Reviewing Two Educational Reforms in Vietnam in 1906 and 1917

Abstract

Up to 1905, Vietnam consisted of three different educational regimes: Cochinchina using the French and national script, Han character in Tonkin and Han and national script in some schools, Annam nearly with untouched existence in educating and training Han character and local civil and central examinations. In 1906, Governor-general Paul Beau has started to reform the first education, both educations of French-Vietnamese and Confucian learning still existed, but the French and national scripts began to take the places of the Confucian one. After 10 years of application, the Confucian education was given too late because of these students "while the new learning still could not stand firmly, the old learning has been collapsed", thus the French had to reform the educational system for the second time in 1917. Through this reformation, the French crossed out the Confucian education and tried to organize the new education based on the French teaching completely from primary to higher levels, the national script was justly studied at elementary level, at superior grades the national script is considered as a foreign language. This was clearly an education to serve the benefit of the French in order to exploit our people and resources. The French then supplemented some organizations and contents such as extending primary level, developing education in ethnic minorities, reinforcing program at high school, consolidating superior, higher and vocational education. The educational reforms in Vietnam were so far accomplished, which lasted until 1945.