August 2026: English-Language Momentum and British School Expansion Across Asia-Pacific
This month's Asia-Pacific education roundup finds English proficiency rising in two very different systems, a crowded new season of British-curriculum school openings in Bangkok, and policymakers in Indonesia grappling with the practical realities of shrinking rural school rolls. Together, the stories reflect a region investing heavily in English-language access, international curricula, and equitable school planning.
Viet Nam News: Hà Nội builds a friendly English-learning environment from preschool up
Schools across the Vietnamese capital are working to make English a natural part of daily school life rather than just another subject, in support of a national project to establish English as a second language in schools by 2035. In Hà Nội, kindergartens are introducing simple English greetings and play-based learning, while primary schools such as Đoàn Thị Điểm are building bilingual environments that extend beyond the classroom, with STEM lessons taught in English and even support staff using basic English phrases with pupils. Phúc Thịnh Commune has set ambitious CEFR targets for its teachers and pupils to reach by 2028, underlining a long-term, community-wide commitment to the goal.
British Schools Asia: St Paul's Girls' School opens its first Asian campus in Bangkok
SPGS International School Bangkok will welcome its first pupils, from Pre-Nursery through Year 6, this August, on a nine-acre campus within a major mixed-use development on Rama 3 Road. Unlike its 120-year-old, girls-only London parent school, the new campus will be co-educational from the outset, following an enhanced British national curriculum before moving into IGCSEs and the IB Diploma at sixth form. It joins Wycombe Abbey, Dulwich College and Highgate in opening or expanding Thailand campuses this academic year, making 2026 an unusually busy period for British-brand school launches in the country.
The Pie: Brand reputation alone is no longer enough for Asia's international schools, IPSEF hears
Speaking at the International Private Schools Education Forum, an education sector leader told delegates that as Asia's international school markets mature and parents grow more discerning, schools can no longer rely on a well-known name to guarantee success. Long-term growth, the session heard, increasingly depends on consistent execution, careful site selection, and strong operating partnerships, alongside the more traditional strengths of curriculum and brand.
British Schools Asia: Highgate School to launch its first international campus in Thailand
The 460-year-old London school is opening near Chonburi in partnership with Siam Motors Group this August, initially welcoming pupils from Pre-Nursery to Year 6 before expanding into a full secondary programme. The campus is designed to serve Thailand's eastern seaboard, an industrial and tourism region that has historically had limited access to premium international schooling, and will eventually accommodate up to 1,400 pupils aged 2 to 18.
Japan Forward: English proficiency rises as Japan's students clear government targets
More than half of Japan's public junior high and senior high school leavers now meet the government's English proficiency benchmarks for the first time, according to the education ministry's latest survey. The share of third-year junior high students reaching Eiken Grade 3 or above climbed to 54.6 per cent, while 52.4 per cent of senior high leavers reached Grade Pre-2 or above, both record highs since the annual survey began in 2013. Students who had more opportunities to use English informally, such as through assistant language teachers in clubs or conversation practice, showed particularly strong gains.
Antara: Indonesia's ministry prepares new policies for schools with low enrolment
The Primary and Secondary Education Ministry is developing strategies, in partnership with regional governments, to support schools affected by falling pupil numbers, which officials attribute to shifting demographics, population mobility, and changing family preferences. Drawing on national education data, the ministry is mapping schools with fewer than 100 pupils and plans measures including strengthening teaching quality, improving teacher competencies, and better aligning school capacity with local demand.