In Vietnam, 90 percent of high school students pass their final exams, 50 percent of whom register to take university entrance exams.

VietNamNet Bridge – In Europe, 60 percent of students go to vocational schools after they graduate secondary school. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, nearly all students go on to high schools, and 90 percent of high school students pass their final exams, 50 percent of whom register to take university entrance exams. This is a big waste to society, according to the Deputy General Director of the General Department for Vocational Training under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

Vocational school students get financial aid

Vocational schools still cannot attract students

Go to vocational schools first, then to universities?

Vietnam does not need workers who possess advanced math knowledge

“Workers only need to know addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. What they need to have is good professional skills,” said Nguyen Van Thinh, Personnel Department Director of Sao Vang Rubber Joint Stock Company.

Le Thi Tuyet Mai, Head of the Personnel Division of Thuong Dinh Footwear Company, was so surprised when a Tien phong reporter asked her if her workers need to know [algebra?]. Mai said workers do not need to have such a deep knowledge, while what they need to have is good skill set which allows them to perform the tasks assigned to them.

Vocational schools and enterprises all said students only need to graduate secondary schools to be eligible for studying further at vocational schools and then becoming manufacturing workers.

Meanwhile, in Vietnam, hundreds of thousands students who graduate secondary schools decide to continue studying at high schools, and only go to vocational schools when they fail university entrance exams, which, experts say, is a waste to society.

Few people want to become workers

In Vietnam, most students wish to continue studying at universities after they graduate high schools. Students go to vocational school only when they fail the university entrance exams and have no other choice, according to sources.

In fact, manufacturing workers can earn much money, but very few people want to work as manufacturing workers. They prefer becoming office workers, so that they do not have to work hard in factories

“A worker can earn 4-5 million dong a month, while welding workers can earn 10 million dong a month, a very high monthly salary in the society,” Duong Duc Lan said about the salaries of workers who follow training courses at the MOLISA’s vocational schools.

However, Lan admitted that vocational schools have not attracted students, even though many vocational schools have been well invested.

Explaining this, Deputy Director of the Professional Training Department under the Ministry of Education and Training Pham Nhu Nghe said that in Vietnam’s society, degrees are always valued highly.

“Parents are proud that their children can study at universities, while no parent is proud of their children who are good at welding or mechanics,” Nghe said.

Massive universities killing vocational schools

According to Lan, other countries are better than Vietnam at organizing their labour force. In Europe, only 30-40 percent of secondary school graduates continue studying at high schools.

Lan believes that in Vietnam, the state should also adjust the percentage of students studying at high schools, so that other students can go to vocational schools.

“Currently, we do not limit the number of students studying at high schools, while we allow to open more and more universities,” Lan said, adding that the existence of too many universities is killing vocational schools.

Source: Tien phong