Schools were basically free though every family sought a way to contribute to schooling - payment of small fees, assisting with building a new school or putting a new roof on an old one, help to teachers. An unfortunate impact of doi moi was higher fees for schooling. Without the means to continue, many students discontinued study after only a few years of elementary education. ADB and WB funding has targeted this problem but there is yet much to do in providing free education, facilities, textbooks and other teaching materials, and qualified teachers. The higher education system enrolls approximately 1.5 million students, which represents a sizeable expansion in recent years that has not been matched by expanded resources.
Qualified teachers are in short supply.
Books and libraries are insufficient to meet needs. Professors are generally so busy, needing to find paid employment in addition to teaching loads to make ends meet, that research is restricted. Facilities are dilapidated. Educational technologies sparse. While most universities have access to e-mail, networked and connected computers are few, student access limited to those majoring in computer science, etc.