Notes from working with Hanoi’s school principals

I first ran leadership training for school principals in Hanoi around 2019, as part of a programme that went on to reach more than 1,000 principals. At the end of 2024 I worked with a group of Hanoi principals again. These are my observations from those sessions. They are not a study, and Hanoi is not the whole country, but as the centre of education policy it often shows where the system is heading. Alongside this work I have twice been elected to the EuroCham board and served as Secretary on the BritCham board, which has given me a close view of how education and economic policy connect in Vietnam.

A strong sense of purpose. Vietnamese teachers and school leaders see their work as a contribution to the country's development, and they say so. Many describe teaching as a duty rather than a job. That sense of purpose came through in almost every session, and it helps explain why teachers are so respected in Vietnam. Teachers even appear on public posters and billboards across the country, which says a lot about how the nation sees the profession. It matters beyond schools too: the World Bank and others have linked the quality of Vietnam's basic education to its economic growth.

Adapting, not copying. We used case studies from education systems around the world, including Finland. The principals were keen to learn from them, but they did not treat them as models to copy. They looked at the differences as closely as the similarities: Finland's small population, its approach to assessment and the resources behind its reforms. Examinations remain central in Vietnam, much as A Levels are in the UK, and few principals expected that to change. What they wanted were ideas they could adapt to their own schools, budgets and communities. That mix of openness and practicality is one of the system's real strengths.

Growing confidence. The biggest change from five years earlier was confidence. Principals asked sharper questions and were clearer about what their schools needed. Some had introduced free tools to communicate with families, and others were working with local businesses to bring more technology into classrooms. Discussions that once turned quickly to budget limits now turned more often to solutions. Wider access to professional development, in Vietnam and abroad, has played a part.

Vietnam aims to become a high-income country by 2050, and its schools will be central to getting there. On the evidence of these sessions, the people leading them are ready for the work. It was a privilege to learn from them.