News and Events

 Non-state owned schools reach a deadlock

Private schools are sprinting on the last days of October and all of November to enroll more students, or they will have to shut many training majors because of the lack of students.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), which understands well that non-state owned schools are thirsty for students, has allowed the schools to look for students until the end of November.

In fact, lacking students is the big problem non-state owned schools have been facing for the last many years, while no solution has been found to the problem.

As difficult as seeking students for non-state owned schools

It is really a hard struggle for non-state owned schools to enroll every student. Vice President of the Thanh Tay University Hoang Huu Nguyen said the school’s four groups of officers have been “on the way” all year round to look for students for the school.

In general, the national university entrance exams only begin in July, and that is the time for schools to start their enrolment season. However, in fact, the school’s officers have left for different provinces and cities to seek students since February.

In the 2012 enrolment season, Nguyen said, the school’s officers arrived in 24 provinces and cities in the north to look for students. It was really a hard and time consuming job, but the result remains modest.

Since private schools are now thirsty for students, they have to solicit students, offering attractive learning conditions to attract them to schools. Educators have been trying every possible means, going to every potential place and contacting every potential student to enroll more students.

This explains why a student in Hanoi may receive a call from a school in the central region, which invites him to study at the school.

Ngo Xuan Ha, President of the Thanh Do University, complained that some students sent applications for studying at the school, but they later did not turn up when they were called. Some other students expressed their intention to study at the school and they even came to visit the school, but then left.

“There are too many “virtual” study registrations, which account for up to 50 percent, i.e. when we have 1000 registrations, only 500 students would turn up and go to school,” he said.

“I know some students, who passed the entrance exams to the school, but refused to follow the university education (4-year training) at the school. They would rather to follow the junior college (3-year training), so that they later can pass credits to study at state owned schools, which would allow them to obtain the degrees of state owned universities,” he added.

While state owned schools all have finished their enrolment season and have kicked off the new academic year, non-state owned schools are still busy looking for students. A lot of universities in the north, namely Thanh Tay, Bac Ha, Ha Hoa Tien have announced the extension of the enrolment deadline until November 30, 2012.

In order to attract more students, non-state owned schools set very low requirements on candidates, while offering the most attractive study conditions. Students just have to have the entrance university exam marks equal to the floor marks announced by the Ministry of Education and Training, to be eligible for studying at the schools.

Especially, some non-state owned schools have promised to give presents to new students.

The Hai Phong People-founded University, has advertised that its students can borrow money at the preferential interest rates, while the students from poor families would enjoy the tuition reductions of 10-50 percent.