Vietnam Plans to Hire 22,000 English Teachers by 2030 Under School Language Push

A draft plan reaches from preschool to university

Vietnam plans to recruit 22,000 additional English teachers by 2030 and retrain at least 200,000 existing teachers as part of a proposal to make English a second language throughout its school system. The Ministry of Education and Training's draft roadmap runs through 2045, when officials want English to be widely used across around 50,000 schools, reaching close to 30 million students and one million teachers and lecturers.

As of September 25, 2025, the proposal sets out three stages: 2025 to 2030, 2030 to 2040, and 2040 to 2045. The first concentrates on recruiting and preparing educators, including 12,000 new English teachers for preschools and 10,000 for primary schools. Preschool recruitment therefore accounts for more than half of the 22,000 planned additions.

Vietnam already teaches English from grade 3. The proposed change would give the language a broader role, extending its use into other subjects, examinations and everyday communication at school. It follows guidance issued in August 2024 calling for stronger foreign language skills and the gradual expansion of English across those activities.

The ministry's approach combines changes to teacher preparation, exams, curricula and learning materials with greater use of digital technology and artificial intelligence. English would become a tool students use to learn and communicate, alongside its place as a subject on the timetable.

Vietnamese would remain the main language of national life and instruction. Policymakers are also working to maintain support for ethnic minority languages in regions where they are taught, while widening access to English skills that can support further education and employment.

What changes between 2025 and 2045?

The first stage puts staffing at the center of the program. Alongside the preschool and primary recruitment targets, at least 200,000 current teachers would receive training to use English in instruction by 2030. Education universities and teacher training colleges would need to prepare more new English teachers while helping existing staff develop language and classroom skills.

The later stages would build on that workforce. From 2030 to 2040, the plan would expand teaching through English in more subjects, increase digital content and bring the language into more daily school activities. The final period would seek widespread use in teaching, exams and communication, reaching rural districts as well as cities.

• August 2024: Guidance called for stronger foreign language capability and gradual use of English in exams, other subjects and school communication.
• 2024 to 2025 school year: Schools across more than 40 provinces and cities ran programs teaching other subjects in English and providing bilingual education.
• 2025 to 2030: The draft prioritizes 22,000 additional English teachers and retraining for at least 200,000 current teachers.
• 2027: Officials plan to begin a pilot of computerized national high school graduation exams.
• 2030 to 2040: English would expand across subjects, digital learning content and daily school activities.
• 2040 to 2045: The final stage aims for widespread use of English across the education system.

The proposal rests on four connected changes: rebuilding teacher preparation, reforming exams, redesigning curricula and materials, and expanding digital tools and AI. Its assessment plans focus on communication and applying knowledge, moving beyond an emphasis on grammar and memorization. Learning materials would be aligned with international standards and practical use.

A teacher shortage complicates recruitment

Vietnam's planned English expansion comes during a broader shortage estimated at close to 120,000 teachers across subjects and education levels. Around 45,000 of that shortfall is in kindergarten. Middle schools face the most acute gaps, while remote and mountainous communities can struggle particularly badly to find staff.

The newer curriculum has increased staffing needs in English, arts and information technology. Approved jobs have also proved difficult to fill, leaving tens of thousands of positions vacant. For local authorities, the task involves both securing enough authorized posts and attracting qualified candidates to take them.

Ho Chi Minh City leaders have warned that low pay makes recruitment difficult in subjects including English and informatics. In the northern province of Ha Giang, some districts have only a handful of English teachers serving thousands of students, restricting access to regular language lessons.

Plans for full day schooling in elementary and middle schools from the 2025 to 2026 academic year would add to demand. The Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Home Affairs have been instructed to speed up hiring, make better use of recruitment quotas and propose additional posts where needed.

The ministry has urged local authorities to fill authorized positions and seek adjustments where student enrollment rises. Accurate forecasts matter because a national recruitment total has to translate into teachers available in the schools and subjects where pupils need them.

What teachers must be able to do in English

Teachers delivering lessons in a foreign language must meet proficiency standards: B2 for primary and lower secondary levels, and C1 for high school. Vietnam uses the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which describes language ability at different levels.

