Comparisons

Finnish pedagogy vs Vietnam's education system

Vietnam's 2018 General Education Curriculum reform explicitly moved the system toward competencies and experiential learning. Here is how that compares with Finnish pedagogy, and where implementation still differs in practice.

In brief

Vietnam's 2018 General Education Curriculum (GDPT 2018) shifted the stated aim of schooling from knowledge transmission to developing learners' qualities and competencies.
Under the reform, students are meant to learn more through group activities, presentations and projects, described as learning through doing, rather than only through textbooks.
Creative writing was added as a new requirement in the primary literacy curriculum, aimed at building language competence and critical thinking together.
Research on the reform's rollout notes uneven implementation, with some schools still treating the new competency-based goals as slogans rather than changing daily classroom practice.
Vietnam retains centralised, high-stakes national examinations at the end of secondary school, a contrast with Finland's largely exam-free approach through most of basic education.

Vietnam's 2018 curriculum reform, briefly

GDPT 2018 reframed the purpose of Vietnamese schooling around competencies and qualities rather than pure knowledge transmission, encouraging teachers to build lessons around group work, presentations and projects instead of textbook-led instruction alone. Primary literacy teaching was also updated to include creative writing, aimed at developing language skills and critical thinking side by side.

How it compares with Finnish pedagogy

The stated goals of GDPT 2018, competency over content, experiential and project-based learning, echo core ideas in Finnish pedagogy, particularly its use of phenomenon-based learning. The difference shows up in consistency and assessment. Research on Vietnam's rollout has found the reform's goals are not yet applied evenly across schools, with some still teaching close to the old, more textbook-led style. Vietnam also keeps high-stakes national examinations at the end of secondary school, whereas Finland avoids standardised testing through almost all of basic education.

What this means for schools comparing the two

For a Vietnamese school looking to go further than the 2018 reform already asks for, Finnish pedagogy offers a more fully worked-out model of what competency-based, experiential teaching looks like in daily practice, along with a lighter approach to assessment in the primary years.

Frequently asked questions

Is Vietnam's 2018 reform the same as Finnish pedagogy?

No, though they share similar aims. GDPT 2018 sets competency-based goals nationally, but research shows implementation varies by school, and Vietnam keeps high-stakes exams at the end of secondary school that Finland does not use in the same way.

Does Finnish pedagogy remove exams entirely?

Not entirely, but Finland avoids standardised, high-stakes testing through almost all of basic education, relying instead on ongoing formative feedback.

Are there Finnish-curriculum schools in Vietnam?

See Finnish education in Vietnam for the current picture of Finnish-pedagogy schools and affiliation in the country.

Bring Finnish pedagogy to your school

OPPI affiliates a selective cohort of schools each year for its K-5 Finnish-pedagogy programme, backed by Education Finland. Tell us about your school and our team will reach out.

Backed by Education Finland. Over 20 schools have already affiliated, including DPS, Radcliffe and Sanctus. Places in each cohort are limited.

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