Develop and promulgate tuition fee framework at foreign language centers

The Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Committee conducted a survey at the ASEM VIETNAM English Center. Photo: Mai Hoa

According to the report of the Department of Education and Training of the province, Nghe An currently has 76 foreign language centers and facilities (abbreviated as foreign language centers), of which the majority are concentrated in Vinh city with 35 centers, the rest are in districts and towns (except for the two districts of Quy Chau and Quy Hop which do not have any).

The establishment of foreign language centers has contributed positively to creating a movement and improving the quality, level and English communication skills of learners, especially high school students in the province. However, state management in this field is posing many problems that need to be corrected.

Through a survey at a number of foreign language centers in Vinh city and Dien Chau district, it is shown that there are still centers operating without a license. At the HAPPY KIDS English - Talent - Skills Center for Children, the decision to grant an English training license to the center by the Department of Education and Training is only valid until June 30, 2018 and to date there has been no decision to grant a license extension.

This means that from July 1, 2018 until now, this center has been operating without an English training license. Similarly, at Kids Today International English Center (Dien Chau district), although the license expired in June 2018, all training activities are still taking place as usual.

Also in Dien Chau district, Happy Kids DT International English Center, although not licensed, still organizes training.

In addition to the actual survey, through the working session with the Department of Education and Training, Mr. Nguyen Huy Cao - Deputy Head of the Department of Continuing Education and Vocational Training also admitted that out of a total of 76 foreign language centers and facilities, there are still 6 units that do not have a license or have an expired license.

Facilities at some centers are rented or renovated from old houses, so classrooms are cramped, lack light, and especially equipment for teaching, communication, and experience for learners is not guaranteed. Photo: Mai Hoa

In addition to the problem of illegal operations, the facilities at some centers are rented or renovated from old houses, and the construction does not meet standards, so the classrooms are cramped, lack light, and especially the equipment for teaching, communication, and experience for learners is not guaranteed.

Another issue of concern is that tuition fees at foreign language centers are being collected arbitrarily, each center sets its own fee level. For example, at APAX English Center, the average tuition fee is 3.1 million VND/month; Cleverlearn English Center, the average fee is more than 3.8 million VND/month; ASEM Vietnam International English Center, depending on the level, the lowest is 1.6 million VND and the highest is nearly 3 million VND/study program.

Thus, the average fee at centers in Vinh city ranges from 50,000, 130,000 and 150,000 VND/session, each session lasts 1.5 - 2 hours. Or at some centers and facilities in Dien Chau, the average fee per student is 30,000 VND/session.

The reason why each center sets a fee level is because the Ministry of Education and Training or the Department of Education and Training, although assigned with state management in this field, have not yet developed and issued a tuition fee framework for foreign language centers and facilities.

In addition, the inspection, supervision and management of training quality at foreign language centers are still open. According to Mr. Ngo Van Hoach - Director of OLYMPIC DC English Center (Dien Chau), the Department of Education and Training needs to inspect, evaluate and rank the training quality associated with organizing forums to exchange and share experiences between foreign language centers so that the centers are responsible for improving the training quality, creating healthy competition, ensuring the rights of learners, contributing with the public education system to improve the foreign language quality for Nghe An children.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan - Deputy Head of the Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Committee, the most current difficulty and inadequacy is that current legal documents such as Decree No. 46/2017/ND-CP of the Government and Circular No. 03/2011/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training only stipulate the authority to grant licenses and manage the activities of foreign language centers under the Department of Education and Training, but do not stipulate the state management responsibility for the district-level Department of Education and Training and the commune-level People's Committee.

Meanwhile, the team of leaders and specialists of the Department of Education and Training assigned to manage this field is limited. This is a shortcoming that leads to the Department of Education and Training and the commune-level authorities being on the sidelines in managing foreign language centers, not even knowing how many centers and facilities are operating in their area as well as the quality of training there.

From this inadequacy, the Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Committee reported to the Provincial People's Council Standing Committee to propose to the Government and the Ministry of Education and Training to amend regulations, assign management responsibilities to the Department of Education and Training and district and commune authorities, and at the same time propose to develop and promulgate a tuition fee framework at foreign language centers.