The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has shown its strong determination to cut down the quotas of in-service students of universities, in an effort to improve the training quality.

Though MOET has vowed to tighten the quality of in-service training, it is still too early to say if the plan can succeed, because in-service training is the bread earner of schools. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, who was once the Minister of Education and Training, also noted that the number of in-service students accounts for more than 50 percent of the total students, thus serving as the important source of income for schools. If the source of income is cut, schools may get “hungry.”

Everyone can obtain in-service training university degree

In-service training, in principle, is reserved for the people, who have jobs already, but want to upgrade the education level and obtain more knowledge. As they go working in the daytime, they have to follow in-service training in the evening.

People need to attend an entrance exam before becoming the in-service training students of a school. Only those, who pass the exam, can be accepted to study at the schools. Those, who graduate in-service training, will have the same education level with the students following popular training mode.

However, in fact, in-service training classes have been opened for all people, who want to study and obtain university degrees. Most of the schools try to enroll as many students as possible, because the in-service students can bring money to them.

A lot of in-service training classes have been mushrooming because of the big supply and big demand. Schools need to collect tuitions from learners, while learners need to have degrees. Therefore, no limitation has been set up by schools on learners, and everyone can be accepted.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan was once questioned by National Assembly’s deputies about the quality of in-service training. A lot of state agencies’ officers finish in-service training classes, but their knowledge cannot be improved. In fact, the officers experience the training courses just to obtain the university degrees, which allow them to get promotion in their career.

In fact, state agency officers like attending such training courses, because they can still get full time salaries while they are away for learning, and the training courses are funded by the state budget. Many of them even do not go to class every evening, because they have others to be present at the roll call for them. They just turn up to receive the degree when the training courses finish.

Tightening control to upgrade training quality

The Da Nang City People’s Committee once released a decision that stirred up the public. Local state agencies have been told to say “no” to the people who want to apply for the jobs at the agencies, but finish in-service training courses. Most recently, the city’s authorities have stated that state officials in the city must not go to training courses during the working hours.

The decisions of the city’s authorities have raised questions about their legitimacy. However, they show the determination of the city to upgrade the qualification of state officials. This reflects the actual situation of in-service training and the quality of in-service training.

Deputy Minister of MOET Bui Van Ga has stated that the ministry will officially narrow the scale of in-service training from the 2012 enrolment season. The number of in-service training students and the students who finish junior colleges and transfer credits to study at the university level must not be higher than 50 percent of the popular training students of every school. Universities have been threatened that they would be imposed heavy fines if they violate the regulations.