The dual nature of colonial higher education in Vietnam
policy, institutional structure, and social impact (1858-1945)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22633/rpge.v30iesp1.20930Keywords:
Colonial education, Higher education, Vietnam, French Indochina, Intelligentsia, Educational policyAbstract
This study analyzes the formation and socio-political impact of the professional and higher education system in Vietnam during the French colonial period (1858–1945). It investigates how a system designed for colonial governance unintentionally fostered a modern indigenous intelligentsia. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, the research combines historical-logical methods with a systematic analysis of primary sources, including the 1917 Code de l’Instruction Publique and colonial administrative decrees. Findings reveal a stark institutional duality: while “horizontal” policies aimed to limit elite growth, the functional need for administrative staff necessitated specialized colleges in medicine, law, and pedagogy. Despite strict quotas and indoctrination, this system produced a Western-educated social stratum that transcended colonial constraints. These intellectuals played a pivotal role in the 1945 August Revolution and the subsequent leadership of independent Vietnam. The study concludes that colonial higher education served as a transformative institutional synthesis, bridging traditional Confucianism and modern global education frameworks.
Downloads
References
Hardy, G. (1917). Une conquête morale: L’enseignement en A.O.F. Armand Colin.
Kelly, G. P. (2000). French colonial education: Essays on Vietnam and West Africa. AMS Press.
Léon, A. (1991). Colonisation, enseignement et éducation: Étude historique et comparative. L’Harmattan.
Nguyễn, C. L. (2011). Giáo dục khoa cử và quan chế ở Việt Nam thời phong kiến, thời Pháp thuộc [Confucian examination-based education and the mandarin system in Vietnam during the feudal and French colonial periods]. Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City Press.
Nguyễn, T. P. (2020). Giáo dục Pháp ở Việt Nam (1945–1954): Từ sứ mệnh khai hóa đến chuyển giao văn hóa [French education in Vietnam (1945–1954): From the civilizing mission to cultural transfer]. Education University Press.
Sarraut, A. (1917). Discours prononcé par M. Albert Sarraut, Gouverneur général de l’Indochine [Speech delivered by Mr. Albert Sarraut, Governor General of Indochina]. Government General of Indochina.
Trần, T. P. H. (2011). Giáo dục Pháp - Việt ở Bắc Kỳ từ đầu thế kỷ XX đến năm 1945 [Franco-Vietnamese education in Tonkin from the early 20th century to 1945] (Tese de doutorado, Institute of History).
Trịnh, V. T. (1995). L’école française en Indochine [The French school in Indochina]. Karthala.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Revista on line de Política e Gestão Educacional
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Manuscritos aceitos e publicados são de propriedade da Revista on line de Política e Gestão Educacional. É vedada a submissão integral ou parcial do manuscrito a qualquer outro periódico. A responsabilidade do conteúdo dos artigos é exclusiva dos autores. É vedada a tradução para outro idioma sem a autorização escrita do Editor ouvida a Comissão Editorial Científica.
