Background and rationale:
In response to growing public demand for good quality education and urgent reform of national education system through private sector participation in the new initiative of “socialization” of education.
Until the 1970’s, Vietnam’s national education system was not bad compared with other developing nations. Since the Vietnam war, however, we have been falling further behind in education quality. Some sources indicate that we are now almost 30 years behind other countries in the region. There are some basic indicators of a failing public education system. For example, Vietnam’s education quality index is only 4.0% compared with 12.5% in China and 15% in Singapore (according to MOET & UNDP sources).
Failing education and complicated exam system have become a critical problem and a major headache for the Government and almost every family. In Vietnam, there are more than 20 million children going to schools at different levels and this is demographically more than 1/4 of our total population. The public demand for education is huge and particularly their demand for high quality education is growing. Given our national learning tradition as well as new economic growth and social change, a growing section of the community is now demanding education of international standards for their children. But where do they go?
There are very few international schools of premium quality in major towns like Hanoi and HCM City: only three in Hanoi (UNIS, Alexandre Yersin, and Hanoi International School), and probably two or three more in HCM city. But these international schools are a little too expensive for the living standards of most Vietnamese families. And yet, these schools are not allowed to take more than 25% of Vietnamese children even if their parents can afford. They have little choice other than joining poor local educational institutions, and substituting it by private tutoring. That’s why most parents would risk losing a fortune to send their children overseas for schooling, if they have a chance, to avoid failing education system at home. Vietnamese families have privately spent hundred of millions of US dollars on sending their kids to the US in the last few years. This would naturally lead to a brain drain and an outflow of considerable resources.
There are various reasons for us to create an alternative model of good quality education at home that both the Government and the people would accept as part of the national education system. This is something in line with the policy of encouraging private sector participation in the new initiative of “socialization” of education that the Government is calling for. A pilot project of “hybrid” private school model with “premium” quality is absolutely a good idea in response to this call for “socialization” by mobilizing popular resources and talents to contribute creatively to educational reform efforts.
To move the reform forward, realistic and effective actions must be taken to break the gridlock as a real breakthrough, not just keep talking and complaining about the same problem. This process of demand-driven reform in response to legitimate popular aspirations for social progress would require a critical change of the old mindset & paradigm in education, including outdated concepts, ineffective methodologies and unpopular practices, in order to meet the Government’s call for “socialization” of education through creative public-private sector partnership for the common good.
Vision and mission statement:
Globe Education Consultant & Investment Corp (Globed Ed) is probably “the first pioneer” of local investors in Vietnam trying to make a difference by developing a major K12 school of “premium” quality with “world class” campus facilities and “hybrid” curricular system. This combines mandatory Vietnamese curricular system with best international practices in a teaching mix, selectively adopting latest international education concepts & technologies and offering the best healthcare & sport services available in order to meet growing public demands for high quality education of international standards, contributing to human capital development for the reform process.
As a “change agent”, Globe Ed plans to promote and sell this initiative to the Government and donor community by developing a successful “hybrid” school model as an alternative “fast-track” solution to the existing problem of low quality in public education. By building upon “socialization” initiative and public-private sector partnership, we hope to build up new confidence and momentum to support new creative concepts and ideas for reform including the creation of a new endogenous center of excellence in education as a constructive leverage and pressure on failing public educational institutions to change (as the lessons in India). Globe Ed plans to work with potential international/local partners, both private and public, to develop more schools of the same model in other parts of the country to replicate this alternative system.
To offer our clients (as target audience groups) with world class education and services selectively packaged and customized for affordable prices to ensure they would “pay less and get more” as values added in the high-end comprehensive education products offered. This would include not only high quality academic values but also world class sport facilities and healthcare services available for comprehensive development of their children’s well-being as potential human capital for Vietnam to join the world as equal partners in the intense process of globalization.
