Vietnam’s Plan to Recruit 22,000 Teachers by 2030
22 January, 2026
Vietnam is embarking on a major overhaul of its education system with a bold goal: to make English a second language throughout schools nationwide. The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has proposed a comprehensive long-term strategy that will require significant investment in teachers, curricula, and technology - but one that could reshape English language education for generations to come.
At a consultation session held on the 22nd of September 2025, MoET unveiled a draft plan aimed at embedding English as a second language across all levels of Vietnamese schooling, from preschool to high school. The drive is part of a broader roadmap extending through 2045, with milestones set for 2030 and 2040 along the way.
Under the plan, officials envision English being widely used, not only as a subject tested in exams, but as a medium of instruction in classrooms, integrated into daily school life and even used to teach other subjects.
To reach these goals, Vietnam will need to dramatically boost its teacher workforce. They will need 22,000 additional English teachers by 2030 to meet immediate classroom needs - 12,000 of these will be for preschools and 10,000 for primary schools. Currently, Vietnam has more than 1.05 million preschool and general education teachers, but only about 30,000 specialise in English, a gap the country is now seeking to close.
Beyond simply hiring more teachers, the plan calls for upskilling the existing workforce. At least 200,000 current teachers are expected to be retrained so they can teach in English, expanding the pool of educators capable of delivering bilingual instruction.
The roadmap is organised into three major phases:
2025–2030: Build foundational capacity, recruit and train teachers, and begin broad rollout.
2030–2040: Expand use of English in classrooms and strengthen digital and AI-enhanced learning.
2040–2045: Consolidate gains and expand English use across administrative and educational functions.
Experts stress that success will hinge on teacher training, institutional reform, and better incentives, especially for teachers who not only teach English but use it to instruct other subjects such as science and maths.
At present, English is officially taught from Grade 3 in Vietnamese schools, and is introduced even earlier in some preschools and lower primary classes. Teachers using a foreign language in instruction are required by regulation to demonstrate B2 English proficiency at primary and lower secondary levels, and C1 proficiency at high school.
The Politburo has directed authorities to strengthen foreign-language education and gradually implement the shift to English as a second language, with the ultimate goal of creating a generation of Vietnamese learners fluent enough to compete on the global stage.
While no locality has yet fully implemented English as a second language on a large scale, pilot programmes are underway. In the 2024–2025 academic year, more than 112,500 students received instruction in non-English subjects taught in English, and another 77,300 enrolled in bilingual programmes across over 40 provinces.
Vietnam’s plan represents one of the most significant language-education initiatives in Southeast Asia, with clear implications for TEFL professionals. There is a strong demand for qualified English teachers, especially those with experience in bilingual or content-based instruction with opportunities for professional development as Vietnam expands teacher training and competency frameworks. Potential partnerships between local schools and international training organisations are on the horizon as the system scales up. If this draft becomes official and is fully funded, Vietnam could emerge as a major TEFL destination in the coming decade, not only for English language classes, but for broader bilingual education roles.