Where does the "output" go?

(Baonghean)Starting from the 2012-2013 academic year, based on the Regulations on Admission to Regular University and College Programs, universities and colleges have been conducting admissions based on the residency of students who have permanent residence and have studied for three consecutive years in poor districts as defined by Government Resolution 30a. This policy aims to create the most favorable conditions for children from poor districts to have the opportunity to attend university and college, thereby raising the intellectual level of the population, contributing to the socio-economic development of these districts, and helping them escape poverty in the future.

According to Official Letter No. 1343/BGD&ĐT-KTKĐCLGD dated March 9, 2012, from the Ministry of Education and Training, the eligible candidates for admission include: “Candidates who are ethnic minorities, candidates with permanent residence registration for 3 years or more as of the date of application in poor districts as stipulated in Resolution 30a/2008/NQ-CP dated December 27, 2008, of the Government, if they study the last 3 years of high school and graduate in these districts, will be considered and decided upon by the principals of the respective schools.” Thus, with the current graduation rate, most students are admitted to universities and colleges (although some schools require students to have a good academic record and graduate with a good grade to be considered for admission). According to the Ministry's regulations, the admission quotas are not deducted from the total annual quota allocated to the school, so many schools only need students to have graduated from high school to recruit.

According to reports from several universities, hundreds of students from the three districts of Ky Son, Tuong Duong, and Que Phong in Nghe An province have been admitted to university: Vinh University admitted 465 students, Vinh Medical University admitted 47 students, etc. At Vinh University, while students are currently registering for various majors, more than half have already applied for early childhood education and primary education programs.

Out of 80 student applications to Vinh Medical University, 33 were unsuccessful. These 33 students had average academic performance throughout all three years of high school, with some even receiving poor grades in certain years. Meanwhile, the entrance score for the General Medicine program was 20.5 points for the first choice and 23.0 points for the second choice. It is crucial that media outlets and high schools educate parents and students alike about the importance of choosing a major and a university based on their own abilities, their family's financial capacity to support their studies (given the relatively high tuition fees), and the needs of society to ensure employment after graduation. Many families are overjoyed and proud when their children get into university without considering whether their children can actually cope with the academic demands or whether they will find employment after graduation.

As of December 31, 2012, the number of unemployed graduates from vocational schools, colleges, and universities in Ky Son was 343; in Tuong Duong, 562; and in Que Phong, 100. In the 2012-2013 school year, approximately 1,540 students from these three districts graduated from high school, and many of them will be admitted to universities and colleges. With this policy, if implemented long-term, these three impoverished districts will achieve universal university education, while the lowland districts are striving to achieve universal secondary education. Furthermore, with the current admissions policy, what will happen to hundreds of university graduates from these three impoverished districts of Nghe An in 4-5 years? Unemployed, and having spent approximately 100 million VND on 4-5 years of university education, they will become even poorer.

The policy of selecting candidates for vocational training is a sound one, supported by the people of poor districts; however, training based on student needs rather than societal needs will disrupt the local and regional human resource planning. Perhaps poor districts should develop long-term human resource plans, and the Ministry of Education and Training could use these plans as a basis to assign only a few schools to select and train students in suitable professions, ensuring quality selection and guaranteeing job placement for graduates. Alternatively, the government could provide financial support for vocational training and job placement in industrial zones. If this were implemented, the path to escaping poverty would surely be shorter.

Nguyen Manh Ha (Nghe An Department of Education and Training)