Cities / Saigon / Vietnam Finland International School
Vietnam Finland International School
Non-profit Finnish-curriculum school inside Ton Duc Thang University's campus in District 7, offering Finnish-inspired education from Grade 1 through to the IB Diploma in Grade 12. The first Finnish international school in South-East Asia, founded in 2016.
In brief
Non-profit Finnish-curriculum school in District 7, opened August 2019 as the first Finnish-model international school in Vietnam and operating under Ton Duc Thang University.
The university link sets VFIS apart from the city's commercial international circuit. As an arm of Ton Duc Thang University the school runs as non-profit, which lands fees noticeably below the major international names while keeping the Finnish pedagogy intact through to IB Diploma. Class sizes sit at 20 to 25, and there are two tracks, a fully international stream and an English-Vietnamese bilingual stream that suits families planning long-term residency.
Families who choose VFIS tend to be sold on the Finnish approach itself, low pressure, inquiry-led, light on testing in the early years. Parents praise the calm atmosphere and the focus on individual children. The trade-off is the cohort. With a smaller community than the marquee international schools and a predominantly Vietnamese student body, families looking for a fully expat circle typically end up elsewhere.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 1-5 (International Programme) | 6 | Annual | ₫457,590,000 |
| Grades 6-7 (International Programme) | 11 | Annual | ₫499,230,000 |
| Grades 8-10 (International Programme) | 13 | Annual | ₫525,690,000 |
| Grades 11-12 (IB Diploma) | 16 | Annual | ₫639,240,000 |
| Application Fee (Primary) | One-time | ₫2,250,000 | |
| Application Fee (Secondary) | One-time | ₫4,500,000 | |
| Security Deposit (refundable) | One-time | ₫25,000,000 |
Reviews
- Teachers consistently praise the students, colleagues, campus, and in some cases pay or holidays.
- The negative signal is unusually consistent around leadership instability, weak HR, poor communication, and staff trust.
- Several teachers say the school has not lived up to its Finnish-international promise, citing limited resources, uneven practices, work-permit or payment issues, and a weak link to Finnish education values.
- One teacher called the students wonderful with supportive parents, but the broader staff signal describes a school with serious operational strain.
Head of school
Ms. Suvi Kristiina Miekk-Oja
Ms. Suvi Kristiina Miekk-Oja is an experienced educator with nearly twenty years of experience in both teaching and educational management. Her professional background includes serving as a Life Science teacher in California, a teacher trainer at the University of Helsinki, and the Head of International Projects at Vantaa International School and Viikki Teacher Training School in Finland. She also has experience as a teacher of European Baccalaureate biology and integrated sciences at the European School of Helsinki and served as the Finnish National Matriculation Exams Coordinator at Vantaan lukio. Ms. Suvi joined the Vietnam-Finland International School in 2022 and was appointed Acting Head of School in 2023, where she brings the progressive philosophy of Finnish education to students.
Accreditations
- VN_MOET 01
Academic results
- Accreditation Non-profit; affiliated with Ton Duc Thang University
- IB Diploma IB DP offered in Grades 11-12; Finnish-inspired curriculum in earlier years
Location
Gate 9, Ton Duc Thang University, 19 Nguyen Huu Tho Street, Tan Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City