Vietnam's Primary Students Remain Among Southeast Asia's Leaders in SEA-PLM 2024

Early Results Put Vietnam in the Leading Group

Vietnamese primary school students remain among Southeast Asia's leading performers in mathematics, reading comprehension and writing, according to preliminary findings from the 2024 Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics assessment announced by Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). The national survey covered 152 elementary schools across 53 provinces and cities, giving the assessment a broad sample of the country's primary education system.

Seven countries took part in the 2024 cycle: Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The early findings place Vietnam in the leading group across all three assessed competencies, continuing the strong performance its students recorded in the first assessment in 2019.

As of June 12, 2025, detailed official scores and rankings for the 2024 assessment were expected by the end of 2025. For now, the ministry's announcement gives an early picture of Vietnam's regional standing, while the full results will provide the figures needed for a closer comparison between countries and assessment cycles.

Vietnam's performance matters because the assessment examines skills children need throughout their education: understanding what they read, working with numbers and expressing ideas in writing. It also gathers information about their learning environments, allowing education authorities to examine achievement alongside conditions at home and school.

What SEA-PLM Measures

The Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics program, known as SEA-PLM, is a collaborative initiative led by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), UNICEF's regional office and the East Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau. It was developed to provide a common framework for assessing primary school learning in participating countries.

SEA-PLM focuses on literacy, numeracy, writing and global citizenship. Literacy concerns understanding and using written language, while numeracy concerns understanding and using numbers. The program looks at how children apply their skills in practical situations, rather than examining knowledge alone.

The assessment runs every five years and is described as the first regional assessment to use a model based on ASEAN values. Its common framework allows countries to compare learning outcomes while examining how children use their knowledge in contexts that matter beyond a test.

Writing is an important part of that approach. SEA-PLM assesses writing competence across different writing systems used in the region, making it possible to examine children's ability to communicate in writing across diverse national settings.

Students, teachers, schools and parents contribute information through tests and questionnaires. Together, those responses provide a wider picture of education than test scores alone, covering both learning outcomes and the environments in which children study.

A Broader Regional Assessment in 2024

Vietnam's participation gives education authorities a way to compare the country's primary education system with those of regional peers. The survey at 152 elementary schools across 53 provinces and cities was designed to provide a broad and representative national sample.

The 2024 cycle expanded participation from six countries to seven. Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam had participated in the inaugural 2019 assessment. Timor-Leste joined that group for the 2024 cycle.

A shared assessment gives participating countries comparable information about student learning. Policymakers and educators can use it to identify strengths, locate areas needing improvement and develop strategies aimed at better outcomes.

For Vietnam, the early results continue a pattern of high achievement. The fuller policy value comes from examining those results alongside information about students, teachers, schools and families, so that national achievement can be connected with the conditions supporting learning.

Vietnam's 2019 Scores Set a Strong Benchmark

Vietnam led the participating countries in the inaugural SEA-PLM assessment in 2019. Its average scores were 341.55 in mathematics, 336.46 in reading and 328.01 in writing. The corresponding regional averages were 304.79, 300 and 304.92.

Those figures put Vietnam 36.76 points above the regional average in mathematics, 36.46 points above it in reading and 23.09 points above it in writing. Mathematics and reading therefore showed larger gaps above the regional averages than writing, although Vietnam led across all three subjects.

The figures are scores on assessment scales, used to compare learning performance. Reading them alongside regional averages makes their meaning easier to understand: Vietnamese students achieved higher average results than the participating regional group in each assessed subject.

The preliminary 2024 findings indicate that Vietnam has maintained a place among the leaders as the assessment has expanded. Its performance across both cycles points to sustained strength in foundational learning, supported by education policies and the work of teachers and students.

How the Results Compare With PISA

Vietnam's regional primary school results sit alongside its performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), PISA evaluates reading, mathematics and science among students aged 15 around the world.

In PISA 2022, Vietnamese students ranked second in the ASEAN region after Singapore. Among 81 countries and economies, Vietnam placed 31st in mathematics, 35th in science and 34th in reading.

SEA-PLM examines primary education, while PISA assesses students at age 15. Together, the two assessments provide views of learning at different stages of schooling. Vietnam's performance in both shows that its strong results extend beyond a single assessment of one age group.

When socioeconomic factors are taken into account, Vietnamese students' mathematics scores are among the highest globally, behind Hong Kong (China), Taiwan and South Korea. Adjusting for socioeconomic conditions means considering performance in relation to the economic and social circumstances in which students learn.

Vietnam has a lower average income than many other countries with high educational performance. Its results therefore highlight the country's ability to achieve strong learning outcomes with more limited resources, as well as the importance of examining efficiency and equity in education.

