VietNamNet Bridge – In a government report MOET admits it still cannot give answers to three big questions

MOET says the questions are impossible to answer as it is only managing 54 out of the 376 operational universities and junior colleges, or 14.4 percent.

Other training establishments are put under the management of other ministries and local authorities. Meanwhile, there is no proper for cooperation between ministries, branches and local authorities on university management.

Even if MOET plans to inspect two universities or junior colleges every week, it will take it 3.5 years.

Admitting the low quality of higher education, MOET says it is because in the last 30 years, universities still cannot set standards for the quality of graduates.

Regarding the second question on law regulating higher education, MOET admits problems in running the network of universities.

It has become a hot topic on education forums after Vietnamese newspapers posted a series of stories about Phan Thiet University – which got the go ahead despite faking documents and lacking facilities.

MOET has estimated that some 20 percent of universities and junior colleges which have been newly established or upgraded from lower-level schools since 2005 have not fulfilled commitments.

MOET stresses that Vietnam will never be able to develop higher education low standards and rule breaking remain unchecked.

MOET says it will renovate the regulations regarding the licensing of new universities. Training establishments will be inspected three months before they open new study branches and they will be examined once a year in the next three years

Improving the number of lecturers and qualification of lecturers has also been highlighted as an important task. From 2010, Vietnam will have 1,000 more lecturers trained domestically to doctorate level and another 1,000 in foreign countries. By 2012, every university lecturer must speak at least one foreign language fluently to assist in training and scientific research.

VietNamNet/TT