The formal school education system in Vietnam is as followings:

Firstly, let's talk about levels of education. There are 3 levels : primary level at which people start at six and learn for 5 years; lower primary at which people spend 4 years; upper secondary at which people need 3 years for study. Secondly, people have to obey compulsory education for 9 years at primary and lower secondary level. Thirdly, the academic year begins from September to May, lasting 35 weeks or 9 months. Fourthly, school year consists of 2 terms : term 1 (from September to December), and term 2 ( from January to May). Finally, the national examination for GCSE begins in early June.