Professional School Counseling in Vietnam Public Schools

Full text

Professional School Counselin
g
in Vietnam
Public Schools
Anh K. Pham1
Patrick Akos2
3)
Journal of Asia Pacific Counseling
ⓒ 2020 The Korean Couns eling Association
www.japconline.org
2020, Vol. 10, No.2, 37- 49
Doi : 10 .18401/2020.10.2.6
Abstract
School counseling as a profession is in its embryonic stage in Vietnam. National education reform initiatives have
focused on curricula, standardized tests and textbooks, yet have essentially ignored problems of violence and students’
mental health. The American School Counseling Association model can serve as a guide for a culturally appropriate
school counseling model for Vietnam. We explore the Vietnam educat ion context and the existing practice of school
counseling and make recommendations for professional school counseling in Vietnam.
K
eywords: professional school counseling, Vietnam, culture, ASCA
Comprehensive school counseling programs have grown rapidly worldwide. The Psychotherapy and
Counseling Federation of Australia (PACFA) in Australia, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH)
model in the United Kingdom, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA Model) in the United
States, Perkama Counseling Association in Malaysia, and Pastoral Care and Career Guidance (PCCG) in
Singapore are but a few examples of programs representative of school counseling models (Alli, 2015;
ASCA, 2004, 2019; Lohia & Singh, 2013; Low, 2014; Martin, Lauterbach, & Carey, 2015). These models
are designed to fit the unique cultural context and education system of each country.
Despite more push for nationwide education reform initiatives from pre-school to higher education in
Vietnam, the development of a national comprehensive model of school counseling in Vietnam through the
Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has been slow to develop (Le et al., 2016; Nguyen, H.
T., 2014; Nguyen, T. T., 2016; Nguyen, H. T., 2014; MoET, 2005; 2015; 2017). To date, only the public
schools in some urban and more populated areas of Vietnam have successfully implemented school
counseling activities to support students with psychological development issues. We summarize the unique
and impactful historical and cultural developments, in addition to the current practice of professional school
1Education Services International
2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Corresponding Author
Anh K. Pham, Education Services International, 20 Street 8, Binh An Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Email: steve.pham@esi.com.vn
Regular Article

38 PHAM, AKOS
counseling in Vietnam. We also propose possible reforms toward a fundamental framework for developing a
national model of school counseling for Vietnamese public schools.
Historical Influences on Education and Counseling in Vietnam
Vietnam has a long and distinct history of seeking peace and establishing a socialist nation. The influences
on its education history can be summarized as feudalism with the dramatic influence of Chinese
Confucianism, French colonialism, American imperialism, to the modern period of Reconstruction and Reform
(Bui, M. H., 2014; Han, V. X., 2008; MoET, 2014; Taylor, 2013; The Government of S.R Vietnam, 2005,
2009; Tran, K., 2016; World Bank, 2011). At the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century,
Vietnam’s traditional Confucian-oriented education system was dramatically destructed and replaced by
French-colonial education. The French colonial apparatus attempted to create an education system using only
the French language as the national language in all schools and daily lives. Among many Vietnam
educational pioneers (e.g., Dong Du in 1905, Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc movement in 1907, Phan Chu Trinh’s
Reformism movement in 1906), Nguyen Ai Quoc led the most the most influenced movement against the
French colonial education system (Bui, M. H., 2014; Taylor, 2013).
In the 1920s and 1930s, Nguyen Ai Quoc and many Vietnamese patriots under the Indochina Communist
Party took enormous efforts to launch several educational movements, such as Turning Prisons into Schools,
Widely Disseminating the National Vietnamese Language, to develop a Vietnam education system that would
depend on the ideology of Marxist-Leninist philosophy, with the emphasis of nation-wide universalization of
public education and Vietnamese National Language (Bui, M. H., 2014; World Bank, 2011).
The August Revolution and the Declaration of Victory in August 1945 formally marked the end of both
feudalism and the French colonialism over thousand of years in Vietnam and the beginning of Vietnamese
national independence with a Communist-oriented democratic republic (Bui, M. H., 2014; Huynh, K. K.,
1971). The establishment of the democratic republic government led by President Ho Chi Minh and the
anti-illiteracy movement across the nation marked the formation of the Vietnam education system with two
legal documents Decrees No. 146-SL and No. 147-SL in 1946 (Bui, M. H., 2014). However, the French
invaded Vietnam again in 1946, dramatically influencing the education system by French-colonial education
during the war resistance from 1946 to 1954 (Bui, M. H., 2014).
In 1950, the Democratic Republic Government of Vietnam officially passed the first national education
reform project to ensure that the Vietnamese language would be taught in all schools during 1950-1955.
Additional educational initiatives included the establishment of a “complementary” education system to
provide educational opportunities to all Vietnamese people, including the establishment of School Steering
Committee to enhance the collaboration of teachers and parents in developing and implementing academic
policies, the establishment of preschool education, while many national education leaders went to study in the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), China, and the German Democratic Republic (Bui, M. H., 2014;
Taylor, 2013; World Bank, 2011).
During the period of Vietnam’s North-South Separation from 1955 to 1975, there were two different

