VIETNAM: PM admits allowing sub-par universities

29 November 2009

Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has accepted responsibility for letting several sub-standard universities open recently - but did not absolve the Ministry of Education and the rest of government from blame - VietamNet Bridge reports. Speaking in the National Assembly Dung said he, the ministry and government were all responsible for the poor quality of "some" schools - but he also said the cases were the exceptions, not the rule.

"We shouldn't deny the achievements we've made in higher education due to shortcomings found at a few schools," Dung said. He added that poor state management had hampered performance at several universities, adding that he had made the point to university and college directors at a recent meeting with them.

Another report published by VietNamNet Bridge also reports Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan telling an online conference on higher education that the Ministry should alter its approach to higher education and make big changes at universities.

Nhan said universities and colleges would participate in evaluating the Ministry's management. They would also help create improved standards and launch new training programmes. But the Ministry presented only general measures for an overhaul while failing to explain the specifics of how to revamp the system, which has been increasingly criticised by the public.
Full first report on the VietamNet Bridge site
Full second report on the VietamNet Bridge site

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