THE Second Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM 2 has gathered key insights on government spending, curriculum development, assessment, and how to approach education reform through a system approach during the recent study visit to Vietnam.

During the trip, the Commission met with officials of the Ministry of Education and Training, visited and discussed with members of the National Assembly, and discussed with Filipino teachers who are currently based in Hanoi and nearby cities.

“Your education system has achieved what many thought impossible—outperforming many OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries in the Programme for International Student Assessment, despite the substantial difference in economic development, and education spending levels”, said Senator Win Gatchalian, EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson.

“This is a clear indication that with the right policies, success is within reach”, he continued.

Reading literacy was also a key issue that the Commission looked into in Vietnam.

While the GDP of Vietnam and the Philippines are comparable — 408.8 B and 404.3 B as of 2022, respectively — the learning poverty rate could not be more different.

The Philippines’ learning poverty rate is at 90.9%, while Vietnam’s is at a mere 18.1% in 2022.

The Commission found several factors that contributed to Vietnam’s strong showing in reading literacy in international assessments, including significant investments in education, decentralization, prioritizing early childhood care and nutrition, and giving teachers necessary support.

In particular, the 2019 Law on Education mandated the Vietnamese government to invest 20% of the total state budget for education and training.

Further, Vietnam spends more on their students, per capita, at the primary level.

In 2022, Vietnam spent USD745.8 per student in Grades 1 to 3, while the Philippines spent only an average of USD 328.