Vietnam's Surprising School Results

How Vietnamese students scored as high as students in rich countries on international tests, and what explains this "Vietnam puzzle".

Vietnam’s students perform far better than its income level would predict.

PISA results

In PISA 2012 and 2015, Vietnamese 15-year-olds scored at or above the OECD average in maths and science, outperforming students in many richer countries.

Why

Strong focus on basics in early grades.
Disciplined classrooms with high time on task.
Teacher accountability and training.
Parental investment and cultural value on education.
Equity: poorer students performed relatively well.

Debate

Some researchers note that many poorer teenagers had left school before age 15, which could inflate scores. But studies suggest Vietnam’s schools are genuinely effective.

Link to growth

A capable, literate workforce helped attract manufacturing investment.

Lessons for India

India’s learning outcomes, measured by surveys like ASER, show many children lack basic skills. Vietnam shows that strong foundational learning is possible at modest income levels.

The maths class

In a rural Vietnamese school, pupils spend focused time practising maths basics every day, and the teacher tracks each child's progress closely.

Thinking only rich countries have strong schools

Vietnam achieved high test scores at modest income levels.

Key takeaways

Vietnamese students scored at or above the OECD average in PISA.
Focus on basics, discipline and teacher accountability helped.
Dropout before 15 may inflate scores somewhat.
Skilled workers helped attract investment.