The decision by the Ministry of Education and Training
(MOET) allowing non-state universities to receive more applications does not
make them happy as expected.

The initial deadline set by MOET for universities to receive applications from
students was September 30. However, after realizing that non-state schools had
not been able to enroll enough students by that day, it has decided to extend
the deadline to November 15. For students this means that they can still get a
place at universities, while for universities this is a chance to get more
students.

While the academic year at state owned universities began already in September,
non-state ones are growing anxious. Many schools have enrolled ½ or 1/3 of the
number of students they planned to have. Other schools have to close down some
courses, because of the lack of students.

However, MOET’s decision has not been applauded by non-state universities as
expected. “Even if MOET gives us one more month, we still will not be able to
enroll enough students,” said President of Ha Hoa Tien University Nguyen Khac
Quac.

The unexpected “gift” from MOET will not help

Head of the Training Division of Dong Do University Nguyen Thanh Tinh said that
by September 30, the school had enrolled 800 students, fulfilling 50 percent of
the enrolment plan.

Tinh said that the decision by MOET is a reasonable decision, but he wishes it
had been made earlier.

He said that the new decision was released on November 1, but it took some more
days to publish the decision on the official gazette; therefore, schools will
have less than two weeks to implement it. As for Dong Do, the school has decided
not to receive more applications, even though it still needs 700 students more,
because two weeks would not be long enough to look for more students.

“If we admit more students, they will be late by six weeks in their learning
programme in comparison with other students. In this case, we cannot set up a
specific class just to accommodate these students,” Tinh explained.

Deputy President of Thanh Tay University Hoang Huu Nguyen also said that though
MOET gives more opportunities, his school will not try to seek more students,
despite the fact that the university has enrolled only 1/3 of the planned number
of students.

Nguyen said that it is unfeasible to find 800 more students within just 10 days.
To date, one week after the day the new decision was released, the university
has not received any more applications.

Ha Hoa Tien University, which planned to enroll 600 students this academic year,
has enrolled 40 only. Quac said that this enrolment season is really the worst
one. In 2009, the school enrolled 169/800 students, while in 2008, it enrolled
183/1000.

Opening and then closing down

As universities cannot enroll enough students, they have to close down many
subjects.

Tinh from Dong Do University said that the school has decided not to open
classes in two majors. The students, who had already registered for them, have
to shift to other faculties.

Thanh Tay University is also facing the same problem. Nguyen said that the
school will not train students in the majors of biological technology, forestry
environment and refrigeration engineering. The school planned to enroll 40
students for each of the subjects, but there are not enough students.

Kieu Oanh