Lookatvietnam – Rather than seeking a job after graduation from the Mine and Geology College, Nguyen Ngoc Cuong opted to enrol in a masters course.

“Vietnamese students have demands, ambitions and dreams that schools cannot turn them into reality for the students. They have to find the answers for themselves”.

These days, Cuong’s experience is not unique.

Recent research carried out by the Institute for Educational Research (IER) at the HCM City University of Education has found that 80 per cent of high school students and 70 per cent of university students pursue further study after graduation.

In an effort to determine Vietnamese student’s attitudes about their future and their awareness of factors that may influence their lives, the study surveyed 2,000 students from 24 schools and universities in Ha Noi, HCM City, Da Nang and Can Tho.

“Vietnamese students have demands, ambitions and dreams that schools cannot turn them into reality for the students. They have to find the answers for themselves,” said Dr Nguyen Kim Dung, IER Vice Director and head of the research. “Those who cannot find a suitable path continue to study”.

Why?

Common belief among youth is that the more degrees one holds the easier it will be to find a good job.

When asked about the skills necessary for a good future, most students said they would need practical skills such as foreign languages and information technology. Just over half of the students wanted to take on a part-time job to gain experience in the workforce.

“With a bachelor’s degree I could only hope to get a job as a worker,” claimed Cuong. “This is the reason I pursued a master’s course despite financial difficulties.”

Nguyen Lan Anh, a 31-year-old accountant, shares the view that many graduates linger at schools to pursue additional studies when they traditionally should find a job to earn their living. She was no exception.

“I was not confident of my chances in finding a position with only a bachelor’s degree in foreign trade. I decided to get another bachelor’s degree in English and a chief accountant certificate,” she recalled. Lan Anh’s parents paid all her school fees.

“I know my choices weren’t the best, but there was nothing else I could do,” she added.

Lam Hoang, a 12th-grade student at Ha Noi’s Le Quy Don High School, said all of his classmates had registered for the upcoming university entrance exams, but none intended to go into vocational school.

Hoang said he could not imagine what else he could do after high school besides continuing to study.

The attitude of preferring studying over working may stem from the traditional idea that schools provide learners with all the knowledge necessary for life.

“In foreign countries, employers pay a lot of attention to job seeker experiences,” said Dung. “In Viet Nam, people believe that the more academic knowledge someone has, the better a person he or she is.”

However, Dung went on to say that schools armed their students with basic knowledge and skills. Those who wanted to have better lives must learn from everyday life.

She agreed with the idea that schools provide about 25 per cent of the knowledge that one needs to earn his or her living, while the rest comes from the real life.

Some practical skills, such as teamwork, are not as highly valued by students as other qualities like responsibility, patience and enthusiasm. Other skills such as leadership and the ability to work independently are not considered important either.

More than 90 per cent of students agreed that they have ability to decide their own future, although one sixth were vague about what their future might bring. The rest shared the view that fate would decide all.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News