Studying abroad while working: Many temptations, many risks

(Baonghean) - In recent years, more and more Nghe An students are studying abroad with the form of both studying and working. However,This is a form that has many potential risks.

Study abroad trend

In recent years, Thanh Chuong 1 High School has seen an increasing number of students registering to study abroad after graduation, with Korea being the most popular destination. At this time, after 2 study abroad companies came to register for consulting and recruitment, nearly 30 students have registered.

Talking about the increasing number of students studying abroad, Mr. Le Xuan Huong - Principal of the school said: "Currently, university is not the only path that students choose. Instead, they want to find an opportunity to have a job quickly and have a stable income. Therefore, studying abroad with the form of studying and working partly meets the above wishes."

Parents come to consult and register their children to study abroad at the Study Abroad Consulting Company. Photo: My Ha

At Nam Dan 2 High School, not only grade 12 but also grades 10 and 11 have many students registered for free foreign language classes organized by a study abroad company at the school with about 120 students. Sharing the reason, Nguyen Thi Lan Huong - grade 11 C3 said: "It is difficult to find a job after graduating from a domestic university, while if we study abroad, not only will we have a university or college degree, but we will also have the opportunity to stay and find a job after graduation."

According to Mr. Nguyen Manh Ha - Head of Vocational Education Department - Department of Education and Training: Most units exercise their authority in accordance with the provisions of law, publicly provide information related to training facilities, accreditation status and recognition of training quality by local authorities for students studying abroad; at the same time, commit to the families of international students to coordinate with relevant parties to resolve any problems arising in case students have accidents, illnesses, or any risks during their study abroad...

Need to tighten management

In addition to the achieved results, Nghe An’s study abroad work still has many worrying issues, especially in the work of sending students to study abroad and managing students abroad. In fact, although the number of study abroad companies in the province is increasing, the number of units operating ineffectively is also not small.

The situation of study abroad consulting companies taking advantage of the trust of parents and students to commit fraud has also occurred. In 2015, Mr. Tran Xuan Trinh's family - Thanh Chuong Town, through an introduction, came to Changmi International Joint Stock Company with the wish to send his son Tran Van Hung (formerly a student of Thanh Chuong 1 High School) to study abroad in Korea with the form of studying and working.

Here, after hearing the introduction with a “beautiful” prospect - having a university degree and a high-paying job, the family borrowed money and paid the company nearly 200 million VND. After paying, Hung went to study Korean but waited for a long time but was not taken. Later, after many struggles, the family was able to get back some of the money they had paid. In 2016, Changmi International Joint Stock Company was also suspended from studying abroad consulting services by the Department of Education and Training.

Lieutenant Colonel Vo Dinh Duc - Deputy Head of PC61 also said: "In the past few years, Nghe An has prosecuted 5 cases, arrested 12 defendants related to study abroad fraud. In study abroad activities, there have been many unhealthy activities, showing signs of violating the law".

In addition, the issue of international students dropping out of school is also a headache for relevant agencies and units. In 2016, BMT Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company sent 12 students to study abroad in Korea.

However, two of these students dropped out of school after one day of enrollment, one in Nghi Quang Commune (Nghi Loc) and one in Nghi Xuan Commune (Ha Tinh). Upon receiving this notice, the company directly contacted the families to handle the situation, but the families refused to cooperate because they did not know where their children were. After this incident, not only did the company have to compensate the university 100 million VND/student, but the foreign unit that was cooperating with the company also stopped cooperating with the company.

Representatives of the study abroad company met with parents whose children were studying abroad to disseminate related regulations. Photo: My Ha

Mr. Nguyen Phi Long - Director of the company said: "The situation of Nghe An students going to Korea to study and then dropping out to work is not uncommon. It is very difficult to cooperate with a university in Korea. However, just because of a few cases of absconding, it has affected many people and damaged the image of Vietnamese students abroad."

Also due to the situation of many Nghe An students dropping out of school, recently the Japanese Embassy delegation directly went to the province to find out the cause and requested the province to orient and direct study abroad companies in the province to provide accurate information; at the same time, not to falsely advertise the form of studying abroad "studying while working" causing students to use the form of studying abroad for the purpose of working to earn money.

According to the regulations of universities in Japan, students who study abroad must first determine that they must study abroad (at least 6 months); then, they can consider both studying and working. Students who leave without permission are breaking the law, becoming illegal workers and not being protected by the host country.

Discussing the management of studying abroad, Mr. Thai Huy Vinh - Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training said: "In the coming time, to rectify the shortcomings in studying abroad consulting activities as well as the problems of international students in other countries, the department will direct licensed units to comply with the law; strengthen the review, organize inspections, and require companies to clearly disclose financial information about related services and costs.

On the other hand, we will strengthen orientation training for students before they go to study abroad, strengthen vocational training and encourage companies to seek scholarships to reduce the pressure of working part-time for students.

My Ha