ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the characteristics of centralism in educational management in Vietnam and reviews some of the salient effects of centralism on the outcomes of educational reforms in the country. Since the early 1990s the system of education in Vietnam has seen major changes in organisational structure, educational mission, curricula and the management of both finances and human resources. Even though these reforms have resulted in a rapid increase in numbers of students, numbers and types of educational institutions and courses of studies at all levels of education, the national education system seems to be facing a deterioration in quality. Most local newspapers do not hesitate to describe educational innovations in Vietnam as messy, confused and disappointing.
