VietNamNet Bridge - As the number of students applying for universities this year is expected to be lower than in previous years, universities are scrambling for students.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has decided that students will begin enrollment in universities and junior colleges from August 1 after they are informed about high-school final exam scores in mid-July.

An MOET report showed that 800,000 students attended national high-school finals in early July, a decrease of 120,000 students, or 12 percent compared to 2015. Of this, 32 percent attended the finals to obtain the high school diploma.

Le Van Thang, vice president of the Nam Dinh Pedagogical Junior College, noted that many schools would have problems in implementing their enrolment plans because of the lower number of students planning to follow higher education.

More students are deciding to go to vocational schools instead of universities and junior colleges.

Private schools are facing more problems than state-owned ones in implementing their enrolment plans. Students often go to private schools if they were admitted to state-owned ones.

As the number of students applying for universities this year is expected to be lower than in previous years, universities are scrambling for students.

Meanwhile, the state-owned school are more open to students. With the new enrolment mechanism, MOET paves the way for universities to enroll students based on their records at high school. 

As such, as there are more opportunities for students to enter state-owned schools, putting a squeeze on private schools. 

Dang Ung Van, principal of Hoa Binh University, also said that less prestigious state-owned schools and private schools may face problems this year in enrolling students.

In 2015, Hoa Binh had to launch four enrolment campaigns, accepting students who registered as their fourth choice, i.e. students who failed to enroll in another three schools and finally chose Hoa Binh.

Vu Phan, vice rector of Phuong Dong University, also said that if state-owned schools enrolled students based on students’ learning records at high schools, the source of students for private schools would dry up.

In the latest news, educators have predicted that the required exam scores to be set by universities and junior colleges would be the same as last year or a little bit lower.

Tran Khac Thac from the Hanoi Water Resources University predicted that except for the most prestigious schools, the floor marks to be set by other schools would be lower by one or two scores than the previous year.


CV