LookAtVietnam – Educators are warning about the lack of lecturers at social work schools and a resulting lack of expertise in this area.

Dr Le Hai Thanh at the workshop

The figure was released by Dr Le Hai Thanh from the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanity under the HCM City National University at the workshop on social work training in Vietnam held in Hanoi last week.

President of the University of Education under the Hanoi National University Nguyen Thi Loc also said that the number of professional lecturers for social work study options is very modest. Most lecturers in this area have come from other educational backgrounds - therefore, the quality of social work training remains problematic.

Nguyen Tan Tai, MA, from the Da Lat University also agrees Vietnam now has too few lecturers in social work with expertise and experience.

Tai said experts who have trained professionally and have experience, are too busy with their work at government agencies. Meanwhile, the limited number of experts are being invited to give lecturers by many universities offering unattractive pay.

As the result, training establishments have to use the lecturers, who graduated only several months ago. These lecturers are often seen as too young and overworked because they have to teach too many subjects. Besides, schools now also have to hire lecturers who graduate from similar study branches including psychology, and sociology.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan said at the last week’s workshop that it is necessary to create a framework which can produce social work lecturers.

According to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam will need hundreds of thousands social work officers in the coming years.

Meanwhile, Loc from the University of Education says Vietnam will need some 15,000 social work officers in 10 years, repeating that it should have one officer for every 10,000 people.

Lack of lecturers is not the only problem for social work training. Dr Thanh also pointed out problems in curriculums. Under current regulations, social work schools have to build up curriculums based on a framework set by the Ministry of Education and Training in 2004.

“The training curriculum just focuses on theory while it does not pay appropriate attention to practice hours. It still cannot meet the demand of the society,” Thanh said.

Kieu Oanh