VietNamNet Bridge – Vocational schools now cannot attract learners because of the unreasonable curriculums which make graduates unemployed. However, the problem would be settled in the near future.

Professor Nguyen Minh Thuyet, citing the Ministry of Education and Training’s conclusion about the sharp fall in the number of registrations to attend the 2013 national university entrance exams, said that Vietnamese students have changed their mind about their education and job opportunities.

Previously, following higher education was the only choice for almost high school graduates. But nowadays, the students with weaker learning ability tend to go working right after finishing high schools, or going to vocational schools instead of wasting time and money on preparing for the university entrance exams.

However, some analysts don’t think that the decrease in the number of students following university education would mean the increase in the number of students to go to vocational schools.

Despite a lot of preferences offered so far, students still keep away from vocational schools.

A report of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) showed that there were 1,493,379 learners at vocational schools in 2012, decreasing by 15.8 percent in comparison with 2011.

The analysts have also pointed out that the bad career guidance work at high schools is not the main reason that makes high school graduates turn their backs to vocational schools.

It is the unreasonable curriculums followed by vocational schools which make it unable to lure learners. One would not think of going to vocational schools, if he is not sure that the knowledge and skills he receives there can help him find a decent job later.

Tran Hoang Nhan, Director of the Long An provincial Education and Training, has noted that in fact, many students have been following vocational training. However, they don’t go to vocational schools, but learn at works.

Instead of going to vocational schools, where they mostly receive theoretical lessons, the learners go to workshops, where they are taught what they have to do. This allows the learners get adapted to the new jobs quickly.

Meanwhile, according to Dr Horst Sommer, Director of the Vietnam-Germany cooperation program on vocational training, one of the reasons behind the attractiveness in vocational training is the high interaction between the labor market and the vocational training, and the harmonization in theoretical lessons and practical works.

Especially, in Germany, there is no national frame program on vocational training, and career standards are not set up by any ministry or branch, but by business representatives or associations.

Vietnamese vocational schools seemingly thought that they just needed to upgrade the material facilities and renovate equipments to improve the current situation. However, the major thing they need to do is to set up reasonable curriculums.

Therefore, the specialist from Germany said that when considering the partners to cooperate with, the German side would have to find out if the vocational schools cooperate with enterprises, and what teaching facilities the schools’ teachers use.

According to MOLISA, high quality vocational training centers would be built up under the framework of the Vietnam-Germany cooperation program on vocational training. The training model has been applied in a trial basis at the Lilama Vocational Junior College. Under the model, the German partner gives technical support and helps improve teachers’ capability, build up teaching modules in accordance with the international standards.

NLD