KinderWorld: Prime Focus on Education

Pioneering in the education sector, one of the six areas of the Connectivity Framework Agreements signed between the two governments of Vietnam and Singapore, KinderWorld after 10 years of operating schools in Vietnam is beginning to see returns. From one kindergarten, KinderWorld has expanded from preschool to senior high school with 13 schools nationwide.

Chairman of KinderWorld Group Tan Teck Yong in a talk with a reporter from Vietnam Business Forum, shared his story of education in Vietnam. Perhaps, the lessons drawn from KinderWorld’s operations may enrich other investors’ knowledge of practical experience in Vietnam.

Could you tell me the reason for your choosing Vietnam as an educational investment destination?

Vietnam with a population of 85 million is an emerging market with a stable and high economic growth rate. Rising demand for fine quality products, including education, is thus inevitable. For these reasons, the country has been attracting a wave of educational investors. Vietnam and Singapore share similar cultural features and traditional values. The two governments have met many times and signed framework agreements laying solid foundations for Singaporean enterprises in Vietnam.

As far as we know, KinderWorld faced numerable obstacles on the first days here in Vietnam, what did you do to overcome such difficulties?

Initially, we encountered numerous obstacles. At that time, Vietnamese parents were not fully aware of international standards of education in the country. As such, KinderWorld had only about 200 students during the first three years of operations. In spite of the weak enrolment numbers of students, KinderWorld was determined to achieve its set targets and soon with perseverance, enrolment numbers gradually increased. Over the last few years, KinderWorld has been authorized by various International Institutions namely the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB), Cambridge University, ACT Education Solutions, etc. to conduct examinations and grant prestigious Certificates, which include iPSLE (International Primary School Examination), IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) and GAC (Global Assessment Certificate) which aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge to gain entry into university programme in one of the 100 well known universities around the world.

As you said, during recent three years, education groups at home and in foreign centres have been mushrooming in Vietnam, especially in big cities, causing fierce competition. Could you tell me what are the competitive advantages of the KinderWorld?

Today, many domestic and foreign enterprises are investing in education unlike the year 2000 when KinderWorld first started operations in Vietnam. In general, schools may be divided into two categories, International Schools (like UNIS, HHF) and Vietnamese schools offering some international curriculum. Due to high fees, Vietnamese students may find it difficult to enter into international schools. However, Vietnamese schools because of their reasonable fees will attract more Vietnamese students. At KinderWorld, we have combined the two models providing education at international standards from preschool to high school levels. Keeping in mind our slogan, Eastern Values, Western Education, we provide a strong curriculum with an emphasis on eastern traditions and values.

What do you expect when developing KinderWorld in Vietnam?

A trained a young generation to secure a country’s future. As an education investor, I would like to bring into Vietnam an advanced pedagogy and training and high standards of education to enrich Vietnamese children with unlimited knowledge and skills for their future.

On the occasion of APEC 2009, would you like to talk about Vietnam’s investment environment?

After more than 10 years of doing business in Vietnam, I highly appreciate the stable political environment, progressively improved infrastructure conditions and continuous improvement in investment policies. I hope that more Singaporean companies may act as a bridge to lead regional investors to Vietnam.

Posted by VBN on Nov 16 2009. Filed under Enterprises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry