Ho Chi Minh City reviews schools using potentially misleading ‘international’ names

Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee building, photographed in 2020. Photo: Steffen Schmitz (Carschten), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Education authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have directed private schools to review their registered names following new rules intended to prevent names from misleading families about a school's legal status or affiliation. The instruction was reported in early November 2026.

The review covers names containing terms such as “international” or references that could imply a status or official connection the school does not hold. It is not a general prohibition on all international school names; whether a particular school must change its name depends on the regulations and its registered status.

Existing schools affected by the requirements have until 17 September 2027 to bring their names into compliance. The measures form part of wider changes to Vietnam's rules governing education institutions.

For parents and international school operators, the development places renewed emphasis on the difference between a school's branding, curriculum and formal authorisation.

Read Saigon Giai Phong's report on the school-name review

Read the Vietnamese government's legal text

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