Over 50 years of development (1975–2025), Ho Chi Minh City’s education sector has pioneered numerous groundbreaking and iconic models, including the pursuit of internationally standardized English teaching through Project 5695.
A birthplace and hub for many innovative models
After 1975, Ho Chi Minh City’s education sector faced a wide range of challenges—from a lack of facilities and a limited teaching workforce to an inconsistent curriculum. Thanks to the spirit of innovation upheld by generations of leaders and educators, the city gradually stabilized and successfully built a cohesive system of general, vocational, and higher education.
Over the past five decades, Ho Chi Minh City’s education has achieved remarkable milestones: eliminating illiteracy, completing universal education, expanding the system from preschool to high school, and improving the quality of the teaching workforce. The city continues to lead the country in technological integration, broad implementation of STEM, shifting towards a competency–character-based education model, and developing “Digital Schools,” “Smart Schools,” and “Happy Schools,” while also enhancing English proficiency to meet global integration demands.
Students experiencing modern educational technology applications provided by EMG Education
Ho Chi Minh City’s forward-thinking vision in English teaching and learning—pioneering the goal of making English the second language in schools—is clearly reflected through Project 5695 on Integrated English Teaching.
At the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh City’s education sector, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong affirmed that these results demonstrate that the city’s education sector has been moving in the right direction, pioneering not only in economic development but also in education.
Thanks to the determination, wisdom, and willingness to innovate and break through, Ho Chi Minh City’s education sector has become a leading hub of knowledge nationwide—where many innovative models originate and spread to other provinces and cities.
Over the past 50 years, many of Ho Chi Minh City’s educational models have closely aligned with the goals set out in Resolution No. 71, Conclusion No. 91, and Decision 2371 of the Prime Minister on making English the second language in schools—such as English teaching and digital technology application.
Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong emphasized that these pioneering models reflect the long-term vision, strategic mindset, and responsiveness of the city’s leaders, as well as the accurate, bold, and breakthrough advisory work of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training.
He suggested that the city’s education sector should set higher goals—not only compared to other localities within Vietnam but also across Asia and even worldwide—to continue creating major breakthroughs.
Ho Chi Minh City’s education sector pioneers innovative models
According to Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc, in recent years, the patriotic emulation movement within the city’s education sector has made significant progress, reflected through many remarkable achievements.
The city has also been an early implementer of international-standard programs in foreign languages and information technology.
English Teaching to International Standards: A Forward-Looking Vision
For the past 10 years, EMG Education has worked alongside the Ho Chi Minh City education sector to implement the Integrated English Teaching Project under Decision 5695 of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
Accordingly, EMG Education has integrated digital technologies into teaching, creating an English-learning environment that helps students practice all four skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—so they can confidently use English as a language, not merely as a subject.
The Integrated English Program enables students to approach English as a language
In response to the growing demands of digital technology, artificial intelligence, and modern teaching–learning practices, EMG Education continues to apply and innovate using advanced educational technologies such as 3D models, Virtual Experiment laboratories, and Metaverse-based virtual classrooms. These tools are incorporated into lessons, ensuring that students are consistently exposed to the most advanced educational resources and digital learning technologies.
This not only increases the effectiveness of learning and practicing English but also equips students with essential digital citizenship competencies for global integration.
The 50-year journey of educational reform in Ho Chi Minh City demonstrates that Project 5695 is not merely an educational policy but a vivid testament to the city’s strategic vision. The outcomes of the project have significantly contributed to the sector’s major achievements.
The Integrated English Program under Project 5695 is designed to meet the goals and standards of both the Vietnamese national curriculum and the Pearson Edexcel curriculum of the United Kingdom for Mathematics, English, and Science, enabling students to achieve learning outcomes in both systems and ensure continuity and coherence from primary to high school.
Students in Ho Chi Minh City in an Integrated English classroom
The program not only focuses on knowledge but also sets clear learning outcomes aligned with reputable international certificates such as Pearson Edexcel, PEIC, ACT, etc., validating students’ ability to apply English across academic and professional contexts.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the implementation of Project 5695 does not stop at improving teaching and learning quality and effectiveness—it also contributes to promoting English as a second language in schools and enhancing the city’s readiness for global integration.
Source: Dân Trí