COUNSELING IN VIETNAM 39
education systems. In the North, the government implemented the second education reform once peace was
achieved in 1955 – continuously building the socialist education system that emphasized the importance of
collaboration between teachers and students, linkages between theory and practice, in addition to school and
social life. Officially adopted in 1955, a 10-year duration that included 4 years for elementary education, 3
years for lower secondary education, and 3 years for upper secondary education was created. However, most
of the schools at all levels had to be evacuated, since the teaching and learning activities were dramatically
influenced during the U.S. air-force attacks on the North from 1965 to 1972. In the South during this period,
the European and French-influenced education system was gradually replaced by the U.S. education system
with a 12-year duration: 5 years for elementary or primary education, 4 years for middle school or lower
secondary education, and 4 years for high school or upper secondary education (Bui, M. H., 2014; Huynh,
K. K., 1971).
The Vietnamese education reform entered a new era in 1976, the year the reunification government issued
Resolution No. 14-ND-TW, which initiated the third education reform throughout the whole country. Literacy
was still the major focus for all improvement activities (Bui, M. H., 2014; Han, V. X., 2008). Specifically,
the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) developed a new 12-year curriculum, which was
implemented in all schools across the country with new textbooks and re-trained teachers. However, the third
education reform during the period from 1976 to 1985 faced many challenges due to the collective economy,
a serious shortage of financial and teachers’ resources, and less autonomy for professors working under a
heavily bureaucratic system of governmental centralization.
In 1986, the remarkable national renovation “Doi Moi” was established, to move from the centralized
planning system to a socialist-oriented market mechanism, whichled to another transformation of the
education system in Vietnam. Efforts toward democratization, diversification, and mobilization of social
resources for a better educational quality and efficiency occurred at all levels (Bui, M. H., 2014). The
enormous efforts put forth from “Doi Moi” significantly improved Vietnam’s education quality at all levels
to meet the country’s national substantial goals, ensuring that every child has equal opportunity in education
(Bui, M. H., 2014; MoET, 2014; Taylor, 2013). This nation-wide reform influenced all areas of Vietnamese
society and economy, leading to the adoption of Vietnam Education Law 1998 (later replaced by the
Education Law 2005). Four years later, the Education Law Amendment 2009 created a dramatic trend of
privatization and liberalization at all levels of education in Vietnam (Bui, M. H., 2014, MoET, 2005).
These education reforms resonated with a contemporary school counseling focus. National education
systems encouraged students to acquire knowledge and skills for vocational career or higher education.
Instructional or teaching methods could help students develop their consciousness, initiative, and creativeness,
fostering a self-study spirit and an eagerness to learn (MoET, 2005).
Contemporary Reform in Education and School Counseling
These educational movements have put Vietnam’s education system towards a very positive course by
providing a variety of education options for every student. To achieve the Millennium Development Goals in

