NINE-YEAR COMPULSORY EDUCATION-A PILLAR FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ORIENTATION FOR VIETNAM

Nine-year compulsory education forms the foundation of the national education system, contributing to improving public educational attainment, developing human resources, and promoting social equity. This paper analyzes the formation and development of compulsory education policy in Viet Nam over the past eight decades. The findings indicate progressive improvement in scope, quality, and implementation. However, challenges remain regarding regional disparities, uneven teacher quality, and constraints in financial resources. International experience suggests that the effectiveness of compulsory education depends on a strong legal framework, sustainable financing mechanisms, teacher development, and the application of digital technologies in educational governance. Based on these findings, the paper proposes policy directions for compulsory education in Viet Nam toward 2030 with a vision to 2045, focusing on implementation of nine-year compulsory education, expansion toward universal upper secondary education, acceleration of digital transformation, and closer integration of compulsory education with educational streaming and lifelong learning, thereby contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) in Vietnam.