The Factors Behind Strong Learning Outcomes

Vietnam's government has consistently treated education as a foundation for national development. Investments in teacher training, curriculum reform and school infrastructure have helped create conditions that support learning.

Families also place a high value on education. Many make substantial sacrifices to support children's studies, contributing to student motivation and parental involvement. That support connects learning at school with the attention children receive at home.

Vietnamese teachers' dedication and professionalism are another part of the country's educational strengths. Teaching places importance on mastery of foundational skills, regular assessment and targeted help for students who struggle. In practical terms, this means checking what children understand and providing support where they need it.

Vietnam has also expanded access to education, particularly in rural and disadvantaged areas. Policies intended to reduce disparities have helped spread strong performance beyond urban centers, making access to good schooling a central part of the country's achievements.

A rigorous curriculum and attention to applying knowledge in practical situations work alongside these factors. The combination of government commitment, family support, teaching practices and wider access helps explain Vietnam's sustained performance in regional and international assessments.

How the Findings Can Shape Education Policy

SEA-PLM provides governments with information they can use to improve education over time. Its findings help countries monitor progress toward national education goals and identify gaps in learning, including differences between groups of students.

Education authorities can use the results to develop policies and interventions based on evidence. They can also share successful practices with neighboring countries, making the assessment a vehicle for regional cooperation as well as national evaluation.

For Vietnam, participation creates an opportunity to assess education quality against regional peers, examine current conditions and propose targeted measures to improve national standards. Comparing outcomes with information from questionnaires can help connect policy decisions to the learning environments children experience.

Vietnam's involvement also supports its goal of deeper integration into the ASEAN community and its contribution to a common regional education framework. Shared information gives countries a basis for discussing what works and where further effort is needed.

Learning Recovery and Unequal Access Remain Priorities

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education and worsened inequalities in learning. That experience gives the 2024 SEA-PLM cycle particular importance as countries assess recovery and the effectiveness of measures introduced during and after the pandemic.

The SEA-PLM website describes the 2024 assessment as playing a crucial role in supporting learning recovery, measuring educational outcomes and encouraging regional exchange on education policy after the pandemic. Results can help governments examine how children are learning as education systems respond to those disruptions.

Vietnam also faces continuing pressure from rapid economic development, urbanization and demographic change. Schools and education policies must adapt as communities and their needs change, while maintaining access to quality education for children from different backgrounds.

Vietnamese policymakers are using insights from SEA-PLM and other assessments to guide reforms, invest in teacher development and promote innovative teaching methods. Their goal is to sustain high performance while equipping all students with skills needed in a rapidly changing world.

The Assessment Timeline

Vietnam's current position follows several stages of regional and international testing. The timeline brings together the earlier results, the latest assessment and the expected publication of detailed findings.

• 2019: Vietnam led the inaugural SEA-PLM assessment, which included six participating countries.
• 2022: Vietnam ranked second in ASEAN after Singapore in PISA, with positions of 31st in mathematics, 35th in science and 34th in reading among 81 countries and economies.
• 2024: SEA-PLM expanded to seven countries, and Vietnam conducted its national survey at 152 elementary schools across 53 provinces and cities.
• June 12, 2025: Preliminary findings announced by MOET placed Vietnam in the leading group for mathematics, reading comprehension and writing.
• End of 2025: Detailed official SEA-PLM 2024 scores and rankings were expected to be released.

What Vietnam's Performance Means for the Region

Vietnam's results offer other Southeast Asian countries an example of strong educational performance in a setting with more limited resources than many countries achieving high scores. Government commitment, effective teaching and the value families place on education are central features of that experience.

SEA-PLM gives neighboring countries a shared basis for studying learning and exchanging practices. By establishing common standards and supporting cooperation, it helps education authorities work toward better primary education across Southeast Asia.

The program's expansion from six participants in 2019 to seven in 2024 widens that regional exchange. As participation grows and the assessment develops, it is expected to play a larger role in education policy discussions.

For Vietnam, the task is to combine continued high achievement with access to quality education for every child. The detailed 2024 results will provide the next opportunity to examine both national strengths and areas where schools and students need more support.

Key Points

• MOET's preliminary SEA-PLM 2024 findings place Vietnam among the regional leaders in mathematics, reading comprehension and writing.
• The Vietnamese survey covered 152 elementary schools across 53 provinces and cities.
• Seven countries participated in 2024, compared with six in 2019.
• Vietnam led the 2019 assessment, scoring above the regional averages in all three subjects.
• Vietnam ranked second in ASEAN after Singapore in PISA 2022.
• SEA-PLM combines tests and questionnaires to support education policy, learning recovery and regional cooperation.
• Detailed official 2024 scores and rankings were expected by the end of 2025.