B2 is an upper intermediate level. A teacher at this level can communicate independently on a range of topics, handle classroom interaction comfortably, understand the main ideas of complex texts and produce clear, detailed language. C1 is an advanced level, supporting fluent and effective communication in complex situations.

A teacher working at C1 can use English flexibly for teaching, understand demanding texts and produce detailed, well structured language. Those standards would guide recruitment, retraining and professional development as schools expand instruction through English.

Teaching mathematics or science in English also requires methods suited to the subject. Teachers need to explain ideas, guide activities and assess understanding through English, alongside having the language ability needed for ordinary communication.

Education universities and training colleges would therefore have two jobs: expanding English teacher cohorts and helping current teachers reach B2 or C1 while learning to teach their own subjects in English. The ministry has said that organizing and deploying training are as important as the number of participants, with technology and careful planning intended to make the work more efficient.

Training must also fit around teaching schedules and remain accessible across regions. Blended programs combining online modules, coaching and practice at school could help teachers progress. Successful local models would be promoted nationwide, supported by English learning campaigns intended to encourage teachers and students.

Recruitment rules and pay are under review

Authorities are preparing new recruitment rules following passage of the Law on Teachers. The changes under discussion would move more screening responsibilities to provincial departments of education, reduce administrative intermediaries and introduce a process with two rounds, including a practical teaching component.

Pay, allowances and career progression are also under review. Draft regulations being discussed would increase base salaries by at least 2 million dong a month, with a possible increase of about 5 million to 7 million dong depending on position and allowances. These remain proposals under discussion as of September 25, 2025.

Policymakers are studying incentives for teachers who deliver science and other subjects in English, as well as those accepting jobs in remote communities. Such measures would support both the language plan and efforts to make teaching a more attractive profession.

Recruitment changes would operate alongside a longer effort to build a pipeline of qualified educators. Universities would need to prepare new graduates, existing staff would need opportunities to qualify, and schools would need arrangements that allow teachers to train while continuing to teach.

Teaching other subjects in English is already happening

More than 112,500 students studied subjects other than English through English during the 2024 to 2025 school year. About 77,300 students were enrolled in bilingual programs. These activities extended across more than 40 provinces and cities, giving the proposed national expansion a base of existing classroom experience.

The goal is to make English useful throughout the school day. A mathematics or science lesson delivered in English gives pupils a reason to use the language to understand a subject, rather than studying it only in a separate language class.

Expanding those programs would require teachers with both language proficiency and the ability to teach subject content effectively through English. Curriculum design, suitable materials and preparation for teachers are therefore connected parts of the plan.

Assessment would need to change with classroom practice. Research in Vietnam has long identified an exam centered culture and large classes as obstacles to developing communication skills. The ministry intends to bring exams and teaching into closer alignment, with greater attention to speaking, listening and applying knowledge in real situations.

Those changes would take time to settle. Teachers preparing students for assessments would need support as expectations move toward practical communication, while pupils would need regular opportunities to use English during lessons.

Computerized exams and AI would support the shift

Officials are preparing to pilot computerized national high school graduation exams beginning in 2027. The work includes developing a standardized question bank, training staff and establishing secure systems for delivering tests.

Computer based testing is intended to create more flexibility in assessing language skills. It could also support new formats that better reflect communication in English, linking the proposed exam changes with the wider classroom reforms.

Digital platforms and artificial intelligence form another part of the strategy, especially where qualified teachers are scarce. Language tools supported by AI can give immediate feedback on pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, track progress and adjust exercises to individual needs.

Used within lesson plans, these tools can extend the time students spend practicing. Teachers could then devote more attention to instruction that needs their judgment and direct support.

Shared lesson banks, adaptive quizzes and automatic grading for some tasks could reduce preparation work. AI can also help produce prompts, versions of exercises and audio materials at different levels of difficulty.

Schools would need to keep digital content aligned with the national curriculum, protect data privacy and ensure tools work on connections with limited bandwidth. Reliable access matters particularly in rural areas, where technology is intended to help close gaps in learning opportunities.

International programs add classroom support

Vietnam is working with international partners as it seeks to expand English teaching capacity. Peace Corps volunteers have been placed in high schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with the largest group to date arriving in late 2024.