To offer the local community and stakeholders a range of philanthropic and public service contributions including competitive scholarships, free boarding and healthcare for talented students of poor and underprivileged background in the community, who will be identified and sponsored by Globe Ed Foundation ( a non-profit NGO to be set up by Globe Ed for charity and community service). The Foundation’s budget will be supported by part of the school profits as well as additional fund raising from potential donors.
Project development status:
Globe Ed is a legal entity fully licensed to develop and invest in educational projects in Vietnam with possible collaboration from potential partners/investors. The Global International School is the first major pilot project being developed in Hanoi as part of our vision and mission.
Global International School project has been formally approved by Government authorities, including its feasibility study and financial analysis. The land requested for this school project has also been formally allocated and approved by the appropriate authorities. Land’s clearance and payment, demarcation and transfer proceedings have been completed.
The master plan and architectural design for the campus’s school buildings have been approved for construction (except for the high school buildings). The actual construction of the kindergarten school buildings is scheduled to start late 2006.
Initial investment in the school property assets has been committed by Globe Ed investors as their own resources while the rest of funding for the whole project (and other school projects to be developed later), both in terms of property assets and operating costs, will be raised through direct investment by potential partners and/or soft loans from potential development banks / financial institutions (such as JBIC or IFC).
Strategic location and position:
Global International School campus is strategically located in the midst of a cluster of 5 satellite new towns to the Southwest of Hanoi (about 6-7 km from downtown).
Expected total population of these new towns is about 600.000 (mostly middle class and expat community).
The campus is in the neighborhood of luxury apartment buildings and up-market residential quarters, major super-highways, new national stadium and sport center, new international convention center, new supermarkets & shopping malls, etc.
As the first pilot project of hybrid private school model of premium quality as a new center of educational excellence in Hanoi, Global International School occupies a strategic position in our vision and game-plan as the flagship setting new benchmarks for us to work with potential partners/investors to develop more schools of the same model in other parts of Vietnam later.
Large scale and scope:
Total area of the school campus is nearly 4 ha in Yen Hoa - Cau Giay new towns.
Expected total investment in school property assets for the whole project in Hanoi is about US $ 15million (2005 estimate).
This is a “holistic” school system of 5 integrated schools: 2 kindergarten schools, 1 primary school (or grammar), 1 secondary school (or junior high), and 1 high school (or senior high).
Expected total number of students is 3,500 (when fully operational). Among them,
Kindergartens: 720 children; Primary: 1,000 children; Secondary: 800 children;
High school: 1,050 children. (these estimates are open to adjustments).
International standard size of a class is 25 students (while average class size of existing Vietnamese schools now is 40 or even more). The size of kindergarten class could be even smaller than 25.
Modern campus facilities:
Architectural design for the new campus and all the school buildings is executed by RDC (a Singapore-based company which has designed many modern schools in Singapore and the Hanoi Towers in Hanoi).
Modern campus and school facilities with international standards may include: classrooms and conference rooms, labs and workshops, libraries & resource center, teacher training center, cafeteria, student dormitories, residences for visiting scholars. Modern sport facilities include a gyms & sport center and a swimming pool. An in-house healthcare & medicare system of high standards is available for students’ benefit as well as for community service.
This integrated healthcare & medicare system may include: a healthcare & nutrition center for students, a student emergency & counseling center, a student medical resource & training center, a dental clinic (with American assistance), an eyes clinic (with Japanese assistance). These centers/clinics will be run by chosen professional organizations associated with Globe Ed Foundation as partners.
A holistic school model:
This is a “holistic” system of K-12 grading schools from kindergarten to high school (not separated like existing Vietnamese school system).
Global International School is privately owned by Globe Ed investors and partners and registered as a Vietnamese school available mostly for Vietnamese students, with “hybrid” teaching programs endorsed by the Vietnamese national education system (different from other international schools).
As a Vietnamese “center of excellence” in education with premium quality, Global International School is comparable to other international schools of premium class in the market (different from existing Vietnamese schools)
Hybrid curricular system:
Morning classes: Curricula in principle is based on “mainstream” mandatory Vietnamese education system, but selectively modified and upgraded step by step to meet international standards in quality by incorporating some best international practices and new educational technologies as new inputs.
