THE Second Congressional Commission on Education's (Edcom 2) recent study visit to Vietnam, conducted from March 21 to 24, 2024, gathered key insights on government spending, curriculum development, assessment, and how to approach education reform through a system approach.

During the trip, the commission met with officials of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), visited and discussed with members of the National Assembly, and discussed with Filipino teachers who are currently based in Hanoi and nearby cities.

The commission also noted that Vietnam was deliberate in reforming early childhood education and primary education first before investing heavily in higher education — a crucial factor in their successful reform program.

The commission also found that the management of education in Vietnam depends heavily on the provincial government.

While policies are decided at the national level through the MOET, the People's Committees at the provincial level oversee schools' compliance with education laws, manage resources in public schools, implement educational programs, and ensure adherence to policies to enhance education quality and scale, with accountability for outcomes.

Other key elements that the commission found during the Vietnam study visit were strong support for teachers, a robust framework for assessment and learning measurement, effective curriculum development and implementation, equity in education financing, and parental support and household share in education programs.