According to local media such as VN Express and Tuoi Zeh on the 7th, the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Politburo recently decided to exempt all public school students from kindergarten to high school from 2025-2026 school year, which begins in September.
As a result, a total of 23.2 million kindergarten, elementary, and high school students will benefit. Previously, public elementary schools had free tuition, and public kindergartens had been exempted from tuition since September last year.
In the case of private school students, tuition fees are as low as public school fees, and students pay only the difference between tuition fees and public schools.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training estimated that the measure would cost about 30 trillion won annually.
Authorities expected that the implementation of free education would improve the accessibility of all people to education and reduce the financial burden on families, especially in unfavorable conditions.
EJ SONG
US ASIA JOURNAL
