VietNamNet Bridge – Dr. Bui Anh Tuan, Director of the University Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), has stated that the ministry has decided to stop the enrolment of postgraduates for the 161 master training programs from 2013, because the programs cannot meet the requirements.

The decision has been made after MOET discovered from its inspection tours that schools still provided training services even though they could not meet the conditions required for producing masters.

Tuan has said that only 161 “master incubators” have to stop enrolling students, but the figure could be higher, if MOET discovers violations at other training establishments. The inspections have just found out the problems in the teaching staff. Meanwhile, further inspection would be taken to find out the real situation in material facilities, including the minimum floor area for every learner.

People believe that the 161 training majors have been provided by less prestigious training establishments. However, in fact, the list of the majors which have been forced to stop enrolling learners includes the big names such as the Ho Chi Minh Politics – Administration National Academy, the Hanoi National University, HCM City National University, Hue University, the Hanoi Pharmaceutical University, the Hanoi University of Education and HCM City University of Education.

Explaining this, Dr. Nguyen Hoi Nghia, Deputy Director of the HCM City National University, said that the big problem lies in the difference in the viewpoint kept by MOET and the school about the standard teaching staff of the school.

Nghia said that the school is checking the teaching staff of the school so as to be able to continue the master training programs.

Also according to Tuan, if the above said schools can fix their problems prior to December 31, 2014, the schools can report the problem settlement to MOET for its consideration to allow resuming the bachelor training programs.

However, the training establishments have only been asked to stop enrolling new learners. Meanwhile, the existing students would continue their training courses.

On the same day, MOET released the decision that nine master training establishments of the Hanoi National University have to stop enrolling learners until it receives a notice from the ministry about its decision after checking the member schools’ reports.

To date, five master training establishments have not submitted reports, while the other four have submitted, but the reports don’t contain necessary information.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Vietnam now has 24,300 PhDs and 101,000 masters, which represent the increase of 11.6 percent per annum. Of this, the number of maters increases by 14 percent per annum.

Analysts have warned that the master training scale in Vietnam is too big, which has led to the “inflation” of masters and the existence of unqualified masters.

In 2011, the Hanoi National University produced 4,000 masters, while its number of full time students was 5,500 only. The Hanoi Transport University planned to enroll 1,000 candidates for master training in the first stage of 2012 alone.

NDHMoney has quoted its source as saying that in 2013, Vietnam plans to train 1,350 PhDs and 27,000 masters, which represent the increases of 10-12 percent and five percent, respectively, in comparison with 2012.

MOET has announced that in 2013, university training establishments in Vietnam would enroll 133,000 students.

Compiled by Thu Uyen