Below are the opinions of lecturers and education experts on this “signal.” Mr. Tran Duc Canh, former member of the Inter-School Council, Northeast Regional University in Massachusetts (USA), said: “The good news is that our education system is moving towards openness.”
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| Mr. Tran Duc Canh |
Our ancestors had a saying, “Crisis leads to transformation, transformation leads to resolution.” I don’t know if the educational issues that society has been particularly concerned about for a long time have reached their lowest point! The good news is that our education system is moving towards openness, with the Ministry of Education and Training showing signs of listening to contributions from various sources.
We are just “open” but not yet “resolved”; to resolve, education must be built on a foundation of philosophy and a long-term development direction. The plan after that will be to connect the parts together for synchronization, otherwise, it will remain in a cycle of constant reform.
I strongly agree with the educational philosophy of Phan Chau Trinh at the beginning of the last century, encapsulated in the nine words “enlighten the people, revitalize the national spirit, improve the people’s livelihood,” which have never been more valuable than in the current social context.
Conflicts and negative incidents in education related to schools or individuals are inevitable, especially in the current educational and social context. The important thing is that transparency is gradually being opened up, reflecting social discontent with the inadequacies of education and society, and demanding fair judgment. In my opinion, society is currently moving towards greater openness and transparency, but the root of the problem has not yet been resolved.
I reiterate that we are only “open” now, but not yet “resolved,” so the way issues of concern are handled will still be very limited.
Therefore, there needs to be an operating mechanism and a legal framework to ensure transparency and fairness, so that the issues of concern can be resolved, not only in the field of education but for society as a whole.
Dr. Le Viet Khuyen, former Deputy Director of the Higher Education Department (Ministry of Education and Training): “What is ‘profit’ and ‘non-profit’ is becoming increasingly urgent…”
Through incidents like the ongoing story at Hoa Sen University, if based only on what the insiders present, it’s easy to conclude that… everyone is right.
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| Dr. Le Viet Khuyen |
The Vietnam Association of Non-Public Universities and Colleges recently drafted Regulations on the Organization and Operation of Non-Profit Private Universities.
We are doing this only with the hope that the noisy stories about profit will end, and schools will develop sustainably with the original orientation set, not borrowing the name “non-profit” just to beautify the school as is happening in many schools today.
From the mentioned chaos, it can be seen that the Party and State’s policies and guidelines are clear, but when it comes to the implementing ministries, there is a lack of systemization. If there were logical directives, the entire education system would flourish according to the spirit of Resolution 29.
Higher education is on the right track, but it needs precise design. Because what often happens in Vietnam is that when something cannot be implemented, people tend to doubt the correctness of the policy.
If the Ministry of Education and Training listens to heartfelt opinions, listens with a sincere attitude, not superficially, I am sure that higher education in the coming time will have firm steps forward.
Dr. Nguyen Huu Lam, Director of the Research & Development Management Center, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City: “Return autonomy to universities…”
I support disputes being resolved through law and hope for a just and upright legal system for the benefit of the people and the country.
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| Dr. Nguyen Huu Lam |
It is known that this wish is unrealistic at present, but I believe the current disputes at Hoa Sen, Ton Duc Thang… will expose many truths and lead to better standards. The road is still long, and there are many hardships ahead, so we must make it shorter by revealing everything sooner.
That way, everyone will be less tired, and our children will know where to hope!
Besides, a correct and important decision for the development of higher education by the government must be mentioned: Return autonomy to universities, rather than allowing or assigning autonomy to them.
However, it must be ensured that autonomy is to better fulfill the mission of the university and bring the desired benefits to society, not to fall into group interests and abuse.
Autonomy also requires necessary conditions and capabilities. A lack of capacity to independently operate autonomously will lead to collapse. And there is a great need for a mechanism to control, balance power, and ensure transparency.
