Vietnam begins new school year with major education changes

September 5 marked the start of the 2026-2027 school year across Vietnam. Under a new framework issued by the Ministry of Education and Training, the school calendar will be applied nationwide from this academic year onward.

The new school year involves tens of millions of children and students from preschool to upper secondary education. It comes as the education sector implements a series of policies aimed at expanding access to education, improving teaching and learning, and strengthening the use of technology.

New milestone for schools in border areas

One of the highlights of this year’s opening day is the inauguration and handover of newly built multi-level boarding schools in eligible border communes alongside school-opening ceremonies nationwide.

According to the Government’s plan, inauguration ceremonies at the schools are held from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. on September 5, followed by a nationwide school-opening ceremony from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

The programme marks an important step in developing a network of multi-level boarding schools in mainland border communes, with 229 schools being invested in overall. By the start of the new school year, 109 schools had basically been completed to serve students in the 2026-2027 academic year.

The schools are expected to provide children in disadvantaged and remote areas with better access to education and learning conditions, while helping narrow gaps in educational opportunities between regions.

The education sector is also continuing to review and reorganise its network of schools, classes and satellite campuses in line with population distribution and local conditions. The restructuring is expected to ensure that students, particularly those in mountainous, ethnic minority, border and island areas, continue to have access to education.

One textbook set, stronger focus on English and AI

Another major change is the nationwide adoption of a single set of general education textbooks from the 2026-2027 school year.

The Ministry of Education and Training has selected the “Knowledge Connection to Life” textbook set published by Vietnam Education Publishing House for use nationwide from this school year.

The move is accompanied by measures to improve access to textbooks. The Vietnam Education Publishing House has reduced the average prices of textbooks from grades 1 to 12 by 13.3% compared with the previous school year.

However, nationwide free textbooks are not yet in effect this school year. Under Government Decree No. 271/2026/ND-CP, free textbooks will be provided nationwide from the 2029-2030 school year. The policy will follow a loan-and-return model, with the State investing in textbooks for school libraries so that students can borrow and return them for reuse.

Localities with sufficient budget resources are encouraged to introduce the policy earlier, with priority given to border, island, mountainous and particularly disadvantaged areas.

The changes also extend beyond textbooks. The education sector is placing greater emphasis on foreign languages, STEM/STEAM, digital competencies and artificial intelligence, while working towards making English a second language in schools. National policy directions also call for stronger digital skills and the selective use of AI in education.

At the same time, the Ministry of Education and Training is calling for further reform of assessment and examinations, alongside a review and reduction of unnecessary contests and competitions that may put pressure on students, parents and teachers.

These changes reflect a broader effort to prepare students for a rapidly changing technological and labour-market environment, while making education more accessible and better aligned with the country’s development needs.

The 2026-2027 school year therefore begins with several significant milestones: a nationwide common opening day, the first wave of new multi-level boarding schools serving border communities, a unified textbook set, and a stronger focus on English, STEM, digital skills and AI.

For tens of millions of students returning to classrooms across Vietnam, these changes will now move beyond policy documents and begin to take shape in schools, lessons and everyday learning.

Education Ministry pledges enough textbooks before new school year

VOV.VN - The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has requested that local authorities and publishers reassess textbook demand and redistribute available supplies to areas facing localised shortages, with all schools required to have sufficient textbooks by August 30 ahead of the 2026-2027 school year.