Homeschooling in the Vietnam

Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MOET / Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo)

Vietnam's Education Law establishes compulsory education for Vietnamese nationals through grade 9 (5 years primary + 4 years lower secondary). The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET / Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo) regulates the Vietnamese national curriculum and the regulatory framework for international schools and foreign-curriculum providers operating in Vietnam. Specific implementation and compliance configurations vary by family situation — Vietnamese families should consult MOET and qualified legal advisors.

Practical configuration for Vietnamese-nationality families

Most Vietnamese-nationality families using Smartious do so as supplementary international curriculum instruction alongside Vietnamese public or private school enrollment, providing structured Cambridge IGCSE/A-Level, IB Diploma or American AP credentials alongside Vietnamese national curriculum and Vietnam National High School Graduation Examination (Kỳ thi tốt nghiệp THPT) preparation. The dual-pathway approach — Vietnamese national curriculum for Vietnamese top universities, plus Cambridge/IB/AP for international universities — is increasingly common among Vietnamese ambitious families.

Foreign passport / dual-nationality families

Vietnamese-American, Vietnamese-Canadian, Vietnamese-Australian, Vietnamese-Korean and other dual-nationality families (including Vietnamese diaspora returnees — Việt kiều), plus expat families resident in Vietnam on US, UK, Australian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Singaporean and other foreign passports, typically operate Smartious under home-country curriculum provider documentation.

Học thêm (extra tuition) replacement / supplement model

Vietnamese families with ambitious children typically invest in học thêm (extra tuition — Vietnamese supplementary academic instruction). While less formalised than Korean hagwon or Japanese juku, học thêm investment can be substantial. Smartious replaces or supplements specific học thêm tracks (SAT/AP/Cambridge prep specifically) with structured international curriculum from degree-qualified subject specialists.

Samsung Vietnam Korean expat community in Bac Ninh

Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV) at Yen Phong Industrial Park, Bac Ninh is Samsung's single largest manufacturing facility globally — producing approximately 50% of Samsung's global smartphone output. The broader Bac Ninh + Thai Nguyen industrial corridor hosts approximately 30,000-50,000 Korean residents, the largest Korean expat concentration in Southeast Asia outside Singapore. This community operates under Korean cultural and educational patterns with Korean International School Bac Ninh as the primary anchor, supplemented by international curriculum via Smartious and similar providers.

Multinational manufacturing executive family framework

Korean (Samsung, LG, Lotte, Doosan, Hyosung, Hanwha), Japanese (Honda, Toyota Tsusho, Bridgestone, Canon), Taiwanese (Foxconn, Pegatron), Singaporean (Sembcorp, joint VSIP operations), American (Intel, Procter & Gamble), European manufacturing executive families operate under home-country curriculum provider documentation supporting eventual return to home-country universities or next regional posting.

Cambridge International examination centres

British Council Vietnam (Hanoi office) and British Council Vietnam (HCMC office) are the primary Cambridge International examination centres, hosting Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level examinations during May/June and October/November series annually. Cambridge-authorised Vietnam international schools (BIS Hanoi, BIS HCMC, RISS for selected qualifications) also serve as examination centres. Smartious handles examination registration logistics.

University recognition in Vietnam

Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level, Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma and American AP qualifications are accepted by Vietnamese universities for international student admissions. Major destinations include VinUniversity (Vingroup's elite English-medium private university at Vinhomes Ocean Park Gia Lam — modelled on Cornell, established 2018), RMIT University Vietnam (Australian English-medium with HCMC and Hanoi campuses), Fulbright University Vietnam (American liberal arts, HCMC), British University Vietnam (BUV — joint British-Vietnamese, Hanoi), plus Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam National University Hanoi, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Foreign Trade University, plus the broader Vietnamese university international student admissions tracks.

