LookAtVietnam – Vietnam does not lack schools for secondary school graduates, but the country lacks adequate career guidance for students.

Vietnam does not lack schools for secondary school graduates, but the country lacks adequate career guidance for students.

Students complain about quality of vocational education

Vocational schools still cannot attract students

Vocational schools meet national standards

In 2006-2007, only 3.1 percent of students went to vocational training centres and 1.4 percent went to intermediate vocational schools, while the figures were 2.5 and 1.8 percent for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Dr. Nguyen Tran Nghia, Headmaster of HCM City Technical Workers School, noted: “The top choice for secondary school graduates is high school.” As a result, Vietnam must still organise high school entrance exams, but state-owned high schools can only accept 80 percent of applicants and vocational schools cannot attract enough students.

According to Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Vinh Hien, in countries with developed education systems, career guidance is implemented well. During their secondary school years, students already know where they will go, universities or vocational schools.

Hoang Thi Hong Hai, former Head of the Tan Phu District Education Sub-Department, maintained that good career guidance for secondary school students is the most important goal. Those students who are not capable of continued study at high school should be directed to vocational schools.

The question of career guidance has been discussed for a long time. Provinces and cities even set up targets on the percentage of students going to vocational schools. MOET has also decided that in 2010-2020, Vietnam needs to attract 30 percent of secondary school graduates to vocational schools. However, to date, the percentage attending vocational schools after secondary school remains in single digits.

Dr. Nguyen Tran Nghia, explaining the low percentage, blamed it on poor career guidance at secondary schools. He asserted that formalism has existed in career education and teachers have offered only general knowledge of technical fields, while students still do not have the necessary skills.

In order to promote career education in secondary schools, Nghia claimed that schools need to use testing kits to help students choose careers that fit their inclinations and capabilities. Every year, students need to be tested.

According to Nguoi Lao Dong, MOET has submitted a plan to restructure the national education system to establish technical and vocational high schools and community colleges. The ministry has also asked the Government to reserve capital for developing vocational education in Vietnam.

Source: Nguoi lao dong