40 PHAM, AKOS
education, the Vietnam government has adopted a new Vietnam Education Law for K-12 education that
provides high quality and equality of educational opportunity for every student (The Government of S.R
Vietnam, 2019). Indeed, the Vietnam Education Law 2019 affirmed the importance of career education where
the lower and upper secondary students are provided comprehensive career guidance relevant to their ages
and psychological status. The career guidance program could be integrated into mainstream and
extra-curricular activities to help students gain the knowledge necessary about different occupations and
awareness of their abilities, in addition to skills for their future career and social lives. Nevertheless,
professional school counseling, by title, did not appear in this important education legislation.
Findings from a study conducted by Nguyen Hong Thuan (2014) highlighted that most public schools in
Vietnam adopted the specific guidelines from the OL No. 9971/BGDDT-HSSV and the National Standards
for Secondary Schools Assessment in developing a school counseling program for their students. In primary
and secondary public schools in Vietnam, school principals can appoint some senior teachers with leadership
and classroom administrative skills, knowledge about students’ disciplines, and counseling skills to play the
role of homeroom teachers. As homeroom teachers, they can appoint one or two communist youth specialists—
commonly outstanding students or model students in their peers’ view, in terms of academic achievement and
personal morale—to help them in their additional duty of classroom administration, students’ discipline and
counseling (HCM YPO, 2018; HCM CYU, 2019). As a result of the lack of professional school counselors,
the counseling programs in public schools solely aimed at supporting students in their career planning and job
seeking rather than helping them with students’ mental health and personal/emotional development. Moreover,
many homeroom teachers and psychology teachers in the role of the counselor lack the appropriate training,
professional counseling knowledge or skills (Le et al., 2016; Nguyen, H. T., 2014). Very little research is
known about the actual number of school counselors, what counseling model or standards are used, or the
effectiveness of school counseling programs.
Most public schools in Vietnam have continuously proposed for more effective programs of school
counseling to reduce school violence, bullying and improve students’ mental health and social/personal
development. A recent study conducted by Son, Vu, Thien, Luong, and Hoi (2019) on high school students’
(grades 6 to 12) stress suggested a range of issues and variance in coping related to grade levels and learning
environment, family and living conditions, personality and life-skills. Another research study (Hoi, Son, My,
& Vu, 2019) on children under 16 years old with incomplete-family (divorced parents, single mothers,
orphans) circumstance found that nearly a quarter of these participating children had psychological trauma.
This study highlighted that the factor of domestic violence could be considered to be one of the key factors
of psychological traumas in young children, followed with external local community or living environment.
These studies proposed urgent development of appropriate school counseling programs to help Vietnamese
high school students reduce their mental health problems and improve their academic achievement and
personal/emotional development.

COUNSELING IN VIETNAM 41
Unique Vietnamese Cultural Issues in School Counseling
The historical background of Vietnam education was influenced by both traditional Eastern Confucianism
and Western contemporary liberation education from France and the United States. Over several decades of
peace-seeking and nation restructuring, Vietnam has successfully established its education system for all levels
from early years or pre-school education to higher education with the emphasis on students’ personal and
social development (Bui, M. H., 2014; Han, V. X., 2008; The Government of S.R Vietnam, 2005, 2009;
MoET, 2014, 2017; Tran, K. 2016; Tran, K., Nguyen, X. T., 2015; World Bank, 2011).
School counseling did not emerge in the education literature until the late 1970s and 1980s, originating
with career guidance for secondary students in only a few public schools (Le et al., 2016; Nguyen, H. T.,
2014; Nguyen, T. H., 2005). In 1991, MoET established the Center of Labor and Career Guidance, which
published the first legislation of counseling Career Guidance for Secondary Students and provided training
courses of career guidance for school administrators at public secondary schools. Since then, a growing
number of career guidance centers established across the country provides secondary students guidance about
necessary vocational skills for their future careers (Le et al., 2016).
However, school counseling has never gained appropriate consideration from educational policymakers and
educators. Consequently, the concept of professional school counseling has not been clearly defined in any
educational legislation, neither in the Education Law 2005 or 2009 or in the recent Education Law 2019.
Rather, the Official Letter(OL) No.9971/BGDDT-HSSV Implementing School Counseling for General
Students and Higher Education Students, issued by the MoET in October 2005, is still seen as formal
guidance about professional school counseling from the government. This document describes school
counseling for secondary students as providing “some certain analysis, realistic advice to help students
release mental stress and feel more stable, and confident, and then they will be able to resolve their
problems in a positive way” (MoET, 2005, p. 1). This document also provides generic guidance that schools
can employ, assigning psychology teachers or members from Communist Youth Associates to periodically
provide school counseling for all upper secondary students (grade 10 to 12), and to those enrolled at
vocational schools, colleges, and universities. Further, the guidelines note that a particular school’s counseling
program should focus on major matters such as, career guidance, career choice and higher education
information; love, gender and different gender relationship; interpersonal relationship with family members,
teachers and peers; learning methods; social community activities, and the arts. In 2012, the MoET published
the National Standards for Secondary Schools Assessment, which reaffirmed that secondary students should
be taught about “social life skills” through mainstream curricular and extracurricular activities, for the purpose
of enhancing their skills of communication, self-awareness, decision-making, critical thinking and
problem-solving, goals setting, resilience, and teamwork. More importantly, they should be provided
comprehensive counseling about physical and mental health, gender, love, marriage, and other family matters.

