Thanks to Vietnamese education pioneer, Ha Pham (MEdMgmt ’05), high school students in Vietnam are now able to achieve their South Australian Certificate of Education.

Ha Pham is the Founder and Director of Just Kids JSC, Director of Busy Bees Vietnam, Founder and Director of SACE College Vietnam, and Co-Founder and Vice Chairwoman of Hanoi Adelaide School. She is also on the cusp of establishing new teacher training programs.

With a focus on nurturing children of all ages through education, Ha studied a Master of Education (Management) at Flinders University, graduating in 2005.

‘The degree gave me the qualifications and experience I needed to manage schools, from curriculum development and training, to the daily operations,’ says Ha Pham. ‘It changed my own beliefs on how a good education should be available for every child from infants to high school students.’

Returning to Vietnam, Ha established the childcare centre Just Kids JSC with a unique focus on both Vietnamese and English literacy for children up to six years old. The centres have flourished and in 2019 Just Kids joined the global childcare group Busy Bees, which is expanding throughout Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In 2016 Ha developed SACE College Vietnam, authorised by the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) Board of South Australia, to deliver SACE International to high school students in Vietnam. With her business partners, she has also established Hanoi Adelaide School where students can achieve both the Vietnamese high school diploma and the SACE.

Growing from 24 students in 2017, there are now over 100 high school students undertaking their SACE in Vietnam.

‘Students, parents and Vietnamese education authorities understand how good the SACE is for our students,’ says Ha Pham. ‘The programs are balanced between knowledge and practical skills – exactly what students need to thrive in their further study and in life.’

Ha is now working on establishing a Teacher Training College based on international standards to support the expansion and quality of teacher training in Vietnam.

‘This requires me to study more, to research and to update myself constantly. It’s an opportunity to share what I’ve learnt so far, from theory and from my practical experiences, but also to continue to learn from others,’ she says.

‘Education is an incredible journey because of its lifelong learning nature and I enjoy it immensely.’

(Source: Flinder University)