The Da Nang City’s Department of Home Affairs has submitted to the 17th People’s Council’s session, which convened on December 1-3, its plan on personnel development in 2011. Under the plan, from 2011 onwards Da Nang will not recruit in-service training graduates for its state agencies. In-service training classes, essentially part-time student programs, are for individuals who work fulltime jobs but attend classes at night to work toward a university degree. “Popular training” programs are essentially programs for fulltime students who are not employed in fulltime jobs.

According to Saigon tiep thi newspaper, explaining the decision, a high ranking official said that the city’s authorities want to improve the workforce of state agencies. The official has also revealed that even the people, who have been sent to training courses funded by the city’s budget, still cannot find jobs.

In the last many years, Da Nang has been following a recruitment policy under which the degrees of candidates are considered thoroughly. Before the above said controversial decision was officially released, the city’s education had said “no” to the students who graduated from in-service training. Explaining this, under the condition of anonymity, an official of the education department said there has been a clear difference in the quality of in-service and regular training students.

Besides, some schools even refused to accept graduates from people founded schools.

The city has set high requirements for candidates who want to apply for jobs at state agencies. Candidates must graduate from regular training courses, have good political biographies, have ho khau (permanent residence book) in Da Nang, and they must be a member of the Communist Youth Union.

The plan drafted by the Da Nang Department of Home Affairs has immediately raised debates. Nhan Dan Newspaper, the voice of the Communist Party, has published an article pointing out that no article of the current laws stipulates that in-service training graduates cannot be recruited by state agencies.

In the immediate time, two questions have been raised: 1) Is the refusal to recruit in-service training graduates for state agencies legal, and if it is illegal, which laws does the decision violate? 2) Why have Da Nang’s authorities insisted on not accepting in-service training graduates?

It is clear from the decision that Da Nang’s authorities do not recognize the quality of in-service training. Meanwhile, in reality, as the laws stipulates, citizens have the right to study under different modes, including in-service training. To date, in-service training is still considered legal in Vietnam.

As such, it is legal to provide in-service training and follow in-service training courses, while in-service training’s degrees are recognized and protected by the laws. This means that in this case, the decision by the Da Nang’s authorities comes contrary to the spirit of the laws.

Nhan Dan newspaper has also cited many other legal documents that directly guide the recruitment of state officials and came to the conclusion that there is no legal provision which states that in-service training graduates cannot be recruited for state agencies.

Regarding the second question why Da Nang authorities do not accept graduates of in-service training programs, the answer seems to lie in the quality of in-service training.

Many people think, graduates from in-service programs are not as competent as graduates from popular training programs. Therefore, it would be unfair to accept in-service graduates, who have insufficient knowledge, while leaving popular training graduates with better knowledge, jobless.

Da Nang authorities, while trying to improve the workforce of the city’s state agencies, might think that it would be better to say “no” to bad staff in order to reserve opportunities for better candidates

However, Nhan Dan newspaper, has emphasized that all citizens and institutions and organizations in Vietnam must work in accordance with the law.

C. V