Parents made the defeat of corruption in schools very difficult
because often they were accomplices, the Education and Training Ministry’s
Deputy Inspector Pham Van Tai told a workshop in Ha Noi yesterday, Nov 16.

Students of Le Quy Don High School for gifted students in the northern province of Lai Chau study in a foreign language lab. Improving the quality of teaching in accordance with national standards at every school is expected to help prevent corruption in schools. (Photo: VNS)

“Often,
parents will abet teachers and educators in their corruption as long as they
think it’s best for their children,” he said.

“If the
parents do not speak for themselves about corruption, who will?” he asked the
workshop which assessed the results of the 7th Anti-corruption Dialogue in May.

“Do you
think the defeat of corruption will ever become a reality given that teachers
attain certain, and in some cases, absolute, power over their students?”

The
inspector told the workshop that corruption continued despite regular
inspections.

“But few
parents want to spill the beans about how much they paid to get their children
admitted to a good quality class,” he said.

“Without
evidence we often end in a situation where we know what has happened but can’t
prove it.

“The
important task is to raise awareness among parents and students about the evil
of corruption and encourage them to exercise their right of denunciation.”

Deputy
inspector Tai said paying bribes for admittance to schools was the most common
form of corruption.

Parents
were willing to pay extra to get their children into a public high school
because they assumed the teaching at State-subsidised institutions offered the
better teaching quality and the fees were much lower than at private schools.

Peer
pressure also made parents partly responsible for extra-curricula teaching and
learning.

“Although extra teaching and learning are allowed only students of poor
achievement or excellent students, parents whose children were outside both
groups still want them to take part in extra classes,” he said.

“Otherwise, they feel their children are being left out.”

Enrolment pressure on public high schools and all other quality schools was high
because the schools had not met society’s requirements.

Deputy
Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Nghia said the ministry had
finalised the compiling of teaching materials to pilot anti-corruption teaching
in high schools early next year.

The
deputy minister said the pressure for entry to quality schools could be
attributed in part to the difference in teaching quality and facilities between
schools.

“One
measure which will be taken to bridge the gap is to improve the quality of
teaching staff in accordance with the national standards at every school,” she
said.

The
workshop also assessed a survey to identify the risks of corruption in the
transfer of land-use rights and house ownership.

The
survey, the work of the Government Inspectorate, is scheduled for publication
next week.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News