LookAtVietnam – While traditional universities remain the number one choice for many students, short-on-numbers junior colleges can still represent a good option say teaching heads.

“We have been trying to do everything we can to enroll students, but we have enrolled 330 students only, far below the desired figure of 500,” he admits.

Meanwhile, Vien Dong College says it has 300 applications so far but needs to enroll 1,000 students in total.

Elsewhere, Bui Manh Tuan, Head of the Training Division of the HCM City Industry and Trade College, said 2,600 students chose them as their first choice, but 300 of those never turned up.

It’s part of a trend that sees students targeting big universities while technical or junior colleges are treated indifferently.

The number of students registering to take entrance exams for junior colleges has been increasing steadily year after year according to the Ministry of Education and Training.

However, the number of those students who register to take exams but never show up – or pass the exams and then drop out – is also on the increase.

Ton That Tin of Thu Duc College said that many students register to take exams to junior colleges just ‘for amusement’ and don’t really want to study there.

Bui Manh Tuan adds that the number of students in classes constantly changes in the first two or three weeks of school year and colleges always have to keep in mind that many students may leave.

Tuan says that while some students believe they must get a university degree at any cost to get a job - they do not realise junior colleges can be a stepping stone.

They can still get university degrees by first registering to study at a junior college and then amassing enough credits for further study at a university. Many are also unaware that many junior college graduates get better jobs with higher salaries than university graduates.

Doctor of psychology Vo Van Nam from the HCM City University of Education refuses to blame students for turning their backs on junior colleges. He instead blames a society that values professional degrees more than experience and skills which has made students and parents think that studying at universities is the only option.

Agreeing with Nam, Dao Khanh Du, Head of the Cao Thang Polytechnique College, said students must learn that if they have good skills, they will be able to find good jobs after they graduate, no matter if they have university degrees or not.

VietNamNet/NLD