Young Vietnamese are probably amongst the most driven students on the planet, behind only the Japanese and South Koreans. Having worked some years in China, I can vouch that they they are in front of the Chinese.
Having two young children at Vietkids in Vietnam for the last two years, boy they start them early
I can compare Vietnam and Australia, where for Vietkids - with a student carer ratio of about 10 to one, you can drop them off at 7am until 5.30pm. They get breakfast, lunch and snacks all for the equivalent of US$100 a month.
I have one three-year-old in child care in Sydney - with a student carer ratio of eight to one, 7.30am to 6pm and costs A$72.50 (US$46) a day. That’s US$900 a month.
For local primary and secondary schools in Vietnam there still seems to be intense studying but the question of quantity versus quality I’ll get to later.
Looking at what is available, the Hanoi International School (HIS) must be amongst one of the best equipped and up-to-date schools around. With interactive white boards and computer links from teacher note pads, the students pick up their homework and send it back to teachers online. Not only with studies but with fieldwork too, the students get to travel extensively and also spend weekends away on charity work. One parent, however, laments that this computerization largely bypasses the parents, who don’t get to see homework.
Having looked at the top end of the scale, you have to look at schools in general and I have to admit I have no nationwide comparison on syllabus and subjects. I can say the many hours are spent studying but that is all. On the other hand, having taught part time at the Hanoi National University Business School, for their English language based MBA program, for the last three years, I can say that the end product of the school system still seems to be a bit lacking.
All students seem to be well versed in IT applications and they can repeat lectures given, but there remains a big gap when it comes to problem solving.
One thing also missing is after school activities. The study part is covered but social etiquette should also be considered. The total mayhem and lack of consideration for others by school children leaving school in the afternoons is evident. It does not bode well for future adherence to road or traffic rules.
In China, running many varied training courses as in Australia during my university teaching days, I found that Asian (Chinese) students could repeat 90 percent of what I said the next day. Australians about 45 percent. But when it came to problem solving the percentages were somewhat reversed. I finally concluded that to memorize Chinese characters, one needed to know how to learn by rote and this transfers over into other aspects of learning. Vietnamese students are not as bad but still tend to accept what they are told rather than testing hypothesis.
On a higher education level, I have to say I have yet to find anywhere else where so many people are studying. Almost every Vietnamese I’ve worked with has also been studying and I can’t remember so many courses in one country, as there are in Vietnam. This is a compliment but at the same time I am a little sad when I believe some people are really being ripped off. This is because there are some so-called foreign universities offering degrees from what I would consider backyard institutions. Some are founded by religious organizations or born again Christians.
These organizations have dubious certification and while they may be cheaper, even if they follow (copied) syllabi from other establishments, their qualifications will be basically worthless. All foreign employers in Vietnam are now checking credentials of prospective employees, and it is easy to find out the accreditation of any of these institutions. In addition, should a student want to move on to higher levels of education, they will find problems being accepted.
The interest in studying English in Vietnam is also worthy. Here again, while many places are doing a good job, some are woeful. I have a friend who has a second degree in Advanced English Studies from a Hanoi university and I find it almost impossible to hold a conversation with him.
All of this indicates that while education is the way to the future, and study is a way toward achieving a brighter future, one needs to be pragmatic in one’s choices. Find someone’s opinion you can respect and discuss the options with them. Don’t just take one person’s word for it and remember it is your life. The word ‘cheap’ to an English speaker is just that. ’Inexpensive’ is the more operable word.