High poverty rates in rural areas of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the important function of rural diversification for the whole economy require a consistent programme for rapid and sustained rural development. Against this background, this article analyses the role of education in the process of development and the present situation of education in rural Vietnam. In the light of limited resources a twofold strategy for improved rural education is discussed. Reforms of the financial and institutional framework need to be carried out in tandem with curriculum reforms, new approaches to educational research and teacher training.
