Compare and contrast the secondary education systems of Vietnam and Australia.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE SECONDARY EDUCATION SYSTEMS OF VIETNAM AND AUSTRALIA
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The Name of the Class (Course)
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The secondary education systems in Vietnam and Australia have significant differences and similarities that should be analyzed to provide information to the global educational stakeholders. In this regard, the paper will provide a comparison and contrast of the secondary education system in these countries based on different perspectives such as funding, structure, curriculum, societal and classroom level. Other important aspects like teacher ratio and privatization of secondary schools will also be analyzed.
Comparison
Both Australia and Vietnam secondary education curriculum have national assessment programs that are used to certify students upon completion of this educational level. In Australia, the students are evaluated in every subject based on ACARA policies, and the overall results determine their next educational step (The FU 2016 Par. 9). On the other hand, the Vietnam government awards students diplomas upon successive completion of the secondary education curriculum (Staff 2012 Par. 9). In both Australia and Vietnam systems, successive students proceed to vocational training and other tertiary learning institutions.
In both Australia and Vietnam, secondary education is viewed as a system that supplements career and vocational training of the individual learners.

This is reflected in the teaching criteria that involves the segmentation of science and other integrated courses. In Australia, the ACARA has subdivided science into physics, biology and chemistry subjects (The AU 2016 Par. 6-7). The subdivision of integrated courses is aimed at making students more directed towards their future careers.
Both Australian and Vietnamese secondary schools consider English as an important subject in their curriculum. In Vietnam, a student needs to have a specified level of proficiency in the language before graduating. In Australia, the English language is the accepted ACARA instructional media (Down 2012 P. 72). However, other subjects such as science, technology, and mathematics are also taught in the Australian, and Vietnamese secondary education curriculum (The AE 2016 Par. 8).
Both Vietnam and Australia secondary education face inequality issues. For example, an insignificant percentage of disabled students that successively complete their primary education proceed to secondary schools. Additionally, the income levels in Vietnam influence the student attendance and completion rate in secondary school education. In this regard, only 54% of children from poor backgrounds go through the secondary education curriculum. On the other hand, about 85% of the students in the high social-economic class manage to attend and complete their secondary education (Brief 2006 P. 4). The inequalities in Australia are also reflected through social classes where students from the lower social class are not regarded as equals to their classmates. The teachers discriminate them and treat them differently (Down, B 2012, P. 100-101).
Contrast
Teaching in secondary schools in Vietnam is facilitated through the Vietnamese language (Staff 2012 Par. 9). In this regard, books and other instructional materials have been translated into the Vietnamese language. However, the schools offer foreign language and literature lessons to ensure the students can interact internationally. On the other hand, students in Australia secondary schools are instructed through English (The AE 2016 Par. 8). However, the schools provide lessons for foreign languages such as French, Chinese, Germany and any other preferred by the individual students.
According to The YBA (2012 Par. 21), the teacher-student ratio in Australian public schools is currently 1 to 15. For subjects that are optional such as physics and music, the ratio declines to 1 to 10. In the case of private secondary schools, the ratio is 1 to 12 for compulsory subjects such as mathematics, and 1: 9 for optional subjects. These ratios are different from that observed in Vietnam secondary schools where the class size or ratio depends on the number of students and teachers in the institution. Also, it depends on the particular subject. In this regard, Vietnam has not been able to observe a standard class size in its secondary schools. Instead, they are increasing student intake yearly without considering the quality of outcomes (Brief 2006 P. 1).
According to The FU (2016 Par. 8), Australia utilizes interactive and student-centered teaching styles at secondary school level. The students are involved in experimental work and discussions that give them the opportunity to discover and identify their talents. The teachers play the role of a mentor in this learning to guide students on solving educational problems as they learn. On the other hand, Vietnam secondary schools utilize teaching styles that discourage interaction and embrace teacher centered method of instruction. In this regard, the teachers focus on discipline issue rather than the benefit of interaction and self-discovery. Additionally, some secondary schools in Vietnam use the traditional teaching methods that are examination oriented (Hieu 2009 Par 9-12). In this regard, Vietnam secondary schools produce many shy students with poor personality.
Secondary school teacher education in Vietnam involves joining a distinct college and pursuing a diploma certificate for three years. Upon graduation, one is qualified to apply in any secondary school to teach his or her specialized subjects (Hoan 2016 Par. 8-12). The Vietnam teachers are trained on traditional teaching methods such as using chalk and reading summarized notes for students. On the other hand, secondary school teachers in Australia enroll for a college of education that is part of a recognized university in the country. They study for three years and graduate with a relevant diploma. The Australian teacher training program emphasizes on communication skill, practical work, and numeracy. Additionally, the teachers attend a two-year practicum session to adapt to the learning system in secondary schools before actual employment (The AU 2015 Par. 4-9).
The secondary education system in Australia produces students that are self-reliant and competitive globally. Also, the secondary school graduates can engage in entrepreneurial ventures that create employment opportunities in the society. This shows its general relevance to the society. On the other hand, the Vietnam secondary education is perceived to be important based on its role of enlightening the students and making them pass exams (Hieu 2009 Par. 1-6). However, when critically analyzed, the system produces graduates that are shy and passive. Also, their knowledge levels are lower compared to international standards. Thus, the system does not produce self-reliant individuals that can create employment in the society.
Key Contextual Factors that Account for the Differences in Vietnam and Australia Secondary School Systems
The government of Vietnam has not initiated educational reforms to match those of the international standards. In this perspective, the teachers use outdated curriculum and teaching styles that do not reflect the current trends (Hieu 2009 Par. 12). On the other hand, the Australian government reviews its educational policies regularly to match the international standards.
The secondary school teachers in Vietnam are paid poorly such that they need to engage in extra income generating activities to be able to afford a decent life. The salaries for the Vietnam teachers range from $ 142 to 166 per month (The VNN 2012, Par. 9-12). This makes them reluctant to take personal initiative in transforming the education system. However, this is different in Australia as teachers are well-paid, and the salary increment is done regularly to match the inflation rates. Therefore, they are satisfied and dedicate their efforts to the profession hence transforming the system on their own.
The Australian government provides enough funding for the public secondary schools such that they can offer standard education to the learners through the availability of facilities and resources (The YBA 2012 Par. 3). On the other hand, the Vietnamese government has not been able to fund its secondary public education properly (Brief 2006 P. 3). This has led to the need for external intervention from different organizations to make some schools operational.
Future Directions and Challenges for Secondary Education System in Vietnam and Australia
Currently, the Vietnamese people are striving for the review of the secondary school education policies. This shows that the country is likely to have an improved secondary school system that takes into consideration the salaries of teachers, teaching styles and the curriculum (Hieu 2009 Par. 22). However, Vietnam is likely to face the challenge of insufficient funds. In this regard, it will be required to seek external support from developed countries and other business partners to effect the speculated educational changes. Additionally, the system faces the challenge of training more teachers to lower the teacher-student ratio accordingly. However, this will force the government and educational agencies to entice youths in the society to join the teaching profession due to the existing poor reputation (The VNN. 2012 Par. 2).
The Australian education sector has developed improvement plans for both secondary education and other levels. In this plan, the country aims at being among the top countries internationally, especially in science and mathematics subjects. It intends to attain equality and equity in its schools that reflect international standards. The speculated plan is expected to be implemented and achieved by 2025 (The PA 2016 Par. 1). However, the Australian institutions and the government will face the challenge of inadequate funds. This can, however, be solved by favorably adjusting the national budget.

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