Ho Chi Minh City to pilot integrated English program for preschoolers

The pilot of integrating English into preschool education will be offered on a voluntary basis, with parents or caregivers required to give their consent before their children can participate. 

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has stressed that the program must be transparent and non-profit, and that state budget funds will not be used to pay for the service.

Participating schools must provide parents with clear and timely information about the program before registration, including its content, duration, format, fees, and other related costs. 

The program must also be organized in a way that does not affect the implementation of the regular preschool curriculum or the rights and benefits of children who do not participate.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training will oversee the implementation of the pilot, including the selection of educational programs, teaching materials, learning resources, partner organizations, and eligible public preschools.

The department will review and approve the programs and materials used in the pilot and publicly disclose the list of approved options. 

It will also continue to assess applications from qualified providers, with the city seeking to ensure competition, diversity, and more choices for schools and parents.

The program is intended to give preschool children an opportunity to become familiar with English through an integrated approach rather than treating English as a separate activity. 

Implementation must take into account children’s developmental characteristics, the conditions of individual preschools and the needs of parents and caregivers.

The city will also put in place rules governing fees before schools begin offering the program. 

The Department of Education and Training will work with the Department of Finance to determine the nature of the service, its cost components, cost norms, and proposed fees.

Public preschools will only be allowed to launch the pilot after the city issues regulations on the fees and the management and use of revenue from educational support services. 

Schools must disclose all fees and related costs before parents register their children and manage the revenue in accordance with financial regulations.

Local authorities in wards, communes, and special zones have also been tasked with strengthening oversight of participating public preschools and ensuring that the program complies with city regulations and guidance from the education department.

Throughout the three-year pilot, the Department of Education and Training will inspect and monitor participating schools and conduct annual assessments, reporting the results to the municipal government.

At the end of the three-year period, the department will conduct a broader review of the program, looking at educational quality and effectiveness, its suitability for young children, implementation conditions, and the level of support from parents and caregivers. 

The findings will be used to advise the city on the next phase of the program.