VietNamNet Bridge – The Chairman of the National Assembly’s Culture and Education Committee signals cautious acceptance of the Education and Training Ministry’s revised proposals for tuition reform.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, after hearing our suggestions, proposed that in the interim, university tuition should be raised by 50 percent the 2009-2010 school year to catch up with consumer price increases.

His proposal is reasonable, as the tuition for state owned university education has been frozen at the present level for many years. It is proposed that the 2009-2010 tuition level be set at about 235,000 dong a month. However, MOET calculates that if fully adjusted for price inflation, tuition should cost even more – 255,000 dongper month.

People have been facing big difficulties during the economic downturn. Many National Assembly deputies favor keeping the same tuition level in 2009-2010 and not collecting the additional 50 percent proposed by MOET. How is the National Assembly likely to decide?

In general, we advocate adjusting tuition levels for university and career education now in 2009-2010, in order to reduce the existing problems. However, we need to calculate thoroughly just how much to increase.

The suggested 50 percent increase in tuition for 2009-2010 will make the tuition level higher than the minimum tuition level MOET itself sets up in its new tuition scheme for 2010 and after, that is, 200,000 dong (the current tuition level for state owned universities is 180,000 a month, and if students have to pay 50 percent more in 2009-2010, they will have to pay 240,000 dong a month - reporter). So which tuition level will be set for 2010, when we begin implementing the new tuition scheme?

Our viewpoint is that despite the problems in the current tuition scheme, we need to fix the problems step by step, not all at one time. I wish that we could have fixed the problems gradually in the last 10 years. A sharp tuition increase from 180,000 dong to 255,000 dong may cause shocks, therefore, we must give this matter careful thought.

What’s the highest level in 2009-2010 that you think is acceptable?

We previously suggested a general plan to tuition in the 30 to 40 percent range. However, we still need to factor in the impact of the economic downturn. Together with raising tuitions, the State needs to support poor students with loan programmes.

Under the plan suggested by MOET, beginning in the 2010-2011 academic year, tuition at universities and junior colleges will be range from 200,000 to 800,000 dong a month. With this big gap between the minimum and maximum tuition levels, people fear that schools will all set their tuition at the ceiling level. What would you say about that?

I support the idea that the tuition levels should set according to the course of study. Students of subjects that are costly to teach should pay a higher tuition. In current conditions, we can only ensure study opportunities for everyone, but we cannot meet the expectations of everyone.

It is true that in the suggested plan, there is a big gap between the minimum and maximum tuition levels. People fear that when universities are given autonomy, they will set their tuitions at the maximum levels, making it hard for students.

I think, however, that we should set tuition levels that correspond to the quality of the instruction. Universities will be encouraged to teach better if they know they will be allowed to charge an appropriate tuition.

VietNamNet/VNE