The volunteers teach alongside Vietnamese teachers and support lessons focused on communication. Their work adds classroom assistance while giving local teachers opportunities to develop teaching practices with colleagues.

The United States also operates the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program. Vietnamese high schools, colleges and universities outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City can apply to host an assistant for an academic year through the program's portal.

Fulbright assistants concentrate on speaking and listening and help build cultural exchange. Together with volunteer partnerships, such placements provide support alongside Vietnam's much larger task of recruiting and training its own teaching workforce.

Private schools and language centers also recruit

Private language centers and international schools are major employers of English teachers and provide another route for families seeking language education. Large providers recruit in cities across Vietnam, advertising jobs ranging from English language teachers to academic coordinators.

Many international schools and education organizations recruit throughout the year. Hiring is busiest before the September start of the school year, with a smaller wave in early spring.

Common requirements for foreign teachers include fluent English, a bachelor degree and a TEFL or CELTA style certificate involving at least 100 hours of training. These teaching qualifications prepare candidates to teach English to people learning it as another language.

Private sector packages often include help with visas and work permits, professional development and assistance finding housing. Typical pay cited by reputable recruiters ranges from about US$1,500 to US$2,000 a month, or hourly rates of US$15 to US$19, depending on location, experience and employer.

Platforms connecting teachers with schools and international recruitment agencies help place candidates in public and private jobs. This hiring market sits alongside the ministry's plan to expand staffing in the school system.

Remote communities need teachers who can stay

Mountainous and border districts face difficulties attracting candidates because of low wages and demanding living conditions. Some provinces also have limited numbers of qualified graduates and face stricter admission thresholds for teacher training.

Measures under discussion include better housing support, travel allowances and guaranteed placements for scholarship holders who train as English teachers. Policymakers have also explored assigning teachers across several nearby schools and giving local authorities more responsibility for recruitment to speed decisions.

Cooperation with universities could expand student cohorts in subjects with high demand, including English and information technology. In places with very few teachers, volunteer partnerships and targeted grants for equipment and internet connectivity could help students continue learning while recruitment proceeds.

The national target depends on these local arrangements. Faster hiring, better incentives and timely use of approved staffing quotas would be needed to bring additional English instruction to communities that already struggle to provide consistent lessons.

What students and families would notice

Preschool children would have more exposure to English under the plan for 12,000 additional teachers. Primary schools would receive new English teachers and support from retrained staff, widening opportunities to practice from an early age.

Students could encounter more projects and classroom interaction in English, with many schools teaching parts of mathematics, science or other subjects through the language. After school clubs, debate teams and events where students speak English would likely expand as schools build a broader environment for using it.

Teachers would spend more time developing their language skills and learning methods that support speaking and critical thinking. Digital content and AI tools would supplement lessons, offering pupils more practice and feedback.

High school assessment would gradually focus more on how students use English in practice, alongside the planned changes to exam delivery. The 2027 computerized exam pilot is one scheduled step within that longer process.

The draft's reach extends from preschool to university, but its first practical test is staffing. Recruiting 22,000 English teachers and retraining at least 200,000 educators by 2030 would lay the foundation for the wider ambition: making English a useful part of learning while Vietnamese remains the country's main language of instruction and national life.

Key Points

• Vietnam's draft plan calls for 22,000 additional English teachers by 2030: 12,000 in preschools and 10,000 in primary schools.
• At least 200,000 current teachers would be retrained to use English in instruction by 2030.
• The roadmap runs through 2045, targeting around 50,000 schools, close to 30 million students and one million teachers and lecturers.
• Vietnam faces a shortage of close to 120,000 teachers across subjects, including around 45,000 in kindergarten.
• Teachers delivering lessons in English must meet B2 standards at primary and lower secondary levels, and C1 at high school.
• In 2024 to 2025, more than 112,500 students learned other subjects in English, while about 77,300 attended bilingual programs across more than 40 provinces and cities.
• Recruitment and pay changes are under discussion, and a computerized graduation exam pilot is planned from 2027.
• International partnerships, digital tools and support for remote communities would accompany the staffing effort.