At the workshop discussing the draft strategy on education and training development 2009-2020 late last week, leaders of universities and junior colleges expressed concerns over the feasibility of the strategy.

One of the important goals for higher education stipulated in the draft strategy is to have 450 students out of every 10,000 people by 2020

The draft strategy, according to experts, has set up many goals, but has not pointed out solutions to reach those goals. Thai Ba Can, Headmaster of the HCM City Technique Pedagogical University, said that when drawing up a development plan, compilers need to consider the feasibility of the plan based on real conditions. Meanwhile, the draft strategy has not talked about where financial and human sources should come from to serve the strategy.

Regarding the goal about the percentage of students in total population, Tran Thi Ha, Director of the Higher Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training (MARD) said that the target ratio has been set after the compilers considered the conditions in Vietnam. By 2020, the country expects to have a total population of 100 million, including 15 million people between the ages of 18-22. As such, 450 students per 10,000 people, or 4.5 million students by 2020 will account for 30-35% of the total population, a reasonable ratio.

In order to have 450 students per 10,000 people by 2020, Vietnam needs to well prepare lecturers (have 20,000 doctors, upgrade the network of universities and colleges, and build up e-lectures).

Ha maintains optimism about the feasibility of the goal fulfillment, saying that even the target of having 80% of graduates recognized by employers as meeting job requirements proves to be feasible.

The Ministry of Education and Training is compiling the plan on training to society’s demand, while asking universities to keep watch over the employment of graduates. The figures will be reported to the ministry, which will be later made public.

Unpractical

According to Dr. Bui Tran Phuong, Headmaster of Hoa Sen University, the draft strategy does not touch the main problems of education and training; and therefore, it proves to be unconvincing.

‘Achievement disease,’ insincere education and training, fake degrees, and other problems need to be analyzed to find solutions.

Leaders of universities have also expressed their concerns about the feasibility of the goals set by the Ministry of Education and Training in the draft strategy.

Tran Huu Nghi, Headmaster of the Huu Nghi People Founded University, has expressed concerns about the goal of obtaining 30% of university lecturers that have a doctorate degree. Nghi said that the goal may be suitable to state-owned universities, but this will be a difficult task for non-state universities.

Meanwhile, the representative from FPT University, said that Vietnam needs to develop a plan on education export. The draft strategy only said that Vietnam strives to have 15,000 foreign students studying in Vietnam by 2020, but has not mentioned any solution to reach that end.

VietNamNet/NLD