Vietnam is a country on the move. Yet contemporary Vietnam's education system is at a crossroads. Rapid economic growth has permitted rapid increases in the scale and scope of formal schooling, but there is a prevailing sense that the current education system is inadequate to the country's needs. Sunny assessments of Vietnam's "achievements" in the sphere of education have given way to a realization that the country lacks skilled workers. Some have even spoken of an "education crisis." These are not abstract concerns. What is occurring in Vietnam's education system today has broad...

Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic but least understood countries, and interest in the country has surged in recent years. The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Vietnam is a comprehensive resource that looks at the social, political, economic and cultural aspects of Vietnam today. Following an introduction that highlights major changes that have unfolded in the country in the last two decades, the book is divided into 4 thematic parts:

• Domestic Politics
• Economy
• Social institutions and social...