Pointing out the problems that need to be fixed, Phuc requested to accelerate the reorganization of pedagogical schools with the focus on key pedagogical schools, while other schools will serve as ‘satellites’ that help re-train teachers in localities.

Pedagogical schools need to produce educators in the future, not ‘teach workers’.

The PM pointed out that if schools set overly low requirements for students, they will not be able to have high-quality graduates.

Meanwhile, many schools, in order to find enough students, admit students with very low exam scores, because MOET no longer sets the floor marks for schools.

Giao Duc Viet Nam reported that to apply for some universities, students just need to get a 12-14 score for three exam subjects, or 4-4.5 score for one subject.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, at a conference held some days ago, stated that training establishments with low quality will be shut down. Prior to that, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha also said low quality schools will not be retained.

Bac Lieu University, for example, accepts applications from students with 12 score only for the livestock and plant protection training majors.

Meanwhile, experts all say the 2019 exam questions are easy and students just need to have basic knowledge to solve 60 percent of questions. As such, schools won’t be able to have good students if they accept students with just 12-15 score.

Many universities cannot meet the requirements in facilities, teaching staff and scientific research to be able to provide higher education.

Nong Thon Ngay Nay has recently published a series about the problems of Thai Nguyen University, a large university with a lot of member schools.

The newspaper discovered that schools ‘borrowed’ the names of lecturers from other schools.

Under regulations, schools must have certain numbers of permanent lecturers who have required academic titles, to be able to open new training majors. Therefore, the schools have to ‘borrow’ lecturers from other schools. The names of the same lecturers are found in many different schools’ lists of permanent lecturers.

Phuc requested MOET to check operational schools and find schools which cannot ensure training quality, report to PM for shutting down the schools.

The statement shows the strong determination to upgrade the quality of higher education and stop the existence of low training quality.

Prior to that, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha also mentioned the closure of low-quality universities at the conference reviewing the 2018-2019 academic year held on July 11.

Commenting about this, analysts said this will be a long and challenging process because a lot of problems will need to be resolved.

Mai Chi 

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