Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) - Ho Chi Minh City has launched a plan to make English the second language in schools for 2026-2035, with a vision to 2045, aiming to ensure English is used widely, regularly and effectively in teaching and learning and build an English-speaking ecosystem under the national roadmap.
The plan also targets better teaching of English and subjects in English, quality workforce and a generation of global citizens able to integrate deeply, supporting the city’s role as Vietnam’s leading economic, cultural, education and science-technology hub.
Under the plan, announced by the municipal People’s Committee on November 3, the city will deploy key solution groups, including raising awareness of English’s role in education and integration, improving mechanisms and policies to build on the city’s existing English teaching foundation, developing staff and improving foreign language capacity and English teaching methods, and building English-taught and integrated curricula from preschool.
It will also innovate teaching, testing and assessment and develop an English-speaking environment, push advanced technology and AI and upgrade facilities; strengthen international cooperation, socialisation and public-private partnerships; and launch emulation and reward drives.
The city has set Phase 1 (2026-2030) as foundation building and preparation for rollout. In the 2026-2027 school year, it will compile statistics and survey English proficiency among all staff, and review current English-taught and integrated curricula.
In 2027-2028, it targets 20-30% of managers, teachers and staff in English proficiency training, 30% of establishments providing training in English/STEM/STEAM teaching methods, at least 30% of educational establishments with a complete English-speaking environment, and at least 15% of educational establishments teaching subjects in English.
In 2029-2030, each target rises by another 10%. By 2035, the city aims for 100% of managers and teachers meeting planned English proficiency standards, 100% of establishments completing training in methods of reaching subjects in English, 100% fully developing English-medium teaching programmes, and 100% completing school English-speaking environments.
In 2036-2045, the city will focus on upgrading conditions and resources for sustainable development. It will maintain and develop staff capacity, regularly update teaching methods, lift the share of general education establishments running integrated courses to 60-70%, and modernise and bilingualise education environments.
According to the municipal People’s Committee, the city has led Vietnam for eight straight years in average English scores in the high school graduation exam. More than 90% of general education establishments have run enhanced English and bilingual curricula for more than two decades. Since 2014, the city has embarked on the “Teaching and learning Mathematics, Science and English with integrated UK and Vietnam curricula” plan.
The city now has 69 international-model schools, 64 higher education establishments, 154 vocational education facilities and 1,915 foreign language centres./.
