Urban - Rural Educational Inequality in Vietnam: An Analysis of Structural Barriers and Policy Implementation Practices

Abstract

This paper investigates the system of structural barriers and policy implementation practices and policy implementation practices regarding educational inequality between urban and rural areas in Vietnam from 2020 to 2025, with a primary focus on middle schools and high schools in Vietnam. By employing document analysis, secondary data synthesis, and policy evaluation, the study reveals that the regional educational gap encompasses not only disparities in physical infrastructure and the rate of permanent school buildings but also the digital divide, which includes connectivity infrastructure and teachers’ digital teaching competencies. Additionally, the paper highlights ecological system barriers such as workforce shortages, household livelihood pressures, and outdated cultural practices (e.g: child marriage and child labor). Although national target programs have achieved certain positive outcomes in leveling initial material barriers, implementation effectiveness remains limited due to mass-oriented and urban-centric approaches. Consequently, the study also proposes a set of structural solutions aiming at transforming learners’ intrinsic capacities, improving remuneration policies for teachers, and implementing community interventions to ensure substantive and sustainable equity throughout the educational process.