HCMC – The Vietnamese Government has approved a plan to make English a compulsory subject starting from grade 1, as part of its broader goal to establish English as the country’s second language in schools between 2025 and 2035, with a vision extending to 2045.
Under Decision No. 2371, the “English as a Second Language in Schools” project aims to integrate English into teaching, communication, management, and other school activities nationwide. The plan will be implemented over 20 years and divided into three main phases.
From 2025 to 2030, the first phase will focus on building a foundation to ensure English is regularly and systematically used in educational environments. The second phase (2030–2035) will expand and strengthen the use of English in schools, while the third phase (2035–2045) will aim to make English a natural part of education, communication, and school administration.
A key change will occur in the first phase, as English becomes a mandatory subject from grade 1 instead of grade 3, as is currently the case.
The project is expected to affect around 50,000 educational institutions, involving nearly 30 million students and around one million teachers and administrators across all levels.
To meet staffing needs, the Ministry of Education and Training plans to introduce an additional 12,000 English teaching positions in public preschools nationwide. The primary education level will require nearly 10,000 more English teachers.
Furthermore, about 200,000 teachers will need to be trained or retrained to teach in English by 2035 to meet the program’s objectives.
