Vietnam and UNICEF discuss AI education framework: students should learn to use AI, not let AI do their work

On October 9, 2026, during the International Conference on Education Cooperation in the Digital Age held in Hanoi, Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training and UNICEF co-hosted a thematic session of the Global Alliance for Children Initiative. Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Institute of Educational Strategy and Policy, said the question has shifted from whether to ban AI to how to use it, stressing that AI should serve as a learning support tool rather than doing assignments for students. Frank Van Cappelle, Head of UNICEF's Global Learning Innovation Centre, noted that converting lectures into videos and tests into digital tests does not necessarily improve learning outcomes. Since 2024, with UNICEF support, Vietnam has carried out research, surveys, guideline development and pilot AI education activities covering four areas: human-centered thinking, AI ethics, AI techniques and applications, and AI system design.

The session provides an actionable content framework and assessment direction for AI education in Vietnam, directly affecting school curriculum design, teacher training and AI tool procurement standards. For education product developers, UNICEF's emphasis that tools should guide learning rather than simply give answers, with age-appropriate limits and control mechanisms, sets functional boundaries for AI products aimed at schools. Public information remains based mainly on conference discussion and existing pilots, with no specific curriculum implementation timetable or quantitative outcome data disclosed. Schools in Vietnam need to prioritize process-based assessment and teacher participation when adopting AI tools, rather than only final assignment outputs. AI education products for Vietnam or similar markets need age-tiered ethics, safety and responsibility features and should avoid directly answering for students.