Singapore's KinderWorld begins building int'l school in northern Vietnam port city

Singapore-headquartered KinderWorld International Group (KinderWorld) on Friday begun construction of the three-hectare Singapore International School (SIS) in the northern port city of Hai Phong.

The school in Le Chan district, the 16th SIS facility, marks KinderWorld's entry into Vietnam’s third largest centrally-administered city.

The groundbreaking ceremony had the attendance of Le Tien Chau, a Party Central Committee member and chief of the Hai Phong Party Committee; Le Anh Quan, standing Vice Chairman of Hai Phong; Le Khac Nam, Vice Chairman of the city; and Bui Van Kiem, head of Hai Phong Department of Education and Training.

SIS Le Chan is the first school following the K-12 model (grades are kindergarten and first through 12th grade) in Hai Phong city and will be constructed in two phases.

The first phase of the school will comprise of the first classroom block and world-class school facilities including the multi-purpose sports hall, swimming pool, football field and auditorium. The school is scheduled to commence operations in August 2024.

With the completion of additional classrooms and complementary facilities in the second phase, SIS Le Chan will become one of the largest campuses of KinderWorld in Vietnam, providing practical education for a capacity of 1,500 students from preschool to high school.

Le Khac Nam, Vice Chairman of Hai Phong, said the project is very encouraged as the city prioritizes the development of eco urban areas and eco industrial parks with high-quality education facilities.

"To meet the city’s long-term goals, Hai Phong has strived to create favorable conditions for companies to invest in building and developing high-quality, international-standard schools, offering multi-level education throughout the city. Today’s event is a strong testament for these efforts," he told the event.

"Once completed, the school will meet the educational needs for children of foreign experts, foreign investors, and workers residing and working in Hai Phong, as well as the demand for high-quality education from students and parents in the city and neighboring areas,” Nam added.

Hai Phong is rising as an attractive destination for FDI. Registered FDI in Hai Phong hit $252.84 million in the first quarter of 2024, the 10th-highest figure in the country and up 55.5% year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The municipal economy expanded 10.34% last year, two times higher than the country's overall 5.05% growth.

The project has received special attention and guidance from Party Central Committee member and chief of Hai Phong's Party Committee Le Tien Chau. All investment procedures have been completed within six months, the shortest time for an FDI project in the city, according to Nam.

Ricky Tan, chairman of KinderWorld, described the project groundbreaking as "a significant milestone" for the company.

"We believe that this campus, with world-class school facilities and internationally recognized curriculum, will contribute towards the future growth of this vibrant city. We are appreciative of the tremendous support from the leaders of Hai Phong and Le Chan district. Going forward, KinderWorld remains steadfast in our investment commitment in Vietnam, thereby contributes towards the country’s long-term development."

KinderWorld, which has a track record of 24 years offering internationally recognized programs through Singapore International School campuses, started its first school in Vietnam in 2000.

At the new school, students will have the options of studying an international program which closely follows the national standards of Singapore as well as the Cambridge program, as well as an integrated program that combines subjects and soft skills per the curriculum devised by Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training.

Singapore International School Le Chan is the first manifestation of KinderWorld’s vision of developing international school campuses together with a comprehensive vocational training centre and an outdoor education and ecotourism site in the city. With this project, KinderWorld expects to contribute to human capital development in Hai Phong city.

KinderWorld started its first childcare center in Singapore in 1986. At present, it is the largest owner-operator of foreign-invested international schools in Vietnam. As part of its holistic approach to education, KinderWorld also operates higher education institutions like the SISH Institute in Singapore and Pegasus International College in Vietnam. It also partners with Outward Bound Vietnam for outdoor experiential learning programs.

The company believes that education should equip students with the essential knowledge and skills needed for a technology-driven and globalized world while preserving and nurturing the significant values and cultures of Asia.