Ho Chi Minh City to establish schools with university-level English standards

The Ho Chi Minh City education department has unveiled plans to establish public schools featuring significantly elevated English language standards as part of efforts to improve educational quality across the southern metropolis. Under the initiative, students would be expected to reach B1 and B2 competency levels, classifications based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages that denote upper-intermediate and intermediate-upper proficiency respectively.

The move underscores a strategic shift in how the city approaches English language education, positioning it as a core competency rather than a supplementary skill. Currently, most Vietnamese universities set B1 or B2 as their English proficiency benchmarks for degree conferral, meaning the proposed schools would align their secondary-level standards with tertiary-level expectations elsewhere in the country.

City officials view the initiative as a response to growing demand for internationally competitive graduates equipped with stronger communication skills. The plan reflects broader Vietnamese efforts to enhance English proficiency among younger generations amid increasing regional economic integration and global business connectivity.

Details regarding implementation timelines, school locations, and curriculum frameworks have not yet been finalized. Education officials are expected to provide further specifications as the proposal advances through the planning stages.