Vietnamese primary school students lead SEA in Mathematics and Reading
VOV.VN - Vietnam ranked first in Mathematics and Reading and second in Writing in the 2024 cycle of the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM), according to the country's national report released on July 14.
The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) announced the findings of the 2024 SEA-PLM national report, which assesses learning outcomes among primary school students across Southeast Asia.
Among participating countries that have released their results, Vietnam recorded the highest average scores in Mathematics and Reading, while placing second in Writing.
Vietnam achieved an average score of 334.6 in Mathematics, 323.5 in Reading, and 471.1 in Writing.
The report also found that 95.4% of Vietnamese students reached the minimum proficiency level in Mathematics, while 85.5% met the benchmark in Reading. Notably, 64.9% of students achieved advanced proficiency in both Mathematics and Reading simultaneously, the highest proportion among all participating countries.
Despite these strong performances, the report highlighted persistent disparities in learning outcomes across regions, largely linked to socio-economic conditions, students' living environments and the languages they speak.
In remote, mountainous and disadvantaged areas, 31.5% of students failed to reach the minimum proficiency level in Reading.
Based on the findings, the report recommends five policy priorities, focusing on improving the teaching of Reading, Writing and Mathematics; providing targeted support for disadvantaged students; strengthening teacher professional development; narrowing the digital divide across regions; and continuing to use SEA-PLM results alongside national education data to monitor learning quality and inform policymaking.
According to Pham Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the MoET's Quality Management Agency, the survey was conducted in 152 primary schools, involving 152 principals, 1,074 teachers, more than 6,000 fifth-grade students, and their parents.
He noted that the sampling process was carried out by an international partner to ensure objectivity and scientific rigor. As a result, the survey provides a reliable snapshot of the quality of primary education in Vietnam while enabling meaningful comparisons with other countries in the region.
Vietnam considers its participation in SEA-PLM an important opportunity to objectively assess the quality of general education, benchmark students' learning outcomes against regional peers, strengthen national capacity for large-scale educational assessment, promote the use of technology, and enhance data-driven education management and policymaking.
Khanh added that SEA-PLM is not only an ASEAN initiative but also incorporates internationally recognised best practices in assessing the foundational competencies essential for lifelong learning, including Reading, Mathematics and Writing. Unlike many other international assessment programmes, SEA-PLM includes a dedicated assessment of Writing, making it a distinctive feature of the regional framework.
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