Vietnam National High School Graduation Examination (Kỳ thi tốt nghiệp THPT) vs international university pathway

The Vietnam National High School Graduation Examination (Kỳ thi tốt nghiệp THPT) is the competitive Vietnamese national university entrance examination, administered each June-July. The examination pathway supports Vietnamese national and private university applications. Cambridge IGCSE/A-Level, Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma and American AP support international university applications (UK Russell Group, US Ivy League, Canadian U15, Australian Group of Eight) plus Vietnamese English-medium university programmes (VinUniversity, RMIT Vietnam, Fulbright University Vietnam, BUV). Vietnamese ambitious families increasingly combine both pathways.

ISHCMC / BIS HCMC / SSIS / UNIS Hanoi / BIS Hanoi / Concordia / AIS Saigon / RISS / CIS alternative

Smartious provides Cambridge, IB or American Curriculum at significantly lower cost than premium Vietnamese international schools (USD 2,160-6,480/year vs USD 18,000-35,000+/year), with immediate enrolment, small class sizes (4-6 students), and elimination of Saigon and Hanoi cross-city commute.

ICT afternoon/evening live classes matching Vietnamese school hours

Live classes scheduled 1 PM – 5 PM Indochina Time (ICT, UTC+7) matching Vietnamese post-school hours, with 5 PM – 8 PM ICT alternatives matching traditional học thêm hours. Smartious Nairobi-based subject specialists deliver instruction 9 AM – 4 PM in their EAT day. Recorded sessions available 24/7.

Saigon and Hanoi cross-city commute elimination

Live online classes work from any Vietnamese residence — eliminating Saigon's notorious 60-90 minute peak-hour commutes and Hanoi's cross-district travel times.

Vingroup ecosystem and English-medium Vietnamese university pathway

Cambridge A-Level, IB Diploma and AP qualifications support direct admission to VinUniversity (Vingroup's elite English-medium private university, Vinhomes Ocean Park, modelled on Cornell), RMIT Vietnam (Australian English-medium), Fulbright University Vietnam (American liberal arts), British University Vietnam (BUV).

Học thêm replacement and supplement for international curriculum tracks

For Vietnamese families investing in học thêm (extra tuition) — Smartious replaces or supplements SAT/AP/Cambridge-specific tracks with structured international curriculum.

Samsung Vietnam Korean expat manufacturing community curriculum continuity

For the ~30,000-50,000 Korean residents in the Bac Ninh + Thai Nguyen Samsung supply chain corridor — Smartious provides international university pathway access (US Ivy League, UK Russell Group, plus Korean Yonsei Underwood / KAIST / POSTECH) alongside Korean International School Bac Ninh Korean cultural continuity. ICT 1 PM – 5 PM matches Korean school hours (KST 3 PM – 7 PM).

Multinational manufacturing executive family curriculum portability

For Saigon Hi-Tech Park (Intel, Samsung Electro-Mechanics), Binh Duong (Korean Lotte/Doosan, Japanese Bridgestone/Honda, Taiwanese Foxconn, Singaporean Sembcorp), Bac Ninh Samsung complex, Da Nang (FPT IT outsourcing) and Vung Tau (oil & gas) executive families — Cambridge curriculum transfers seamlessly to next global posting.

Cambridge exam centres at British Council Vietnam (Hanoi + HCMC)

British Council Vietnam offices in both Hanoi and HCMC host Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level examinations. Cambridge-authorised Vietnamese international schools also serve as examination centres. Twice-yearly travel manageable for non-Hanoi/HCMC families via short domestic flights.

Founder-led education company

Founded 2019 by Alfred Ouko (BEd Mathematics & Physics, University of Nairobi). Smartious is a registered Kenyan education company operating two physical centres (Diamond Plaza Parklands HQ established 2022, Karen Hardy centre established 2023) alongside the online platform.

Two physical Nairobi centres

Diamond Plaza Parklands HQ (established 2022) and Karen Hardy centre (established 2023). Online tutors operate from these centres, providing accountability and infrastructure beyond pure-online models.

Cambridge-trained PGCE specialists

Teachers are PGCE-qualified subject specialists with Cambridge International training. Subject specialism means a Chemistry teacher teaches only Chemistry — not generalist primary-style teaching.

14+ countries served

Active students across Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, USA, Canada, UK, plus diaspora families. Verifiable through student community interaction in live classes.

