Following a strong performance in PISA 2012 Vietnam caught the world’s
attention. This research project sought to assess the state of Vietnam’s education
system and identify an explanation for the country’s recent success. Ho Chi Minh City
(HCMC) was chosen as a case study city in order to explore the education reform
journey in greater detail. The evidence suggests that this success was not just a
one-off, and that the education system in the country has been steadily improving for
over a decade, particularly in major cities such as HCMC. The national and local
government implemented a reform programme based on a comprehensive theory
of change using a small number of linked key policy levers: targeted investment,
a changed curriculum and pedagogy, and a focus on teacher quality. Alongside this,
there has been an emphasis on communications and the creation of a social
coalition for change.