Unit 4: Life In The Past - Skill 1

Viet Nam's Past Education System In comparison with other developing countries, Viet Nam’s population enjoys a relatively high standard of education. In the past, Viet Nam’s educational system was affected by many cultures, of which the Chinese and French had most significant influence. The Imperial Academy - the first university in Viet Nam - was built in 1076 under Emperor Ly Nhan Tong for the education of sons of royalty and other high-ranking officials. In 1252, the college was opened to students from various backgrounds besides royal or official ones. Before the French came, the old-type Mandarin system administered Viet Nam for approximately 2,000 years. As the French took over the government’s administration, it was converted from a Confucian system into a Western-oriented one. In order to participate in the civil service under the French rule, the Vietnamese had to convert to the French system and were required to know the French language. In addition, they had to have a good facility with the new version of their language instead of the traditional Chinese characters which had been in use for hundreds of years. At the beginning of 1900, the whole system was revised. An educational system of three levels was established: elementary, primary, and secondary education. In addition, the use of the national language (Quoc Ngu) was added to the curriculum. Emphasis was placed on rote learning, class discipline and other French educational methods. Several new schools and colleges were established. Accordingly, French became the second language of much importance to the students.