The project “Pilot Implementation of a National Happy School Ranking System in Vietnam” is a strategic initiative of the Vietnam Initiative for Education Foundation (VIEF), aiming to build a friendly, positive, and humane educational environment, thereby contributing to improving the overall quality of education in line with the 2018 General Education Program.

1. Project Overview

• Project title: Pilot Implementation of a National Happy School Ranking System in Vietnam
• Implementing organization: Vietnam Initiative for Education Foundation (VIEF)
• Implementation period: From May 2025 to December 2026
• Scope: Pilot implementation in 30 general education schools across 5 representative provinces/cities: Lao Cai, Lam Dong, Phu Tho, Ha Tinh, and Can Tho City

2. Key Objectives

The project aims to transform schools from traditional management models to happy school models with the following specific objectives:

• Develop and refine the assessment toolkit: Establish diagnostic, evaluation, and ranking processes for Happy Schools that ensure scientific rigor and practical applicability
• Enhance capacity of educators and administrators: Provide training and support in social-emotional learning, leadership skills, and student-centered teaching methodologies
• Improve the school environment: Create a safe, inclusive, and mentally supportive environment for students and the school community
• Policy integration: Incorporate pilot results into the national education policy system, with the goal of scaling the model to more than 500 schools during the 2026–2030 period

3. UNESCO 4P Framework

The project adopts and flexibly adapts UNESCO’s 4P Framework to align with the Vietnamese context, including:

• P1 – Principles: Building school culture based on trust, empathy, and respect for diversity
• P2 – People: Promoting positive relationships among leaders, teachers, students, and parents
• P3 – Process: Innovating teaching methods, reducing academic pressure, and encouraging creativity
• P4 – Place: Optimizing both physical and digital learning spaces to ensure schools function as safe communities

4. Values and Impact

The project goes beyond academic performance by measuring school quality through happiness indicators and the holistic development of students, both physically and emotionally. It is a pioneering initiative in Vietnam that applies quantitative methods and digital technologies to monitor and evaluate happiness in schools, thereby creating a sustainable foundation for educational innovation.

5. About VIEF

VIEF is a non-profit social organization authorized by the Government to mobilize resources in support of educational innovation in Vietnam. With the vision that every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential, VIEF has been implementing impactful initiatives such as “Principals – Sowing the Seeds of Happiness”, as well as supporting STEM education and the application of AI in teaching.