Vietnam's billionaire proposes English education for entire population

Pham Nhat Vuong, Vietnam's richest billionaire and chairman of Vingroup, has proposed broadening access to English education throughout Vietnam, advocating for it to be available to the entire population, not just in public schools. Speaking at a government-business conference, Vuong emphasized the importance of enhancing English proficiency across all regions, including remote areas, as part of developing a "global citizen society." He suggested that businesses, including his own, could help by supporting teachers in underserved areas. This initiative, he believes, would open up better income opportunities for children and promote regional development.

Vuong's proposal aligns with the government's ongoing efforts to improve foreign language skills among students, with the long-term goal of making English a second language in schools. Additionally, Vuong advocated for increasing the number of training programs in fields such as IT and Big Data to strengthen Vietnam’s tech workforce.

Other business leaders at the conference echoed the need for technological and industrial advancement. Le Van Kiem, chairman of KN Group, called for the development of more high-tech, made-in-Vietnam products, urging the government to simplify administrative procedures to facilitate growth in sustainable energy and advanced industrial sectors.

Although Vietnam currently has over 930,000 businesses contributing to nearly half of the country’s GDP, most are small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with limited roles in the supply chain. Vuong stressed the need for greater government support to enable these SMEs to participate in supporting industries, a sentiment echoed by Thaco Chairman Tran Ba Duong, who highlighted the importance of access to technology and production capabilities for industrial growth.