UNESCO expert says Vietnamese students need more time for deep learning and experience, with less emphasis on exams

Vietnamese students need time to investigate issues, devise solutions and try to make small changes in their communities, according to Jeongmin Eom, head of education and training at UNESCO APCEIU. She made the comments on September 8 on the sidelines of a regional conference on global citizenship education in Southeast Asia, held in Ho Chi Minh City.

Eom praised Vietnam’s strong foundations, including high literacy, a society that values education and schools that emphasize teaching capacity. But she said the country could set educational goals beyond academic results. Students should retain their cultural identity while remaining open to others, developing empathy and a sense of responsibility to the wider community.

Global citizenship education, she said, should begin with policy and curriculum frameworks. Yet such content can quickly become a slogan if students only learn concepts. They need to work on projects, investigate issues independently, exchange views, cooperate, make decisions and try to create small changes around them. “Global citizens should not be just an idea or a slogan. It should be something students practice in the way they think, interact, make decisions and act every day,” Eom said.

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Global citizens should not be just an idea or a slogan. It should be something students practice in the way they think, interact, make decisions and act every day.

That approach requires enough time for students to explore a problem in depth, find their own solutions and put them into practice. “The education system needs to change to make more room for substantive learning, moving beyond a way of learning that emphasizes exams and academic achievement,” she said.

Eom also said teachers will need skills beyond basic technology use. They should design and organize learning activities, use technology and AI to help students investigate, collaborate, create and develop critical thinking, and apply project-based, experiential and differentiated teaching. Assessment should focus more on student competencies than on checking knowledge alone. Over the next five to 10 years, she said Vietnam should pay attention to AI and digital transformation, climate change and sustainable development, lifelong learning and regional cooperation. She also urged education to preserve activities connected to nature, real-world relationships and communities as AI expands.

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The education system needs to change to make more room for substantive learning, moving beyond a way of learning that emphasizes exams and academic achievement.