VietNamNet Bridge – Students complain that the new regulation by the Ministry of Education and Training would deprive their opportunities to follow university education.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has set stricter requirements on the students who finish junior colleges and plan to transfer credits to follow university education.

In order to pass credits to study at university, the students would have to attend the entrance exam with three exam subjects. The universities which the students enroll in will set exam questions and set minimum required marks to select students.

No more ways for university education?

Nguyen Tuan, a student in HCM City has fallen back into despair when hearing about the new regulation. Three years ago, he failed the national university entrance exam to the HCM City Industry University. He decided to study at the finance & banking college first, and then transfer credits to study at the university after obtaining the junior college degree.

Tuan’s decision was applauded by his parents and friends. As such, Tuan would have to take a roundabout to the university education. However, this would still allow him to fulfill his dream of obtaining university degree.

However, the new regulation by MOET has blocked the way for Tuan to access university education.

Le Van Nghia, a student of the HCM City Forestry and Agriculture Junior College, said he and other students have got disappointed about the new decision.

“With the regulation, MOET tells us to attend the university entrance exams from the beginning. We have wasted the three years on the junior college, and now we have to attend the university entrance exams to follow university education,” Nghia said.

He went on to say that no one would any longer enroll in junior college or vocational school, because they understand that they would not have the opportunities to study further at universities.

Other students also said they would rather attend the university entrance exam to be able to go directly to a university than studying at junior colleges first and then transferring credits to the university.

Hoa, a student of a junior college, said the state should keep different ways open for students to fulfill their dream of studying. He complained that the second semester exams at the junior college begin in May, while the national university entrance exams take place in July, which means that he would have little time to prepare for the exams.

Universities should be given autonomy

MOET has decided to tighten the university training control amid the complaints about the low quality of in-service university training and credit-transfer training.

In Vietnam, the graduates of full-time training courses are believed to have the highest qualifications. The students have to pass the stringent national university entrance exams to be able to follow full-time training courses. The national exams aim to ensure that schools can select the best among the students.

Meanwhile, the students who don’t pass the national exams may still obtain university education by studying at junior colleges first and then transferring credits for university education. The quality of this mode of training is believed to be low, because schools, which try to attract as many students as possible, always loosen the requirements on students.

However, educators don’t believe that the new regulation by MOET is not the best way to improve the quality of university training.

Dr. Nguyen Toan, President of the Thu Duc Technology College in HCM City, has noted that the quality of students depends on the training services, not on the exam subjects. Therefore, he believes that MOET should not set up the same rules for all schools in terms of exam subjects and exam time.

Tien Phong