Afternoon classes: Standard international curricula will be delivered to ensure world class quality (in teaching language, IT, music, art, and sport classes). While the relative division of morning and afternoon class may be necessary for the time being for bureaucratic reasons, it is expected to be reexamined and readjusted later to make better educational sense.
Standard language classes: English is the principal language to be taught as a mandatory subject at all levels from kindergarten to high schools. Other major
languages (such as French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese) will be selectively taught as the second language at a choice from secondary school to high school. Language teaching programs will be designed and offered to students in close collaboration with major international educational institutions as partners.
Standard IT classes and e-learning will be designed in collaboration with major international partners (such as IBM, Microsoft, etc) and offered to all levels of the school system as appropriate.
Other optional extra-curricular training needs will be identified and offered to students as required to support student awareness and community service in dealing with potential public healthcare & school safety problems (such as sex education, drugs, HIV/AIDS, Bird Flu, and traffic accidents, etc).
Mixed teaching programs of hybrid model also give students an excellent exposure to multi-disciplinary, multi-system and cross-culture experience in education to ensure that they would be able to adapt to different educational systems. This is very useful for the students in case they have to move to another school system inside or outside Vietnam, and they are qualified to enroll in the new school system without much trouble.
Professional management system:
While the school is owned by Globe Ed and partners/investors (represented by a Board of Investors), its operation will be administered by a School Board of Directors headed by a School Master (as CEO) and assisted by an Advisory Council of appointed eminent and experienced scholars and experts. These Boards would approve the school charter and its structural and operational framework.
School academic and professional management will be run by a foreign-led professional team to be set up by a contracted international management company for at least 5 years initially before this management function would be gradually transferred to a Vietnamese-led professional team assisted by international experts or consultants for cost-effective operation and long-term sustainability.
Talented Vietnamese and foreign teachers and managers will be selectively recruited and retrained in advance to adapt to the requirements of a holistic and hybrid school model. Qualified teachers and managers will be offered competitive salaries and an attractive remuneration package to ensure their commitment and high quality services.
Concept of business planning and budgeting:
Expected total investment in school property assets of the first pilot project in Hanoi is about US $ 10 million, to be disbursed in 3 phases. (This estimate doesn’t include the cost of a 12-floor executive office building to be invested and run by Globe Ed).
Property construction schedules as well as student admission schedules are designed in a rolling out game-plan through 3 phases from late 2006 to 2009 when the whole school project is completed and fully operational.
Business planning and budgeting including envisaged revenues and expenditures will be prepared accordingly in an incremental manner to meet the expected timeline as well as to minimize possible risks and gaps in business planning for such a business venture in a new market still in transition.
This strategy and game-plan also take into account other business opportunities emerging along the way, which might require additional investment of time and resources to be committed by Globe Ed and potential partners.
School educational supplies:
Relevant international / local educational suppliers will be identified through direct contacts or exhibitions to be organized for business opportunity development and establishing linkages. Some potential suppliers have been identified from the UK (such as BESA groups of companies) and from other potential markets (the US, Germany, France, Japan).
A full range of potential needs for school educational supplies, including both equipment and services, will be identified thru market survey and specific needs assessment. An appropriate system of business cooperation with identified suppliers will be set up (with Global International School being a major client and a complete showroom for high-end products).
Tentative student admission schedules:
September 2008: admission starts for Kindergarten school (at C3),
September 2009: admission starts for Primary and Secondary school (at C1&C2),
September 2010: admission starts for High school (at D34).
Tentative construction schedules:
Phase 1 (2007-2008): construction of first Kindergarten starts (at C3) in late 2007 and completes by Sept 2008.
Phase 2 (2008-2009): construction of Primary & Secondary schools and executive office building starts (at C1 & C2) in Oct 2008 and completes by Sept 2009.
Phase 3 (2009-2010): construction of High school (at D34) and 2nd kindergarten (at C4) starts in Oct 2009 and completes by Sept 2010.