News and Events

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide USD90 million to help Vietnam strengthen teaching quality and courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and social sciences.

The Second Upper Secondary Education Development Project focuses on improving teaching standards by introducing international standards, introducing new training methods and providing new training materials; upgrading curricula, especially the upgrading of textbooks, and special funds for academically-challenged students.

The project is expected to ensure that upper secondary graduates have the skills to meet the country’s increasing labour demands. The project is expected to last for about seven years, ending in 2019.

“Vietnam’s thriving economy has highlighted a gap between what schools teach and what employers need. This project will help prepare young people for the job market, with a special focus on increasing opportunities for women and girls, people with special needs and students coming from poor households,” said Eiko Izawa, Senior Education Specialist in the Southeast Asia Department at ADB.

Currently, less than 30% of young workers in Vietnam, who account for half the national workforce, have completed upper secondary schooling.

Although enrollment and completion rates for upper secondary education shown significant rises over the past decade, academic performance remains relatively low compared with those of other ASEAN country members.

Economics plays a factor in the role of student retention, with only about three-quarters of impoverished students complete upper secondary school, far below the national average.

The ADB plans to lend Vietnam up to USD3.9 billion in the 2012-2015 period, said ADB's Country Director in Vietnam Tomoyuki Kimura.