Vietnam education ministry proposes teaching Lao, Khmer, Thai, Indonesian in schools

The proposal was revealed as part of the ministry’s plan to develop a national foreign language teaching and learning strategy for the 2026–35 period, with a vision to 2045, according to local media.

According to the road map, Lao language classes would start in 2026, Khmer in 2028, and Thai and Indonesian in 2030.

This initiative is meant to effectively implement cooperation agreements between Vietnam and neighboring countries. 

It will be rolled out in schools that are interested and sufficiently equipped.

Regarding the Lao language, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son previously discussed the plan during a meeting in early June with Khamphao Ernthavanh, ambassador of Laos to Vietnam.

Initially, Lao will be piloted in schools located in border areas, with its expansion depending on teacher availability, news site VnExpress reported.

Currently, Vietnam has over 14 million students in grades 1 through 12.

The current foreign language curriculum includes seven languages: English, Russian, French, Chinese, German, Japanese, and Korean. 

Schools decide which languages to offer depending on local needs and available resources.

English is taught nationwide, while the remaining six languages are offered in about 40 out of 63 former provinces and cities.

From July 1, 63 Vietnamese provinces and cities were reduced to 34 as part of a major administrative restructuring.

French is taught to over 30,700 students, followed by Japanese with more than 20,800, and Chinese with nearly 14,400 students.

These figures include students enrolled in seven-year or 10-year language programs, those studying a second foreign language, and participants in pilot initiatives.

In 2025, Japanese was included for the first time as an option in the national high school graduation exam.

Starting this year, students are also allowed to choose a foreign language for the exam that differs from the one they studied in school, as long as it is one of the seven approved languages.

To support the addition of new languages and the teaching of other subjects in foreign languages, the Ministry of Education and Training plans to develop a larger and more qualified teaching workforce, including increasing the number of native speakers.

The strategy also emphasizes building learning materials and textbooks, as well as expanding the use of technology platforms and artificial intelligence.