Pham Thi Cuc Ha

Founder and Director of Hanoi Adelaide School

"On Vietnamese Teacher's Day, the Australian Ambassador visited our school. Before COVID-19, the Australian Prime Minister’s wife came to our school to read stories to our students, and the Governor of South Australia, the wife of Governor General of Australia visited the school as well, she even sang for our students... These visits have been great encouragement for me."

After obtaining a master’s degree in education in Ukraine and Russia, and working as both a kindergarten and university teacher, Pham Thi Cuc Ha aspired to continue her studies in educational management and open a school. She decided to go to study in Australia, which stemmed from a seemingly unrelated reason: “I was extremely impressed by the Sydney 2000 Olympics, where an indigenous Australian athlete carried the torch to light the Olympic flame. It was very moving and humane, no exaggeration, and immediately I knew that Australia was the place where I wanted to pursue my studies.”

Cuc Ha was awarded an AUSAID scholarship and started her master’s studies at Flinders University in Adelaide in 2003. Over two years she was equipped with comprehensive knowledge in educational management, which served as the foundation for her to establish a kindergarten and later an inter-level school in Vietnam, exactly as she had set out in her 10-year plan.

When planning the kindergarten, a question for Cuc Ha was whether to open an international school or a Vietnamese school with international features. Her answer wasn't just about business, but how to add the most value to the students and parents, and she decided to establish a Vietnamese school with international features for Vietnamese students.

“Preschool age, in my opinion, is the most important stage for personality development, so I hope to make an impact in this aspect," she says.

The same thought process was applied in selecting the SACE programme to introduce to Vietnam. Among various foreign education programmes, Cuc Ha believes in her own experience: "I saw how dedicated educators in Australia are and how they focused on delivering benefits for students. The Australian education programme effectively nurtures students' abilities, emphasising topics and skills for the 21st century such as environment, entrepreneurship, economics, citizens' rights and government to help students become responsible individuals.”

With such values, the SACE programme is gradually becoming more popular in Vietnam, and parents understand more about Australian education, the city of Adelaide, and the state of South Australia.

On Vietnam - Australia relations, Cuc Ha says there are three keywords: close-knit, sustainable - with bilateral relations span over 50 years and continuing to grow in various aspects – and mutual, a relationship that benefits both sides, with educational cooperation being important for both countries.