42 PHAM, AKOS
Movement toward a Vietnamese School Counseling Model (VSCM)
In December 2017, the MoET published Guidance (Circular No. 31/2017/TT-BGDDT) on Implementing
School Psychology Counseling in 1-12 Schools in response to school bullying and violence (Le, M. C., 2016;
Nguyen, H. T., 2014; Nguyen, T. H. H., 2016; Tran, A. T., 2016). This was the first official legislation that
provided a clear definition of school psychology counseling in all public schools in Vietnam. This document
proposed a comprehensive program of school psychology counseling that should focus on the following major
areas: age, gender, marriage, adolescent reproductive health matters; behaviors, violence and sexual abuse;
interpersonal relationships between family members, teachers, friends and other social communities; effective
learning methods and career orientation (MoET, 2017). Through intervention and appropriate resolutions,
including the utilization of external psychosocial counseling agencies and experts, the psychological
counseling program should effectively offer assistance for students with serious psychological problems such
as mental disorders.
This official guidance of school psychological counseling was the result from many education reforms and
initiatives from the government, educators, and educational scholars. The OL No. 9971/BGDDT-HSSV 2005,
together with this guidance, could be considered as official legislation for defining the profession of school
(psychological) counseling, as well as for developing a fundamental framework of the Vietnam School
Counseling Model (VSCM). We provide a general comparison of these parameters next to the ASCA
National Model in Appendix 1.
Our recent research on an effective model of school counseling for public secondary schools in Vietnam
(Pham, K. A., 2019) used a questionnaire, interviews and focus group protocols to explore the existing
practices of school counseling and the perspectives of school administrators, teachers, and school counselors
on professional school counseling. The questionnaire focused on perspectives on school counseling, school
counseling practices and recommendations for a comprehensive school counseling program data. We collected
data from 158 educators (including 10 school leaders, 129 teachers, and 19 school counselors or personnel
assigned to act as school counselors) from ten public schools in the southern region of Vietnam on this issue.
In our research, we discovered that homeroom teachers were primarily assigned to the counselor role in
most public schools in Vietnam. Interestingly, those homeroom teachers were unable to clearly define the
responsibilities of a school counselor, as attention is not always placed on supporting a student’s academic,
social/emotional, and career development needs. Further, those assigned to school counseling do not use data
to monitor a student’s progress nor to assess the effectiveness of their counseling program. In Vietnam, it
appears that the complex and unique education system puts a burden on the multifaceted role of homeroom
teachers and the specific role of communist youth specialists in public schools. Therefore, the MoET should
urgently provide clarification on school counseling skills for homeroom teachers, as well as identify
professional standards, professional development and assessment tools for professional school counselors’
performance.
Nonetheless, despite limitations or appropriate guidance, a senior homeroom teacher may have the best
opportunity to establish rapport with students, and may be in the best position to help students in school
counseling and career guidance by providing early interventions for students with mental and health matters,

