Abstract:

This paper analyzes the digital transformation of the education sector in Dong Nai Province in the context of a newly merged province, where significant differences in digital infrastructure, digital capacity, and reporting culture exist between the two former provinces. Drawing on the 2025 Digital Transformation Report of the Provincial Department of Education and Training, the study identifies notable progress, including expanded education data systems, full digitalization of records, and the widespread adoption of end-to-end online public services. However, the lack of unified standards for data collection, levels of quantification, and evidence validation across the two pre-merger systems creates challenges for accurately and fairly assessing digital maturity.

The paper therefore proposes the development of a Unified Provincial Digital Maturity Framework to harmonize evaluation criteria, reduce reporting-based distortions, and establish a shared baseline for post-merger governance. This framework enables the province to pursue data-driven and modernized digital transformation efforts during the 2026–2030 period.

Keywords:

Digital transformation, newly merged province, digital maturity, education data, reporting culture, Dong Nai.