Ontario Diploma (OSSD) partnership

Smartious students can earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma through our partnership with Canadian Cross International School (Ontario-inspected private school). The OSSD is recognised by Canadian universities (OUAC), US universities (Common Application), UK universities (UCAS) and globally — particularly valuable for Canadian U15 applications.

6 international curricula

Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level (primary offering), Pearson Edexcel International GCSE & A-Level, IB Diploma Programme, American Curriculum with AP, Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) via Canadian Cross International School partnership, Kenya CBC. Multiple credential pathways per family.

Live class transparency

Every class is live with recorded sessions for review. Parents can audit class quality directly. This is materially different from pre-recorded video courses with light tutor support.

4.9 from 123+ verified Google reviews

Cambridge International

Cambridge Assessment International Education · University of Cambridge

Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge A-Level qualifications, administered by the University of Cambridge's international examinations arm. Recognised by universities in over 195 countries. Widely adopted by Vietnamese families seeking English-language university access (US Ivy League, UK Russell Group, Canadian U15, Australian Group of Eight) alongside Vietnam National High School Graduation Examination (Kỳ thi tốt nghiệp THPT) or as a structured học thêm (extra tuition) replacement model, with direct recognition by Vietnamese English-medium universities (VinUniversity, RMIT Vietnam, Fulbright University Vietnam, BUV).

Pearson Edexcel International

Pearson · UK Edexcel curriculum adapted for international delivery

International GCSE and International A-Level qualifications, administered by Pearson. Three examination series annually (January, May/June, October/November) providing additional flexibility versus the Cambridge twice-yearly schedule.

International Baccalaureate Organisation

IB Diploma Programme · IBO Geneva

IB Diploma administered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation in Geneva. Recognised by leading universities globally with particularly strong weighting at US Ivy League, US selective liberal arts colleges, Canadian U15 and top European universities.

College Board

American Curriculum with Advanced Placement (AP)

AP courses and examinations administered by the College Board, the US non-profit responsible for the SAT and AP programmes. AP scores are widely recognised by US universities for university credit, plus by Canadian, UK, Australian and many universities worldwide.

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)

Canadian Cross International School · Ontario Ministry of Education

OSSD earned through Smartious's partnership with Canadian Cross International School, an Ontario-inspected private school. Smartious students enrol concurrently with CCIS to complete the OSSD curriculum and credit requirements alongside Cambridge or other pathways. OSSD is one of the most recognised secondary credentials worldwide — particularly strong for Canadian U15 admissions via OUAC, US universities via Common Application, and UK universities via UCAS.

VinUniversity (Vingroup's elite English-medium private university, Vinhomes Ocean Park, modelled on Cornell) · RMIT University Vietnam (Australian English-medium with HCMC and Hanoi campuses) · Fulbright University Vietnam (American liberal arts, HCMC) · British University Vietnam (BUV — joint British-Vietnamese, Hanoi) · Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City · Vietnam National University Hanoi · Hanoi University of Science and Technology · Foreign Trade University · Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (plus the broader Vietnamese university international student admissions tracks)

Cambridge · Oxford · Imperial College London · UCL · LSE · King's College London · Edinburgh · Manchester · Bristol · Birmingham · Warwick · Durham · the Russell Group · the broader UK system via UCAS

Harvard · Yale · Princeton · Columbia · Penn · Brown · Dartmouth · Cornell · Amherst · Williams · Pomona · UC Berkeley · UCLA · Michigan · Virginia · top liberal arts and public research universities via the Common Application

Toronto · McGill · UBC · McMaster · Waterloo · Western · Queen's · the U15 research universities · OUAC for Ontario applications

Melbourne · Sydney · ANU · Monash · Queensland · UWA · Adelaide · UNSW · the Group of Eight via UAC

NYU Abu Dhabi · Sorbonne Abu Dhabi · Khalifa · AUS · AUD · UAE branch campuses · KFUPM · KAUST · KSU · KAU · Saudi national universities · Education City Doha (Georgetown · Northwestern · CMU · Cornell · Texas A&M · HEC Paris · UCL)

Berlin Humboldt · Munich LMU · Heidelberg · RWTH Aachen · TU Munich · French Grandes Écoles · Amsterdam · Leiden · Utrecht · Bologna · Sapienza · ETH Zurich · EPFL

Primary Programmes

Ages 5-11 · Years 1-6 · Grades 1-5 · IB PYP

Cambridge Primary, Common Core or IB Primary Years Programme. Live classes are age-appropriate in length (40-50 minutes), scheduled in your local ICT time zone to suit Primary-age attention spans. Small group sizes support individual attention. Weekly parent dashboards and monthly written reports cover academic and developmental progress.

