UNESCO and SEAMEO Report: Technology revolutionizing education in Viet Nam and the region, but not a one-size-fits-all solution

Ha Noi, 24 May 2024. A new report by the Global Education Monitoring Report at UNESCO and the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) shows that technology is changing the way education is being delivered in Southeast Asia. Presented for the first time in Viet Nam during a high-level event organized by the UNESCO Office in Ha Noi and the Viet Nam National Institute of Educational Sciences, the report celebrates the increased ability of learners to access learning in remote areas and during emergencies thanks to technology but cautions that it is not a blanket solution for addressing major education challenges. 

Entitled A tool on whose terms? The high-level national launch in Viet Nam will be attended by senior representatives from Ministry of Education and Training and its relevant departments, line ministries, sub-national education authorities, SEAMEO, development partners, academia, faculty and teachers and learners from education institutions across the country; and representatives from the private sector. Discussions will assess the current use of technology in education in the country and the implications for the way forward

At the regional level, Southeast Asia has placed high priority on technological reform for socioeconomic development. There are now some 400 million internet users in the region; in 2020, about 40 million went online for the first time. With almost 3 million enrolments, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam had the highest growth rate of new learners in Coursera, a massive open online course provider in 2021. Nine out of ten schools in Viet Nam are connected to the internet at present, and national benchmark targets have been set to reach 100% connectivity in schools by the year 2025.

Yet the event will address gaps remaining for all learners to benefit from technology's full potential. There are around three students per computer at present. There also remain notable wealth gaps: 95% of the richest children benefit from the internet at home compared with only 18% of the poorest - the widest divide in South-east Asia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, students from the poorest households were 34% less likely to experience distance learning than those from the richest. The urban-rural gap is notable as well: There is a 23-percentage point gap between the share of urban and rural women with ICT skills.  

“The Report is a unique resource to navigate the digital transformation in Viet Nam and in the region and ensure that the learner is at the centre of any decision to use technology in an education setting. Technology has immense potential to transform learning, enhance teaching methods, broaden access, and improve educational management, but not every use may be appropriate. Our report urges policymakers to first understand the specific educational challenges before choosing the appropriate technology to address them,” said Manos Antoninis, director of the Global Education Monitoring Report. 

At the occasion of the launch event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Vice Minister of MOET stated: “The findings from the Report offer a framework to critically review the use of technology in education in Viet Nam in a comprehensive way. The policy recommendations also provide both specific and broad suggestions, based on evidence, towards an equitable, inclusive and quality education for all learners in the context of rapid digital transformation, especially in education.”

As the education technology industry quickly expands, the report warns that decisions on using technology in school are often not based on evidence. Rigorous evaluation is often lacking, and evidence is not tailored to the Southeast Asian context. Even companies cannot prove the effectiveness of their products: less than 10% of edtech companies operating in Indonesia could produce evidence of their products. Investments are being made without considering the long-term implications, with costs estimated at USD 18 billion to connect all schools in lower-middle-income countries in the region to the internet.

While better support is needed for teachers, in Viet Nam teachers were on average more prepared and ready to use ICTs in education. Almost 90% of teachers felt ‘quite’ or ‘very’ confident in using ICT. More than 95% of teachers acknowledge the positive impact of integrating technology into their teaching.  This contrasts with other countries from the region where nearly one third of primary school teachers reported feeling ‘not very’ or ‘not at all’ confident in using ICT in 2019. 

A campaign #TechOnOurTerms alongside the report advocates for a learner-centered approach to digital education. Programmes ensuring that schools provide each student with a personal learning device were once used in the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, for example. In Thailand, over 800,000 tablets were distributed to primary schools, but this was then later discontinued due to implementation challenges. But while access to infrastructure and devices is important, it needs to be accompanied by a holistic approach that places a strong emphasis on teacher training, evidence and maintenance and implementation costs.

Prof.Dr. Le Anh Vinh - Director-General of the Viet Nam National Institute of Educational Sciences, Team Lead of the Country Paper for the 2023 GEM for Southeast Asia Report shared “Viet Nam’s participation in the country case studies for the UNESCO’s 2023 GEM Southeast Asia Report is truly a valuable opportunity not only for researchers but also for policy-makers to analyze data for formulating strategies and policies for promoting technology to support education transformation. This also helps to place stronger emphasis on the diverse needs of learners from different backgrounds as well as the sustainable development of the country.”

***

Media contacts: 

UNESCO Ha Noi

Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Tam

Email: tt.tran@unesco.org 

***

About the Global Education Monitoring Report: Established in 2002, the GEM Report is an editorially independent report, hosted and published by UNESCO. At the 2015 World Education Forum, it received a mandate from 160 governments to monitor and report on progress on education in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular reference to the SDG 4 monitoring framework, and the implementation of national and international strategies to help hold all relevant partners to account for their commitments.

About the  Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization: Established in 1965, SEAMEO promotes regional cooperation in education, science, and culture among 11 Southeast Asian countries.  SEAMEO counts on a network of 26 specialist centres and network that undertake training and research programmes in various fields of education, science, and culture. SEAMEO’s vision is to nurture human capacities and explore its peoples’ fullest potential, making their lives better through quality and equity in education, and information and communication technology, among others, in Southeast Asia.

About the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES): Established in 1961, VNIES is a national think-tank to advise and assist the Ministry of Education and Training in all areas of operations. It laid a strong foundation for building the Vietnamese education system which aims to be both modern and reflective of national identity. VNIES helps to address priorities arising within the education system such as digital transformation. In 2023, VNIES produced the country case study for the Global Education Monitoring Report for Southeast Asia titled “Technology in education: a case study on Viet Nam”.