Nghe An strictly handles illegal study abroad consulting service businesses
(Baonghean.vn) - This is the issue raised at the Conference on Summarizing Study Abroad Consulting Services Business Activities in 2019 and Deploying Tasks in 2020 organized by the Department of Education and Training on the afternoon of May 19.
This year's conference took place in the context of studying abroad activities in the province facing many difficulties due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, especially when since the beginning of the year, many countries have temporarily stopped issuing visas for studying abroad and many businesses have had to temporarily suspend operations.
In Nghe An, up to now, the whole province has 83 units participating in study abroad consulting services and in 2019, the units sent 864 students to study abroad.
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| The conference was attended by study abroad units throughout the province. Photo: My Ha |
According to the assessment of the Department of Education and Training, currently, study abroad consulting units have gradually stabilized and most have created trust for students and parents. However, besides that, study abroad activities still have limitations such as many units still do not have operating licenses, some units operate ineffectively, not in accordance with the provisions of the law.
Over the past three years, the number of students studying abroad has increased rapidly. However, after two years of language study as required, many students do not meet the requirements to enter university or college and go out to work, causing negative impacts on studying abroad and the potential for illegal residence in other countries.
The current difficulties are due to the lack of connection between companies in the province, leading to the situation that most students studying abroad in Nghe An come from companies outside the province. Meanwhile, there are many companies in Hanoi that have opened in Nghe An but lack operating licenses.
Many opinions also say that study abroad activities are not effective because the marketing skills of the units are not high (especially the team of collaborators and consultants), and they do not promptly grasp updated information about study abroad activities in the world to seize opportunities.
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| Language training for students preparing to study abroad in Korea. Photo: My Ha |
At the conference, representatives of the units also made some suggestions for effective study abroad activities. Among them, there was an opinion that it is necessary to establish a study abroad consulting association to connect activities throughout the province for mutual development. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen management work, absolutely not allowing the situation of units operating without permission, defrauding students, posting advertising signs that are not in accordance with their functions and tasks. Good implementation of management work will also create opportunities for units to operate in accordance with the law and create a fair competitive environment.
The Department of Education and Training will soon advise the province to issue a document to strengthen the management of study abroad consulting services in the province.
In early 2020, the provincial inspection team inspected 82 units operating in the field of studying abroad. Thereby, it discovered 15 units that were not licensed but still operating, 8 units with unqualified consulting staff, 4 units that changed their operating locations without reporting, and 5 units that participated in advertising and brokerage to recruit people to work abroad.