Vietnam has experienced profound changes in its economy and society in the past two decades since the 1986 introduction of Ðôi Mói economic reform. In this reform period, education was a top priority in the national policy agenda. The education sector has experienced significant changes since Ðoi Mói. From the late 1980s reform measures were implemented in different areas and subsectors of education in Vietnam. They include the restructuring of education system, education quality reform and education financing reform. Many legal documents relating to education have been issued since the early 1990s including education laws, development strategies, and plans. The education sector also experienced an expansion in student number and enrollment at different subsectors which reversed the trend in the early years of Ðoi Mói when school enrollment fell.
Although various reform measures have been attempted to meet the demand of the labor market in the rapidly changing economy of Vietnam, education quality and outcomes remain a serious concern. This chapter looks at education reform in Vietnam during the Ðoi Mói period with a focus on reform in lower secondary education. Specifically, it examines the curriculum and textbook reform in this subsector. By presenting the evidence in implementing the reform process, it shows that an incremental step-by-step strategy was adopted. Maintaining stability and the interests of different stakeholders is high on the secondary education reform agenda. Thus, cautious moves were undertaken in the introduction of the revised curriculum and textbooks in lower secondary education.