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Le Truong Tung, Principal of the FPT University made the proposal after a 12th grade student published a one-hour video in which he shared opinion about several inadequacies in the country’s education and said that three-years of high school education was not necessary for every student.

“In 2012, during discussions about basic and comprehensive education reform in Vietnam, I’ve proposed prioritising the education system under a form where basic education includes only primary and secondary education,” Tung noted.

According to Tung, the student’s clip offered a good chance to listen to relatively well thought out opinion offered by a high school student about the country’s education.

“What the student said affirmed an urgent need for education reform in Vietnam. Solutions must be comprehensive and long-term, not temporary,” he emphasised.

 He said that it would be a good idea if Vietnam follows Britain’s education structure. This means that it would take between nine and ten years for a student to complete basic education. After that they could got to a college or pre-university education before entering higher education.

 “During secondary education, students can choose six or seven subjects for study instead of learning as many subjects as they do now. Several countries, including Singapore have followed the British education model,” he commented.

 He said that if the government is determined enough it would be feasible to mimic Britain’s education structure. As a result, Vietnam could buy copyrights to British curriculums for science, math, economics and art and translate them for local students, leaving only a minority of subjects with localised content needing development.

 Basic education in Vietnam concentrates too much on academic lessons instead of practical topics. This has resulted in a considerable disparity between Vietnamese and foreign students, especially in terms of economics and business, he added.

 The student’s video proved popular with members of the public as well as educators.

The 12th grade pupil’s video

Some members of the public considered the student a “hero” or “prodigy”.

 Many others agreed that the country needed comprehensive education reform so as to improve the quality of the country’s human resources.

 Nguyen Tung Lam, Principal of the Hanoi-based Dinh Tien Hoang High School said, “I entirely agreed with the student’s frank and open comments. His action should be appreciated.”

 Van Nhu Cuong, Principle of Luong The Vinh High School in Hanoi, said he was totally persuaded by the student’s views.

 “It’s necessary to encourage students to raise their voice. It’s dangerous when students are aware of the issues but opt to keep silent,” Cuong commented.