COUNSELING IN VIETNAM 43
as well as offering useful information about college and career opportunities that align with students’
individual goals and personal aspirations (Thuan, 2014; Thuong, 2016). With a shortage of professional
school counselors, homeroom teachers need to collaborate closely with the communist youth specialists who
can assist school administrators in resolving students’ matters, such as fighting, truancy, tardiness, and in
organizing school events and activities (Le, M. C., 2016; Nguyen, H. T., 2014; Nguyen, T. H. H., 2016). The
high rating of school communist youth specialists as the important stakeholders and homeroom teachers as the
immediate key contact in providing school counseling for students affirmed the very specific and complex
practices of school counseling in Vietnam.
Perhaps unique to other national models, and in particular the United States, there were no significant
differences in perceptions of the effective model and comprehensive programs of school counseling between
school administrators, counselors, and teachers, although they had different levels of demographic
characteristics and professional qualifications. Further, administrators more adequately perceived the practices
of school counseling than school counselors (and those assigned to act as school counselors) and teachers.
Even as the data suggests that school counseling has been increasingly recognized as a nationwide emerging
educational issue in public schools, distinct differences still exist in urban, suburban and rural regions
(perhaps due to the lack of legislation and funding).
Studies from other developed countries can be utilized as an influence on curricula and best practice
(ASCA, 2004; Low, 2014; Martin et al., 2015). Some studies have examined several challenges that Vietnam
public schools are facing now, such as a lack of comprehensive standards of professional school counseling,
shortage of professional school counselors, lack of collaboration between school leaders, administrators and
teachers in developing and implementing effective school counseling programs, lack of training programs for
school counselors, and the different perceptions of educators, parents, and students about school counseling
(Le et al., 2016; Nguyen, H. T., 2014). Given the growing awareness of personal and social development
problems among secondary students, students’ depression and trauma, in particular (Hoi, D. D., et. al., 2019;
Le, T. K. D., La, T. B., & Dinh, D. H., 2007; Son, H. V., et. al., 2019), the Vietnam government and educational
scholars in Vietnam should further the development of a VSCM to meet the growth of students’ needs. An
effective model of school counseling would enable students to thrive, both on an academic and social basis
(DeSimone & Roberts, 2016; Le et al., 2016; Martin & Carey, 2014; Nguyen, H. T., 2014; Sciffer, 2015).
The Future of School Counseling in Vietnam
We come short of providing a full VSCM as we believe this must come internally in Vietnam and through
collaboration of all stakeholders. However, based on the historical and cultural review of the education
system and preliminary findings of the contemporary state of school counseling in Vietnam, we would like
to share the following perspectives that we believe may positively impact the developing field of professional
school counseling in Vietnam. Most of the suggestions we present aim toward building a national model of
school counseling and offer a clear identity of school counseling profession.

