The Saigon College of Art Culture and Tourism haS been found as applying so many odd regulations that a lot of lecturers have quit the school, thus making students suffer.

Lecturers put under pressure

The staff of the college related that they have to pay different types of fines every month, even for nonsensical reasons. If they are a bit late in submitting reports or go to the school late, they will have to pay fines. If they are late to the school’s meetings, they will see their salaries deducted by 50,000 dong, and if they do not attend meetings, they will be imposed the fine of 100,000 dong. A lecturer said that he purchased a pack of steamed glutinous rice and brought it to school for breakfast, for which he was imposed a fine of 100,000 dong.

Once lecturers are fined, their leaders will also be involved in misfortune. The regulations set by the school stipulate that the heads of divisions, where the fined lecturers work, will be imposed the fine equal to 20 percent of the fine, while the deputy heads will be fined 10 percent of the fine. The regular punishment has made the atmosphere of the school very tense on the days just before the salary payment.

In January and February 2011 alone, three deputy presidents of the school quit the school. Also in January and February, Head of the Administrative Management Division, Deputy Head of the Students’ Affairs Division and Deputy Head of the Administration Division also decided to leave. Prior to that, the deans of the arts – industrial arts, music and tourism faculties left the school. Seventeen workers and lecturers of the schools reportedly resigned just within one month.

Currently, Dr Vu Khac Chuong, President of the school, has to hold a lot of posts concurrently. He has to act as the dean of information technology; arts – industrial arts faculties, and head of the training, administrative management, and personnel divisions. Especially, he also works as the director of the intern center.

The school with “virtual” lecturers

The Saigon College of Art Culture and Tourism announced that it has 246 officers and 514 lecturers, including 291 permanent lecturers who are listed on the school’s payroll. Meanwhile, a lot of people whose names are listed on the school’s payroll, said that they once applied to become lecturers for the school, but they never got replies from the school.

According to Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, the school once announced the recruitment of lecturers for the school, and then collected applications from candidates and “manufactured” the list of permanent lecturers from the names of the candidates. In fact, by November 20, 2010, the school had had only eight permanent lecturers and 121 officers.

Vague regulations in enrollment

The Saigon College of Art Culture and Tourism was established in 2006 and began enrolling students in the same year. The college now provides 14 training branches at the junior college level (3-year training) and 16 training branches at the vocational school level (2-year training). According to the school’s report, the school now has 7165 students in total. However, a person, who once held an important position at the school said that the actual number of students is 9220. Every year, before the enrollment season, the school summons the enrollment council. However, only the president of the school has the right to choose who can matriculate.

Since there are very few lecturers and there are too many students, a lecturer has to cover 5-10 classes at the same time. Faculties’ officers and secretaries in charge of student management, who do not teach, have also been asked to work as head teachers. The number of students in every class is very high, about 200-300 students.

The fearful internship periods

Nguoi Lao Dong’s newspaper reporters who arrived in one of the school’s campuses in Ba Diem commune in Hoc Mon district of HCM City, could see students studying in a place which was once a garment workshop. It was dank and dark here. “We feel as if we are being tortured. It is so hot and stuffy,” a student complained.

The students said that there are 10 overhead projectors, not enough for 28 classes. Meanwhile, since many lecturers have quit teaching, students still cannot complete their study programs

The students said that the most fearful thing for them is that the school asks them to fulfill an internship period by attending tourism tours. During the three years of studying at the college, students have to have four internship periods. Sometimes, they have to pay 6-7 million dong, a significant sum of money for the tours.

Source: Nguoi lao dong