Hanoi – Vietnam’s education sector is entering a period of implementation following a sweeping series of legal and policy changes enacted in 2025, according to Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son. The changes, which officially take effect January 1, 2026, are designed to modernize the country’s education system and align it with national development goals.
Speaking to state media, Minister Son described 2026 as a pivotal year, marking the transition from policy formulation to practical application. “The main challenge of this phase is not policy development, but the ability to implement synchronously and effectively in practice,” he stated. The minister emphasized the require for initiative and decisiveness, while cautioning against a rigid, mechanical approach to implementation, particularly regarding school network organization and administrative structures.
The groundwork for this shift was laid throughout 2025, with the National Assembly passing four key laws and four resolutions directly impacting the education sector. These include the Law on Teachers, amendments to the Law on Education, revisions to the Law on Higher Education and changes to the Law on Vocational Education. Accompanying these laws are resolutions addressing universal preschool education for children aged 3-5, tuition waivers and student support, specific mechanisms for education and training development, and an investment plan for a national target program to modernize and improve education quality from 2026-2035.
The legislative push followed the Politburo’s Resolution 71-NQ/TW, which reframes the role of education as a crucial driver of national development. The resolution stresses the need to redefine the state’s role, shifting towards leadership and guidance while simultaneously mobilizing social resources and strengthening international cooperation. According to Minister Son, 2025 was a year of “launching many large projects” aimed at building a new institutional framework for education.
The implementation phase will require the development of detailed guidance and training programs to ensure consistency across the sector, alongside the reorganization of educational institutions to align with a two-tiered local governance model. Large-scale investment programs approved by the National Assembly will also be rolled out.
Minister Son acknowledged that the sector faces both significant opportunities and challenges. He highlighted growing societal attention and support for education, alongside increasing demands for quality and rapid development. However, he also pointed to lingering inertia from outdated thinking and practices, as well as inequalities in socio-economic conditions between regions and population groups.
The minister also addressed the impact of technological advancements, including the digital transformation and the rise of artificial intelligence, and the need to maintain a healthy and transparent educational environment, preventing the commercialization of teacher-student relationships. He noted the increasing complexity of character and ethics education, and the need to address issues like school violence in the context of social media’s influence.
Regarding higher education, Minister Son identified increasing global competition for talent and the need to create an attractive academic and professional environment for both domestic and international experts as key priorities. He anticipates that the restructuring of the higher education system, aimed at streamlining administration and reforming management, will have a direct impact on stakeholders.
In a New Year’s message, Minister Son called on teachers to embrace innovation and fulfill their professional duties with dedication, students to demonstrate initiative and creativity in their studies, and society as a whole to collaborate in ensuring that education meets the demands of rapid development while upholding fundamental values. The minister framed the new year not merely as a date, but as the beginning of a phase focused on the effective execution of long-prepared policy decisions.
