VietNamNet Bridge – Existing for the last 20 years, non-state universities don’t look much different than they did when they first opened in Vietnam. Students only register to study at non-state schools if they fail the entrance exams to state-owned schools. This has been blamed on the discriminatory treatment between state-owned and non-state schools.

 

Lacking campuses

 
The report released by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee in 2010 showed that even after many years of operation, many universities still do not have campuses. Some of the schools have not been allocated land to build campuses (Dong Do, Van Hien and Hung Vuong Universities), while some others have to compensate for site clearance themselves. To date, 15 out of 78 non-state schools still have to set up classes on rent places. Most of the places do not have room for students to play or for extracurricular activities.

 

In HCM City, the Hong Bang University has classes located in 10 different places in different districts. The Van Hien University, which was established 13 years ago, still does not have a headquarters. In 2006, the school was allocated a 5.6 hectare land plot in Binh Chanh district. However, it still cannot build a campus on it because it still has to compensate local residents for site clearance. Currently, the school still has to pay 7 billion dong to rent classrooms. Similarly, the students of Hung Vuong HCM City University, which was established in May 1995, now still have to study in classrooms on different eight places. Especially, the school’s headquarter is now located on the campus of an agency.

 

Lacking lecturers

 

Under the current regulations, the required minimum ratio of land area is 55-85 square meters per student. However, by the end of 2009, the total land area of 32 universities and junior colleges in the inner HCM City had been 256.2 hectares only, or 12.9 square meters per student. Seven out of 31 schools only had 0.4-9 square meters per student. Especially, the ratio was very low for Hong Bang University, 0.51 square meter per student, Van Lang 0.64, Huflit 0.46 square meter per student.

 

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the current ratio of students per lecturer (28 students per lecturer) is too high in comparison with the current regulations. However, the report by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee shows a more serious problem. At some schools, the ratio is 40 students per lecturer, including Huflit (47.3 students per lecturer), Tay Do (44.2) Hong Bang (40.2). The noteworthy thing is that the number of visiting lecturers is always higher than the number of permanent lecturers. Dong Do University, for example, only has 53 permanent lecturers, while there are 375 visiting lecturers.

 

Under the current regulations, professors and high ranking lecturers have 360 teaching hours per year, while associate professors and key lecturers have 320 teaching hours, and normal lecturers 280 hours. However, in fact, many lecturers of non-state schools have 1000 teaching hours per year.

 

Difficult to enroll students

 

The Ministry of Education and Training has decided that by 2020, Vietnam will have 4.5 million students nationwide, including 1.5 million students at non-state-owned schools (30-40 percent of total students). However, at non-state -owned schools though the number of schools keeps increasing, the number of students tends to decrease.

 

In 1997, Vietnam had 15 non-state owned universities, and the number rose to 78 in September 2009. Meanwhile, the number of students at schools in the 2006-2007 academic year was 139,121, a slight decrease in comparison with the previous year. 2010 was considered the most difficult year for non-state schools which complained that they could not enroll enough students for their majors. Professor Tran Huu Nghi, President of the Hai Phong University, has warned: “If there are not enough students, sooner or later many schools will die”.

 

Schools call for equal treatment

 

Dr Nguyen Mong Hung, president of Van Hien University, said that while the State creates the best conditions for state-owned schools to operate by giving land, material facilities and money, non-state schools have manage themselves.

 

“It would be a heavy burden on us, if the State only allocates land, while we have to manage and undertake all other things,” he said.

 

Dr Le Van Ly, President of Hung Vuong University, also said that students prefer studying at state-owned universities to non-state schools just because they do not have to pay tuitions when studying at state-owned schools and they believe that the schools are always supported by the State.

 

Source: Tien phong