44 PHAM, AKOS
Key Advocator, a Crucial Role of MoET
MoET has a crucial role in the development and implementation of all education policies, including
national education workforce planning and assignments. MoET considers national models (such as the ASCA
National Model of the United States) to be a template for important milestones in the development of school
counseling in Vietnam. To do so, the MoET should consider the establishment of the Vietnam Association
of School Counselors (VASC), to ensure and provide oversight on the certification and licensure of school
counselors. These organizations and associations can also work closely with universities and all counselors by
training institutions to develop formal curricula for professional school counselors, including upholding
minimum standards of qualifications and accreditation to ensure the effectiveness of school counseling
programs delivered to students in public schools in Vietnam.
In addition to utilizing legislation to formulate the VSCM, the MoET may clarify students’ and
professional standards, program assessment and school counselor assessment, in addition to appraisal based in
research. Further, clarity on the preparation and role of professional school counselors is needed. The MoET
requires the establishment of a school counseling department, with a department head representative from the
school board, school administrator, teachers with psychology training credentials, clinic nurse, communist
youth specialist, parents’ association representative, and some outstanding students (class or/and communist
youth leaders). This collective approach is culturally appropriate, since it will diffuse the responsibility of
leadership of professional school counseling. Moreover, all the structural guidance on Vietnamese school
counseling emanates from legislation rather than research on best practice in Vietnam.
The formulation of these administrative organizations and a Vietnam School Counseling Model (VSCM)
will be an impetus to encourage public schools across the country to develop and implement a comprehensive
program of school counseling that focuses on improving students’ academic, career, and social/emotional
development. MoET also has a responsibility to develop formal curricula for professional school counselors
and help public schools streamline professional development programs for school counselors by providing
additional training for psychology counselors and social workers, to transfer them to professional school
counselor programs for public schools when necessary. Finally, MoET can either provide professional school
counselors or funds for public schools through hiring professional counselors to ensure that every public
school establishes a department of school counseling that operates under an appropriate ratio of professional
school counselors to students, once the national model of school counseling is enacted.
Strong Collaboration between School Administrators, Teachers, School Counselors, Communist
Youth Special ists, Parents, Students, and Local Communitie s
A Vietnam School Counseling Model could be formed once the standards of professional school
counseling and a school counselor’s role is concisely clarified, as well as the effectiveness of school
counseling programs (including the collaboration between all school stakeholders and parents and students)
and the performance of school counselors is properly assessed (Gysbers & Henderson, 2001; 2005; 2006;
Gysbers & Lapan, 2003). School administrators always play an especially critical role in the delivery of

COUNSELING IN VIETNAM 45
comprehensive programs of school counseling and the assessment of school counselors’ performance in public
schools. Research has proved that the positive support of school principals correlates to the development and
implementation of a comprehensive counseling program (Camelford, 2014; Hepp, 2013; Lashley & Stickl,
2016). To effectively develop and implement a comprehensive program of school counseling, school
administrators should collaborate with stakeholders to clarify the role, responsibility and accountability of
every school stakeholder. Within the historical and cultural context of Vietnam’s education system, it is
necessary that various school stakeholders be involved in providing school counseling in Vietnam public
schools. Therefore, MoET should develop and provide appropriate professional development of school
counseling for not only the school administrators but also other school stakeholders, including parents, to
ensure everyone clearly understands the importance of school counseling and can positively collaborate in
providing school counseling services for their students.
The lack of national standards for professional school counseling and the misunderstanding of school
administrators about the roles of school counselors contribute to the specific concept called “ambiguity” in
school counseling practice in Vietnam (Cao, T. T. X. & Truong, T. T. T., 2016; Nguyen, H. T., 2014;
Nguyen, T. M., 2008). Public school principals should clearly understand that a school counseling program
is integral to mainstream instructional programs that demonstrate students’ academic, career, and
social/emotional development, rather than extracurricular activities related to psychological counseling for
students with mental and health problems. Since the fundamental factors of a clear identity of school
counseling profession, an on-going professional development of professional school counseling plus a highly
level of strong collaboration between all school stakeholders put together that will foster an outstanding
program of school counseling for the best benefits of students.
Conclusion
The authors found very little research on school counseling in Vietnam. Like many countries in the region,
the field of school counseling in Vietnam is in its nascent stage and the role of professional school
counselors is still ambiguous. Though it make take several years, the empirical agenda for MoET and
Vietnam educators and scholars are the formulation of an official national model of school counseling and
standards of school counselors. In addition, with the increase of school violence, student’s mental and health
have become a serious alert in Vietnam schools and families. Therefore, the majority of public schools have
urged MoET to provide immediate solutions: workforce policy of professional school counselors, adequate
funds to establish counseling offices, and professional training for school counselors, homeroom teachers, and
communist youth specialists. A formal national model of school counseling and standards of professional
counselors will ensure that Vietnam has more well-prepared school counselors, to improve the quality and
effectiveness of school counseling for the success of all students.

46 PHAM, AKOS
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Received March 24, 2020
Revision received June 25, 2020
Accepted August 7, 2020
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