Foreign education brands enter Vietnam through franchising

Children having fun interacting with music and participating in activities at Kindermusik

Kindermusik International, the world's leader in music and movement education, has recently inked a master franchise agreement with Asia Music & Performing Arts Education (AMPA Education) in Vietnam.

Kindermusik is an educational music programme for young children. It offers developmentally specific music classes for children from newborn to age seven. The programme is based on research from experts demonstrating the benefits of music on a child’s brain development.

"We are thrilled to be able to grow the presence of Kindermusik in Vietnam," said Scott Kinsey, president and CEO of Kindermusik International. "The brand’s 40-year history and industry leadership provide solid foundations for Kindermusik's expansion.”

AMPA Education is the exclusive representative of Kindermusik in Vietnam, and it is their vision to push creative education for Vietnamese children, especially from the early stages of life.

Kindermusik is not only a music class, but also offers physical and social activities, with a notion of creating a foundation for children to be confident and connected to their surroundings and to the world.

Through participating in Kindermusik classes, children will develop gross and fine motor skills; phonological processing and language skills; cognitive abilities and creativity; as well as social and emotional skills. Research shows that 30 minutes per week with Kindermusik has shown to increase a child's phonological awareness by 32 per cent over a control group.

Meanwhile, First Code Academy, a Hong Kong-based coding school for kids, also plans to enter Vietnam through a franchising route. Michelle Sun, the firm’s founder, told VIR that coding education in Vietnam is currently a relatively new service, with local schools only starting to look into incorporating technology-related education into their programmes.

The demand for coding education often grows in parallel with various factors, such as economic growth, technological improvements, and rising demand for engineering talent to drive the growth of the technology sector.

“With development in all these areas locally and a global focus on STEM education, the demand for coding education is poised to grow rapidly in the next few years, as parents and students in Vietnam increasingly prioritise coding literacy as an important skill for the 21^st century,” Sun said, noting that the firm is looking for potential partners in Vietnam.

According to Sean T. Ngo, CEO of VF Franchise Consulting, Vietnam is one of the fastest growing franchising markets in the region thanks to the country’s large consumer base and fast-growing GDP per capita. Vietnam is now home to nearly 200 foreign brands with probably 30 new brands coming in last year. Around 30-40 brands are expected to enter the market this year, especially in the field of food and beverage, retail, education, wellness, and lifestyle.

He added that education is the biggest spending area for parents in Vietnam and the entire region. Thus, more international franchises are eager to penetrate the market to capitalise on the opportunities.