Students study on the campus of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City

University students will assess their lecturers as part of moves to improve higher education quality, the education ministry has said.

Lecturers, meanwhile, will evaluate school management boards, Nhan added.

The conference setting orientations for the ongoing school year 2009-10 was attended by representatives from over 200 universities and colleges nationwide.

In an attempt to innovate its management methods, the MoET will issue a decree authorizing People’s Committees and education departments at provinces and cities to inspect their local schools based on the ministry’s regulations, Nhan said.

Nhan also asked all higher education establishments to make public details of their training quality and steps taken to guarantee quality, as well as their finances on their website or other regulated places by January 1 next year. Failure to do so could result in, or they won’t be given quotas on student admission next year.

The minister said all schools have to set up standards on their outputs by next December.

He also said, “From this school year, universities will assess MoET’s management activities; it will not just be the ministry assessing the schools.”

The National Assembly last week decided to supervise education directly from next year following mounting complaints about shortcomings in higher education quality and school establishments.

Vietnam now has 376 universities and colleges, including 40 universities established or upgraded from colleges in 2006 and 2007 alone, according to the ministry.

Some officials and experts suggested closing down schools of dubious quality.

However, Nhan told the conference, “It’s not easy to shut down bad schools. The government is responsible for strengthening inspections and dealing with their failings and violations so that no school has to be closed.”

Source; Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre