Can Vietnam reap fruits from the “education with excessive universities?”

VietNamNet Bridge – The 2011 enrolment season has finished. A lot of schools cannot find enough students, while many training branches have been shut down. Experts believe that this is the foreseeable result of a problematic education with too many universities and few students.

As easy as opening new schools in Vietnam

Just within 10 years, from 2000 to 2011, the number of universities in Vietnam increased from 69 to 163. Especially, universities mushroomed in 2009 as a result of the policy which allows to open new schools with very easy conditions.

Currently, 62 out of 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam have universities (4-5-year training) or junior colleges (3-year training). In 2006 and 2007 alone, 40 new universities were established.

The sharp increase in the number of schools has put a heavy burden on the Ministry of Education and Training as the management agency. The ministry’s report in 2009 admitted that the capability of controlling the activities of the schools nationwide was limited. If the ministry took an inspection tour to two schools a week, it would take them 3.5 years to fulfill the inspection tours to 376 schools.

Regarding the situation of universities and junior colleges, the report No 34 sent by the government to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee in April 2010, showed that 20 percent of the newly set up schools still had not built schools at the given addresses, and had not fulfilled their commitments. The schools were still renting campuses and rooms to organize the training activities.

Especially, a lot of universities register their headquarters in the former Ha Tay province (now belonging to Hanoi) or Hoa Binh province, but in fact, they seek students and organize training classes right in Hanoi. The same situation can also be seen at some schools in the localities near HCM City.

In August 2009 alone, five new universities made debut. These included the Bac Giang Agriculture and Forestry University, which was upgraded from the Bac Giang Agriculture and Forestry Junior College, the Dong Nai University of Technology, which was upgraded from the Dong Nai Polytechnique and Technology Junior College, the Transport Technology University, which was upgraded from the transport junior college. Especially, the Nguyen Tat Thanh University was established on the basis of the Nguyen Tat Thanh Junior College which was also upgraded from the Nguyen Tat Thanh School (2-year training).

In principle, when applying for opening a school, the investors have to show that they can satisfy the requirements in the land fund for school campuses, lecturing staff, investment capital and other conditions that ensure the quality of training, such as syllabuses and dormitories. However, in fact, a lot of schools still could obtain the license to open schools from the Ministry of Education and Training, even though they could not have such the required conditions.

As difficult as seeking students

The Ministry of Education and Training has vowed to improve the quality of university education. However, analysts still have doubts about the feasibility of the plan, saying that when universities even accept the students, who get low marks from university entrance exams, they will not be able to produce high quality graduates.

In recent years, due to the lack of students to enroll, universities only require students to obtain 13-14 marks from the university entrance exams (3 exam subjects). However, even when accepting such low marks, universities still cannot find enough students.

“What is happening now in enrolment seasons shows that the Vietnamese education system is problematic,” said Le Viet Khuyen, former Director of the University Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Non-state owned schools are offering gifts to attract more students. Meanwhile, prestigious state owned schools open “special classes” which gather the students, who do not obtain the required marks, to collect high tuitions from the students. Especially, even national universities also try to enroll students for 3-year training courses. As a result, less prestigious schools stay hungry for students.

Kieu Oanh