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A REVOLUTION IN VIETNAM’S EDUCATION
Education was an issue that was at the centre of heated debate in the dying days of
1998. As academics argued in newspapers that the government was failing to invest
properly in schools and universities, the World Bank produced the most
comprehensive ever report into the subject, spotlighting weaknesses and
shortcomings that must be faced up with if Vietnam is to have an education system
equal to the challenges of the new free market economy.
The question of teachers’ pay is central to a fierce debate raging in Vietnam over
the state education system and how to make it good enough for the new market
economy it is preparing pupils for. The Eighth Party Congress identified it as one of
the country’s biggest crises and last month chose it as one of the first issues arising
from Congress to debate at Central Committee level.
Among the central points in a wide-ranging and frank assessment of Vietnam’s
economy by the World Bank were recommendations to:
• Raise teachers' pay.
• Increase school hours.
• Rectify the "grossly pro-rich" imbalance of subsidies going to better-off pupils in
tertiary education.
• Improve teaching standards.
• Fine-tune vocational training to bridge the skills gap that leaves thousands of
graduates without marketable skills.
It is cross-roads of enormous significance in a country that has always prized its
education above almost any other aspect of cultural life. In 1992, the amended
constitution described education as the “leading national policy”. Many academics
now believe the government is not living up to its pledge and the standard of science
and education has gone down in recent years.
The shortcomings in education are easy to define: The school day is only four hours
long, 25% shorter than most countries, and its school year is at least 20 days
shorter' Teachers are badly paid. Education spending is poorly balanced with a
hugely disproportionate amount going toward a small number of students in
tertiary education and not enough to primary education. And many schools,
especially at the primary level, employ teachers without adequate qualifications.
So, what went wrong? Bradley Babson, former Vietnam resident representative of
the World Bank, argued: “Education has become affected by the transition to a
market economy. In many ways, the educational sectors were on the backburner (đã
phát triển chậm) for the last five years. The leadership was focusing on other things.
There is now a shift of focus and a recognition of how important Vietnam’s people
are to the future success of the government’s policies and ambitions. That is why
edụcation is back in the front line.” ( đặt ở tuyến đầu)
It is not a situation the government has been blind to. The Central Party Committee
issued its own resolution (nghị quyết) concerning education in Vietnam before the
World Bank report and its conclusion was deeply self-critical. It described the
system as “backward and dated” and failing to meet the demands of students, their
families and employees. “Twenty years ago, the level of education and training in
Vietnam was considered advanced by many international organisations. The
situation has changed now,” the resolution said. “Vietnam’s best pupils are level
with other countries but in general, due to die serious lack of equipment and
materials, pupils here have a big gap in skills and knowledge.”
The report concludes that Vietnam is “right on track or even ahead of schedule”
with an enrolment ratio of 5% in tertiary level. It seems comforting news for
Vietnam’s educators. The stark reality ( thực tế rõ ràng) is that the Asian tigers
have since roared ahead into the far distance leaving Vietnam with only lessons to
grasp at as to how to update its own education system to put it on the same path.
Even the simple aim of extending the hours of a school day would mean the current
system of double or treble “shifts” to fit more pupils in a school day would have to
be abolished, requiring a massive program of school building and upgrading.
Meeting those costs and at the same time boosting the teachers’ salary by at least
40% while overhauling the whole training system to ensure quality teaching at all
levels will involve massive rise in budget ( đem laị nguồn lợi nhuận lớn cho ngân
sách)
Other proposals to spend more on textbooks and school equipment, develop more
effective vocational training and introduce subsidies to help poorer students also
involve daunting amounts of money. Vietnam spends 15% of its budget on
education and training which is low compared to other countries in the region. Huge
sums of aid are waiting to be released to Vietnam if the government decides to take
the bull by the horns (không ngại đương đầu với khó khăn). Mr. Babson argued
that “A lot depends on whether the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) is
ready to move into a kind of leadership role in stimulating and developing the
quality of education that is needed. The big question mark is whether MOET is able
to step up to the challenge and have the vision and management capabilities to take
on some of these issues.”
Vietnam has woken up to the crisis inside its schools and universities. The first
months of 1999 revealed whether it has the foresight to wrestle with ( đấu tranh) the
problem in a progressive way. In the eyes of both Vietnam and the outside world, it
is a question of what to do about the nation’s most valuable asset. “Vietnam’s assets
are almost entirely its people,” said Mr. Babson. “The ability of Vietnam to generate
a creative, energetic, high-performing population that can take advantage of
freedom in the opening of the economy is where people are placing their hopes in
the future of the country.”
It is believed raising the pay of teachers is the most important immediate step to
take. “If successfully implemented, it could make great immediate changes to
Vietnam’s education. In longer term, more excellent students will be keen to become
teachers and increase teaching quality,” one Vietnamese education official said.
(Adapted from Vietnam Economic Times)

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A REVOLUTION IN VIETNAM’S EDUCATION

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