VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi attaches too much importance on candidates’ degrees when recruiting civil servants, and because of this, it may miss talent, experts believe.

Under new regulations on civil service examinations, those who are not permanent residents of Hanoi must meet very high requirements to be eligible to take the civil service exams.

They have to satisfy one of the following requirements: a doctorate obtained at aged 35 or below; completion of domestic school as one of the best graduates; completion of foreign schools with a “level of distinction” degree; or a master’s or bachelor’s degree (at distinction level) from a state-owned university granted at aged 30 or below.

The Hanoi government has said it set high requirements on candidates in order to be able to find high-quality labor force for the city.

Associate Professor Van Nhu Cuong, headmaster of Luong The Vinh High School in Hanoi, a renowned educator, called the requirements unreasonable.

“Hanoi authorities attach too much importance on degrees,” he said. “Such requirements would only encourage trade in forged degrees.”

Cuong noted that few school laureates from other provinces work in Hanoi.

Meanwhile, many employers do not appreciate candidates who are considered the schools’ best students, because many “excellent” students cannot satisfy job requirements.

“As such, Hanoi would not be able to attract best candidates for the civil service examinations,” Cuong said. “In many cases, those who have lower education levels can work better than those who have high qualifications.”

He went on to say that degrees cannot truly reflect candidates’ abilities. Cuong himself, when recruiting teachers for his school, always tries to learn about candidates’ abilities through tests. Meanwhile, titles such as “excellent students teachers” will not catch his attention.

“It is the right time to change the recruitment policy. It is necessary to value candidates’ abilities above degrees,” he said.

Dr. Tran Xuan Nhi, deputy chair of the University and Junior College, disagrees with the new regulation that only candidates finishing state-owned schools will be eligible to take civil service exams.

“I was very surprised when I heard that Hanoi was showing discriminatory treatment to students from privately-run schools,” Nhi said.

“It is a blunder to think that state-owned school graduates are better than private school ones,” he added.

Nhi also pointed out that the new regulation set up by Hanoi does not follow the state’s policy on developing universities under different modes of ownership.

Nguyen Tung Lam, chair of the Hanoi Education Psychology Association, said that education degrees must not be the only evidence of candidates’ abilities.

“Qualifications are for employers’ references when considering candidates’ abilities,” Lam noted.

Dan Viet