Vietnam exam scandal exposes pressures driving school corruption

SocietyPast bribery cases in education-obsessed nation highlight stress on teachers, studentsStudents gather at a school in Hanoi. Education plays a central role in social mobility in Vietnam. The school pictured is not connected to the alleged exam-cheating case. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)LIEN HOANGJuly 17, 2026 10:18 JSTHO CHI MINH CITY -- A suspected cheating scandal in Vietnam involving more than 140 students who received perfect scores on this year's high-school graduation exam has triggered a nationwide review, exposing pressures and incentives that critics say have long made corruption difficult to eradicate from the education system.