Hanoi (VNA)– The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) will classify universities andgive them autonomy to improve tertiary education of Vietnam, Minister PhungXuan Nha told National Assembly deputies on June 6.

At the question and answer session of the fifthsession of the 14th-tenure parliament, deputy Mai Thi Phuong Hoa of Nam Dinhprovince asked about the position of Vietnam’s tertiary education, noting thatonly five of nearly 300 universities in the country are listed in the Asiauniversity rankings.

Nha admitted the fact that though some schoolsand groups of majors have good performance, the quality of Vietnam’s tertiaryeducation is basically low and has yet to meet the labour market’s demand,especially amid Industry 4.0. 

He pointed out outdated curricula which teachersbuilt mainly basing on their knowledge and forecast instead of the market’sdemand. Meanwhile, the rate of doctoral degree holders at universities remainslow, about 22–23 percent as compared to 40–50 percent in other countries aroundthe world, Nha said.

A lack ofinfrastructure qualified for high-quality scientific researches and low tuitionfees have also hampered tertiary education quality, the minister added.

Universities will be classified in the timeahead so as to maintain those with high quality and seek ways to improve or evendissolve low-quality schools, he said, noting that the MoET will suggest theGovernment invest in key universities and the majors they are strong at.

According to the minister, a shortage ofautonomy is also a bottleneck hindering universities’ efforts to promote theiractiveness, creativity and internal strength, so the MoET will provide autonomyfor universities in the coming time.

In response to some lawmakers’ question aboutthe settlement of poor performing schools, Nha said the MoET has classifieduniversities and unqualified schools must work to raise their quality. If theyfail, they will be merged with other schools or dissolved.

The ministry alsoissued some relevant circulars, including one on tightening doctoral trainingrequirements, he noted.

Pointing out a fact that an increasing number ofVietnamese students have gone abroad to study, deputy Nguyen Van Than of ThaiBinh province questioned Minister Nha about solutions to attract investment intertiary education.

The minister noted that a big number ofVietnamese students have been studying abroad and they have spent about 3 – 4billion USD on their learning and research activities each year. The MoETadvised the Government to have policies to encourage private investment intertiary education, and many big enterprises have invested in this field, hesaid.

State budget is prioritised for generaleducation and disadvantaged areas. The State is still responsible forhigh-quality education, but it also has high hope for private investment tohave advanced curricula and ensured quality, he said, adding that this willhelp increase the private sector’s contributions to high-quality education andease pressure on the State.-VNA