Secondary Programmes

Years 7-11 · Grades 6-11

Lower Secondary (Years 7-9) builds the foundations for IGCSE entry. IGCSE Years (10-11) cover eight to ten subjects with examination registration at British Council Vietnam (Hanoi or HCMC). One-on-one subject choice consultation at IGCSE entry aligns subjects with university targets. Mid-year arrivals accepted with academic catch-up support.

Sixth Form & University Preparation

Years 12-13 · Grades 11-12

A-Level (Cambridge or Edexcel), IB Diploma, or American AP. Small class sizes support depth. University application support across Common Application, UCAS, OUAC, UAC, plus Vietnamese English-medium university direct applications (VinUniversity, RMIT Vietnam, Fulbright University Vietnam, British University Vietnam BUV) and Vietnamese national university international student admissions tracks, and direct channels for German, French Grandes Écoles, Dutch, Italian, Swiss (ETH Zurich, EPFL), Korean (SNU, KAIST, POSTECH, Yonsei Underwood — particularly relevant for Bac Ninh Samsung Vietnam Korean families), Japanese (University of Tokyo PEAK, Keio, Waseda), Singaporean (NUS, NTU, SMU — particularly relevant for VSIP Binh Duong families), Hong Kong (HKU, HKUST, CUHK), Taiwanese (NTU, NTHU) and broader Asian universities. Personal statement coaching and interview preparation included.

Experienced international educators

Subject-specific degree-qualified teaching staff with cumulative experience across Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American Curriculum. Many are TSC-registered (Kenya Teachers Service Commission); several hold advanced teaching credentials including PGCE.

Personalised learning plans

Every student begins with an initial assessment. The learning plan that follows is tailored to academic level, subject preferences, target universities and family situation — not a one-size-fits-all schedule.

Academic assessments

Initial diagnostic assessment. Weekly informal assessment within classes. Monthly formal assessments. Mock examinations under timed conditions during IGCSE and A-Level years. Results inform teaching adjustments.

Small class sizes

Online tier classes have four to six students. Online Plus has smaller groups. Premium is one-on-one. Class size affects individual attention, question response time, and student speaking time during class.

Progress monitoring

Weekly parent dashboards showing attendance and assessment results. Monthly written subject reports from each teacher. Termly comprehensive reports covering academic progress, study habits and university preparation.

Parent communication

Direct communication with subject teachers and form tutors via the parent portal. Email for admissions and pastoral matters, with response within one business day. Scheduled parent-teacher meetings each term.

Global student community

Live classes bring together students from across 14 countries. Wednesday afternoon enrichment programmes — coding, robotics, debate, Model UN, chess, journalism, leadership — develop collaborative learning across geographies.

University admissions guidance

Progressive guidance from Year 10 onwards. UCAS, Common Application, OUAC, UAC and direct university application support. Personal statement coaching, interview preparation and offer-management guidance.

Alfred Ouko

Founder, Smartious Homeschool & eSchool

Alfred Ouko is the founder of Smartious Homeschool & eSchool, established in 2019 while studying at the University of Nairobi. He has grown the organisation from a tuition support service into an international online school serving families across 14 countries, including Vietnamese families across Ho Chi Minh City (Thao Dien District 2, Phu My Hung District 7), Hanoi (Tay Ho West Lake), Da Nang (FPT IT outsourcing + tourism), Bac Ninh (Samsung Vietnam Korean expat hub), Binh Duong (manufacturing supply chain), and Vung Tau (international oil & gas industry).