhance model design, while the others presented a general view on digital collaboration using Zoom, Teams, and Flip.

Sessions also examined artificial intelligence and translation technologies, encouraging teachers to consider both practical applications and ethical concerns in classroom contexts.

What sets VLTC apart is access: participation is free for local teachers, so there are no knowledge-sharing barriers.

Through this initiative, UNIS Hanoi opens up opportunities for professional development that refine practice, build confidence, and facilitate innovation to the broader Hanoi teaching community

2. Early Childhood Education Renovation Programme (ECERP)

For more than 25 years, ECERP has stood as a model of meaningful partnership. Established in 1998 with the Hanoi Department of Education and Training (DoET), the programme supports kindergarten teachers at 25 partner schools. About 30 teachers receive training workshops every six months on strengthening pedagogical practices.

The programme followed systemic changes such as the class size decrease, enhanced teaching support, and child-centred education.

In addition to conventional classrooms, ECERP facilitated the development of lively classrooms in which children learn through experience, questioning, and discovery.

Testimonials highlight ECERP’s transformative role. Deputy Principal Ms Nguyen Thi Le Huyen noted the programme increased the level of enrolment and parental confidence. Teacher Ms Le Phuong Hang indicated enhanced active and independent students.

At UNIS Hanoi, our ECERP Coordinator, Ms Tran Bao Ngoc, ensures that the programme continues to evolve, sustaining its relevance and embedding positive change across Hanoi’s early years landscape.

3. SENIA Foundations Course & Inclusion Training

Beyond Early Years and mainstream education, UNIS Hanoi also champions inclusion.

We are active members of SENIA (Special Education Network and Inclusion Association) and have worked with them closely to translate an 8 module Foundations Course into Vietnamese over a six month period. More of our Teaching Assistants were then able to take this SENIA Foundations Course and following their successful completion, thirteen UNIS Hanoi Teaching Assistants moved on to receive further certification as SENIA Expert Facilitators — who are now qualified as facilitators of the SENIA Foundations Course and are ready to share this learning with educators across Vietnam.

SENIA Foundations Course & Inclusion Training

The project represents a meaningful step forward in strengthening inclusive practice at UNIS Hanoi while seeding sustainable, local capacity to support neurodiverse students across the country.

Through localisation, Vietnamese teachers can access international materials in Vietnamese, building long-term capacity and ensuring sustained improvement.

Why UNIS Hanoi Is a Trusted Partner in the Vietnam Education System

UNIS Hanoi’s reputation as a partner to the Vietnam education system is founded on reliability, inclusivity, and extended collaboration. We have worked directly with local institutions for over two decades to provide contribution to teaching quality, assist reform, and drive inclusive practices.

Here is how UNIS Hanoi demonstrate our commitment:

Deep and Sustained Engagement: Through over 25 years of continuous collaboration through ECERP, UNIS Hanoi has influenced early childhood teaching in Hanoi with a long-lasting legacy of classroom practice and teaching quality.
Bridge-Building Events: The VLTC has become a national centre of excellence for professional discussion, innovation, and peer-to-peer learning. Private and public school educators meet to share ideas, therefore it is a platform bringing together Vietnam’s diverse education community.
Inclusive Education Leadership: From SENIA partnerships, UNIS Hanoi is a pioneer in inclusive practice to enable schools to develop structures in which all children have an equal opportunity.
System-Embedded Impact: Our work is specifically designed to be woven into MOET reform priorities, learner-centered instruction, teacher development, and universal access.
Accessible, Practical Training: Unlike most other international programmes, which are too expensive for local teachers to afford, UNIS Hanoi training is low-cost or no-cost, further supporting our philosophy of equity in education.
Commitment to Local Development: Beyond pedagogy, our training shares healthier school communities by building connections, collaboration, and equipping teachers with practical, sustainable tools.

Through these strengths, UNIS Hanoi promotes Vietnam’s sustainable education development towards meeting global challenges and opportunities.

Join Our Partnership for Educational Excellence

The Vietnam education system is robust, and it continues to adapt in response to modern challenges. At UNIS Hanoi, we are proud to partner in this journey. Through programmes such as VLTC, ECERP, and SENIA Foundations Course, we equip local teachers with innovative methodologies, inclusivity, and excellence.

Join our conferences, participate in our programmes, and join with UNIS Hanoi to see for yourself the power of collaboration. By working together, we can elevate Vietnam’s education system, ensuring that it continues to thrive for generations to come.