VietNamNet Bridge - Universities have shown strong opposition against MOET’s intervention in their enrollment plans, saying that it should be the work of schools.

MOET has told schools to use software provided by the ministry when considering the results of the national high-school finals. 

“I showed my strong opposition against the ministry’s decision when I met Minister Phung Xuan Nha. The minister noted my opinion, but for some reasons, the mechanism will still be implemented,” said Do Van Dung, rector of the HCMC University of Polytechnic Education.

Dung said enrollment is a ‘difficult and delicate’ job which needs a human decision. “There is no software smart enough to replace school workers to undertake enrollment work,” he said.

“In order to select the best students, the school has to consider students’ records during their three years at high school and many other indexes,” he explained. 

“As for popular training majors, you can easily fulfill your enrollment plan. But for other training majors, you need to invite 100 students just to have 50 real learners,” he said.

The manager of a large non-state owned school in Hanoi commented that MOET shuld assign work to schools. He doubts that MOET can process the data about millions of students using the same software for enrollment. 

Vu Van Hoa, vice rector of the Business & Technology University, said MOET encourages schools to apply the self-determination mechanism, including self-determination in enrollment, so it would be better to simplify regulations to make it easier for schools to follow.

“As MOET authorizes local education departments to organize high school finals in their localities, it would be better to allow universities to enroll students themselves,” Hoa said. “MOET should act as the steering agency.”

The head of the training division of a school in HCMC commented that it is unreasonable to force schools to use the same software, because enrolling students must not be MOET’s job. 

The educator said the software can only do mathematical operations, while many problems may arise which cannot be settled by the software.

Le Huu Lap, former deputy director of the Post & Telecommunications Institute of Technology, said MOET can recommend the software it provides, but schools should have the right to decide whether to use the software.

Meanwhile, Do Van Xe, vice rector of the Can Tho University, thinks there is no need to worry about MOET’s software. However, he suggested that schools should create software of their own to run in case problems arise with the official software.

Mai Thanh