The Nationalist Movement in Indo-China

(i) Civilizing Mission : Under this mission, the French claimed that they were bringing the modern civilisation to the Vietnamese. They took for granted that Europe had developed the most advanced civilisation. So it became the duty of the Europeans to introduce the modern ideas to the colony  even if this meant destroying local cultures, religions and traditions. Education was seen as one way to civilise the ‘native'.
(ii) To counter Chinese influence : The elites in Vietnam were powerfully influenced by the Chinese culture. To consolidate their power, the French had to counter this Chinese influence. So they systematically dismantled the tradational educational system and established French schools for the Vietnamese.
(iii) To create Asiatic France Solidarity :
There were many policy makers who felt that by learning French the Vietnamese would be introduced to the culture and civilization of France. This would create Asiatic France Solidarity. The educated people inVietnam would respect French culture and  see the superiority of French culture.
(iv) To justify Colonial rule : French also wanted to educate the people of Vietnam so that through textbooks and other materials, they could justify the colonial rule.