Warning of expulsion for 1,000 students: This needs to be done immediately!

Expelling underperforming and undisciplined students will significantly contribute to improving the quality of education and selecting a skilled workforce.

The situation of 1,041 students from 8 faculties of Tay Nguyen University facing the risk of being expelled is unprecedented in the history of Vietnamese universities, especially at a time when many schools are struggling to recruit and attract students. However, this is something that should be done and encouraged, as it significantly contributes to improving the quality of education and selecting the country's human resources.

The reason given by the school's disciplinary committee was that these students mostly dropped out of school without permission or had a semester GPA below 1.0 (on a 4.0 scale). After more than two warnings without improvement, the students would be expelled from the school.

Students pay tuition fees at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry. (Illustrative image).

Just a few years ago, even if students had disciplinary issues or frequently skipped classes, it was difficult to take action against them for passing university entrance exams; few cases resulted in expulsion. People often joked, "Getting into university is difficult, but you can always graduate." That's why some students spent six or seven years just to earn their degree. The practice of dismissing underperforming students isn't new, but in the current circumstances, this requirement must be implemented more rigorously and thoroughly.

To improve the quality of training and tighten discipline among students, Circular 57/2012/TT-BGDĐT amends the Regulations on undergraduate and college training in the credit-based system. Accordingly, from February 10, 2013, after each semester, students will be expelled if they receive more than two consecutive academic performance warnings. Academic performance warnings are issued each semester to help students with poor grades understand and develop appropriate study plans to graduate within the maximum time allowed for the program.

If Vietnam wants to move towards a high-quality education system, it is necessary to expel 1,000, 2,000, or even more underperforming students right now. In the US, the education system is highly market-oriented, but quality is always prioritized.

Earlier this year, a White Paper on the expulsion of Chinese students, published by WholeRen Education, a US-based organization specializing in services for Chinese students, revealed that thousands of Chinese students have been expelled. An analysis of 1,657 expelled students showed that approximately 57% were dismissed due to poor academic performance, while the remainder were expelled for academic negligence, mental health issues, and other physical problems.

Illustrative image.

Returning to the situation in our country, in recent years, the quality of human resources graduating from universities and colleges has been assessed as not high, failing to meet job requirements, even for graduates from top universities. Where does this situation stem from? While the selection process for admissions is quite rigorous, the learning process at university is more relaxed than in high school, leading many students to neglect their studies and fall behind the general standard. Or, for various reasons, such as ability or circumstances, they are "dropped" out of the learning system.

Tightening discipline in training is also a way to have a high-quality workforce. Screening is necessary in any environment. Poor academic performance, poor discipline, and dropping out without permission will naturally result in expulsion. For a long time, higher education has been too lenient with students, creating inequality among them and causing long-term consequences. Both diligent and hardworking students, as well as lazy and disruptive ones, are eventually recognized as graduates. Upon graduation, they use connections and money to secure lucrative positions. This has led to a cumbersome and inefficient administrative system. Even now, streamlining is impossible because it's unclear who should be removed.

Tightening training standards is also a way to reallocate resources. We cannot continue with a "one-size-fits-all" training system where everyone goes to university without the necessary skills and qualifications, which only causes waste and expense for families and society. The more screening processes, the better. If the university entrance exam doesn't select the right people, then another screening process during training and graduation exams is necessary. Finally, if recruitment into public agencies and businesses is conducted fairly and transparently, the efficiency and effectiveness of the public administration system will undoubtedly be much higher than it is today.

According to VOV.VN