Society

Many non-state universities have raised questions about autonomy in enrolments after being unable to enrol enough students for the 2011-2012 academic year. The Association of Non-State Universities (ANU) once again proposed the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) allow the lowering of the minimum mark students must receive at the annual university entrance exams, or else they may have to close down because of a shortage of students. But MoET decided to keep the minimum mark unchanged. 

Thanh Tay University has struggled to fill all of its available places because of the low marks received by students in the entrance exam. “Four years ago our school enrolled 700 students, which then fell to 600 and could now be down around 400,” said Mr Le Cong Huynh, Dean of the university. 
Thanh Tay University and other non-State universities generally enrol students who have failed to enter a State-owned university. But these universities will only enrol 50 per cent of their targeted student numbers this year, ANU estimates. 
Enrolment targets fell in the 2008-2010 period. In 2010, 93 per cent of targets were met. Meanwhile, MoET has been speeding up plans to expand the network of universities and colleges under Decree 14, on development programmes in education and training to 2020, when 40 per cent of students are to enter non-State universities. 

But in 2010 the number was just 14.7 per cent. “The 40 per cent target will be impossible to meet if the current university entrance exams continue unchanged,” said Mr Van Dinh Ung, Head of Information and Communication at ANU. 
According to Associate Professor Hoang Trong Yem, Dean of Luong The Vinh University in Nam Dinh province, a lower minimum mark for entry doesn’t mean that the quality of education will also be low. He underlined that, in the long term, MoET should empower State and non-State universities to self-manage their universities, including enrolments. Agreeing with Professor Yem, Mr Dang Van Dinh, Chairman of Chu Van An University, said that MoET should apply the enrolment mechanism now being applied to high school enrolments, whereby the minimum mark required can be lowered until the schools have enough students. 
However, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga said that the non-State universities have trouble enrolling enough students because they lack prestige. “It takes schools at least 15 years to establish a good reputation,” said Mr Do Xuan Tung, Vice Dean of Thang Long University in Hanoi. Yet the majority of non-State universities have only been established in the last decade. 
Quantity unequal to quality
More non-State universities and colleges have been established in recent years as the MoET encourages expansion in the sector. But education quality has slipped. Many educators and experts say that one of the major reasons is that there are no establishment standards set for non-State universities and colleges. 
At a conference last month, Vietnamese-Japanese Professor Dang Luong Mo, an adviser to the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, said that Japan has specific university establishment standards that cover many areas, including space for each student, facilities, and the number and qualifications of their teaching staff. A university must ensure a minimum area of 10 square metres per student and a maximum 18 students per professor. 

No university in Vietnam satisfies these two standards, Professor Mo said, adding that the number of professors and PhD holders at universities and colleges in Vietnam is still too low. These two standards are imperative if universities and colleges in Vietnam are to improve and match their international counterparts.
While many non-State schools are struggling to find a workable model, Thang Long University and the Hanoi University of Business and Technology are considered to be two successful models. According to Mr Ung from ANU, the two models can be used as examples when setting up university establishment standards. He also said that in launching such standards quickly, participation by MoET leaders is crucial. 
Judging quality
Vietnam is still in a period of transition from a centrally-planned economy with bureaucratic management. The quality and efficiency of education and training remains low, even though the government increases the education budget every year. The main reason is low quality management and assessment by relevant agencies. Certain prestigious schools should be empowered to self-manage, to partly reduce the responsibility of these agencies. 

According to Dr Dao Van Khanh from Can Tho University, MoET’s role is to build policies and the legal framework for schools, while the schools should implement self-management mechanisms within the legal framework. Such mechanisms are already applied by schools in other countries. 
To ensure self-management and accountability, retired university lecturer Professor Pham Phu said there needs to be a board created at every school. The board would include school administrators, heads and deputies of departments, the school party committee and union delegates. 

With the participation of members outside of schools, the role of the school board would partly replace management by the ministry. But the number of non-State universities establishing a school board is small, because many principals are unwilling to hand over power. In principle, the greatest power should remain with the principal, with the school board shifting targets to build up its reputation.  
In empowering schools, the ministry needs to build a system of indicators and criteria to guide and monitor implementation. To overcome the obstacles and shortcomings in Vietnam’s education sector, the Education Law needs to be amended, with the participation of domestic and international educators. 
The role of the General Department for Testing and Education Quality Accreditation under MoET is to implement State management in testing and education quality accreditation nationwide and implement public services in testing and educational accreditation, but it cannot complete all of its responsibilities. 

So the establishment of quality support organisations such as education testing centres and accreditation offices has been a concern for many educators, experts and representatives from non-State universities and colleges for many years. If such organisations become more comprehensive, education and training quality in tertiary schools will improve.