Education continued to be structured in a traditional manner, including preschool, vocational and professional schools, supplementary courses, and higher education. "General" education, however, was extended from ten to twelve years. The first nine years of general education formed the compulsory level, corresponding to primary and junior high schools; the last three years constituted the secondary level. Graduates of secondary schools were considered to have completed training in "general culture" and to be ready for employment requiring skilled labor. They were also eligible to apply to colleges or advanced vocational and professional schools. The general education category also covered the schooling of gifted and handicapped children. As part of the effort to foster "love and respect" for manual labor, students spent 15 percent of school time at the primary level and 17 percent at the secondary level in manual work. *
Although five years of primary school education was considered compulsory and 92 percent of eligible children were enrolled in primary school in 2000, only two-thirds completed the fifth grade. The cost of tuition, books, and uniforms and the need to supplement family income are the two main reasons for dropping out. A huge disparity exists in primary school enrollment between the cities and rural parts of Vietnam. In some rural areas, only 10 to 15 percent of the children progress beyond third grade, whereas almost 96 percent of pupils in Ho Chi Minh City complete fifth grade. In 2000 enrollment in secondary school was only 62.5 percent, much lower than in primary school. One of the government’s goals is to expand access to secondary education. School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 10 years; male: 11 years; female: 10 years (2001). [Source: Library of Congress 2005, CIA World Factbook]
The school year in Vietnam begins in September. The elementary school day lasts from 7:30am to 1:00pm. Children often wear uniforms and sit on benches behind wooden desks with small porcelain inkpots in the corners. Schoolgirls often wear white dresses and boys wear white shirts and red kerchiefs. The windows in rural schools often have no panes. When there is no breeze it can be oppressively hot. In the Mekong Delta you can find schools with children in them flooded with water. As a vestige of the French system many schools are called lycees.
In the early 2000s teachers in rural areas were only paid 24to39 a month. The decline of government subsidies has really hurt education. Students are now required to pay for their books and in some case their classes. Many children help their parents in the fields after they finish school and drop out early to help their families. It is not unusual for secondary students to halt their education because their families can not afford the fees. More students dropping out to look for jobs. Jobs that require education often have a low salary.