Small-Scale Teachers–Parents Research Report: Improving the quality of education for children most impacted by inequality and discrimination in Vietnam

Despite national gains in education, children in Vietnam facing inequality and discrimination—such as ethnic minorities, migrants’ children, and those in poverty—continue to encounter critical barriers to quality learning. In response, Save the Children’s multi-provincial initiative (2022–2024), supported by Save the Children Italy, piloted two key interventions: caregiver engagement through an SMS-based literacy app and teacher development via four digitalized training modules aligned with Literacy Boost (LB) and Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) approaches. This baseline study evaluates the early impact of these tools on home learning and pedagogical practice across six provinces. Results reveal strong improvements in caregiver involvement—marked by a 15% rise in weekly learning engagement and shifting gender norms—as well as significant gains in teachers’ confidence, student-centered instruction, and observed student outcomes. Nonetheless, persistent inequities in rural access, time constraints, and resource gaps present implementation challenges. The findings offer compelling evidence to guide future scale-up, inform institutional integration, and advocate for more inclusive education policy in Vietnam.