| A national education system often helps us to understand a nation and its people's future. The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (SRV) is no exception to this. When the SRV was created from the reunification of North and South Viet Nam, critics, using the previous achievements in both education systems, predicted a bright future for the newborn republic. Indeed, Vietnamese students obtained first places in many international contests, especially in Mathematics and Sciences. However, those who took a closer look at the Vietnamese education system had to complain that the "old" democratic education for all during the two Indochinese wars (1945--54 and 1960--75) had fallen backward for the masses.;My thesis attempted to establish the current situation of the SRV's education system, with anticipated problems in the next few years. Case study in the context of comparative education was selected as the research method. Findings from participants and from the available literature on the subjects were compared together to bring out the possible differences and similarities within the context of a modified "emancipatory paradigm." This synthesis presented the education system in the SRV, from 1976 to 2002, with its successes and failures. The problems were identified and confirmed by the findings.;In lieu of conclusion, a tentative solution for a self-sustained education system was suggested, tapping into the most valuable resource: the Vietnamese people with their cultural and historical background and their strong respect for an education for all. This solution called on the people to take into their own hands an education system that will promote equity between the two genders, equity between the rich and the poor, and equity between those in power with the vast majority of the people. |
