World Bank gives Vietnam's education reform a boost with $95 million loan

• World Bank to lend Vietnam $90 million to cope with climate change
• World Bank gives deaf children a voice in Vietnam
• Vietnam to borrow $100 million from World Bank to improve teacher training
• World Bank grants Vietnam $119 million loan to support water supply projects

The World Bank program will benefit more than 600,000 general education teachers and principals, which is nearly 80 percent of the total number in the country. Teachers and principals will receive customized training and support through enhanced school-based courses and an internet-based support network.

“Vietnam has achieved universal primary education, created better learning conditions in schools, and made considerable progress in expanding the education network,” said Achim Fock, acting country director for the World Bank in Vietnam.

“The country is now positioning its education system to provide the population with skills and competencies needed for greater value in tomorrow’s economy. With this program, we are proud to support Vietnam with addressing this next frontier of education development in Vietnam,” he added.

The learning management system will not only facilitate distance learning, but also serve as a portal to a large resource library, a social media platform for teachers and principals, web-based classroom observation and help desks.

The World Bank will help establish a cadre of more than 28,000 core teachers and 4,000 principal advisors who will work in schools and provide customized support and training to staff. Placing these experts in schools to provide direct support to teachers and principals reflects international best practice. Ethnic minority and female teachers and principals will be encouraged to become core teachers and principal advisors.

A number of leading teacher training universities will be selected to train and support core teachers and principals, conduct applied research, and evaluate teachers' needs and the impact of professional development interventions.

The program will be financed with a $95 million loan from the International Development Association, the World Bank Group’s concessional lending source for low-income countries.

Related news:

> World Bank to lend Vietnam $90 million to cope with climate change

> Vietnam to borrow $100 million from World Bank to improve teacher training

> World Bank gives deaf children a voice in Vietnam