Implementing autonomy in preschool and general education: The Vietnamese context

This study investigates the implementation of autonomy in preschool and general education institutions in Vietnam, aligning with global trends of decentralized educational governance. School autonomy, intended to enhance flexibility and improve educational outcomes, involves independent decision-making in curriculum development, financial management, and human resources. Data collection included surveys, in-depth interviews, and seminars with 388 participants (44 administrators and 344 teachers) from high-quality schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The study highlights several limitations: while 70.4% of respondents agree that schools are granted autonomy to organize and manage activities, and 67.3% affirm their authority to design and implement educational programs, only 13.6% of administrators report complete autonomy in financial management, and 8.3% in personnel management. These constraints suggest that the autonomy granted in financial, and personnel management is limited. Furthermore, the sample size and locations were explicitly chosen to include high-quality schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, reflecting a diversity of urban settings. However, the study’s limitations, including the relatively small and region-specific sample, may restrict the generalizability of the findings to other regions of Vietnam. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of autonomy, particularly in diverse educational contexts outside major cities, and develop sustainable models to address these limitations.