On 4/12, the National Assembly Standing Committee discussed draft amendments to the Law on Education, the Law on Higher Education, and the Law on Vocational Education.
A new point in the Law on Vocational Education allows universities currently training in specialized fields such as art, sports, pedagogy, military, and public security to offer college, intermediate, and vocational high school levels in the same area. The government will stipulate separate requirements and conditions to prevent institutions from "massively enrolling college-level students".
Regarding pedagogical colleges, Minister Nguyen Kim Son stated that only three or four institutions would remain independent. The majority will be merged into pedagogical universities.
 |
Teachers at Bui Van Moi Primary School, TP HCM, on the first day of the 2025-2026 school year. Photo: Quynh Tran
The country currently has 103 teacher training institutions, including 65 universities, 20 pedagogical colleges, and 18 multi-disciplinary colleges.
The Ministry of Education and Training assesses that the pedagogical school system is unevenly distributed, concentrating only a few large institutions in socio-economic centers. The role of pedagogical colleges is diminishing. This group currently only trains preschool teachers, whereas previously they also trained primary and lower secondary school teachers. This is because the 2019 Law on Education requires teachers at these two levels to hold a university degree or higher.
According to the Master Plan for the Network of Higher Education and Pedagogical Institutions for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, by 2030, the number of universities training teachers will be 48-50, a reduction of 15-17 institutions compared to the present.
Training scale will reach 180,000-200,000 students, comprising 85% at university level and 15% at college level. The two key institutions are Hanoi Pedagogical University and Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University; along with 12 institutions under the Ministry of Education and Training, national universities, and regional universities, they will play a core role in the network. This group will train approximately 64% of the pedagogical student population.
Institutions under provincial People's Committees and other public schools with a tradition of pedagogical training will account for approximately 30% of the scale, primarily serving local needs.
| No. | Institution | Projected Teacher Training Scale |
| 1 | Hanoi Pedagogical University | 18,000-20,000 |
| 2 | Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University | 22,000-24,000 |
| 3 | Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 | 9,000-10,000 |
| 4 | University of Education, Vietnam National University Hanoi | 5,400-6,000 |
| 5 | Tay Bac University | 4,500-5,000 |
| 6 | Thai Nguyen University of Education | 9,000-10,000 |
| 7 | Vinh University | 7,200-8,000 |
| 8 | Hue University of Education | 7,200-8,000 |
| 9 | Da Nang University of Education | 5,400-6,000 |
| 10 | Quy Nhon University | 4,500-5,000 |
| 11 | Tay Nguyen University | 4,500-5,000 |
| 12 | Da Lat University | 4,500-5,000 |
| 13 | Can Tho University | 7,200-8,000 |
| 14 | Dong Thap University | 7,200-8,000 |
Le Nguyen
