Bui Thi Xuan High School in Ho Chi Minh City officially introduced traditional Southern Vietnamese folk music, known as đờn ca tài tử, into its formal curriculum beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year. Vietnam.vn reported that the school held a ceremony on Sept. 7 to launch a dedicated music club and confirm the subject’s inclusion with one weekly lesson.
Unlike previous efforts where this art form appeared only in extracurricular programs or holiday performances, the new initiative treats the music as a standard academic subject complete with regular testing and assessments. Principal Huynh Thanh Phu stated the goal is to provide students opportunities to learn about and preserve national cultural values. The pilot program will initially serve three 11th-grade classes before expanding schoolwide.
Instruction will be delivered by performers from the Ho Chi Minh City Center for the Practice and Transmission of Traditional Southern Vietnamese Music alongside the City Theater Association. People’s Artist Thanh Tuyet noted that while the genre was previously taught mainly in cultural centers in wards and communes, this move allows students to acquire skills systematically. Students completing the course will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the school year, and People’s Artist Tran Ngoc Giau suggested the curriculum change will help bring the art form closer to families and the broader public.
For more information, visit vietnam.vn.