Vẫn còn quan niệm cho rằng “trượt” đại học mới phải học cao đẳng

Since November 2016, the Ministry of Education and Training has transferred the state management of vocational education to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs. Of which, 201 colleges and 303 vocational secondary schools will be directly managed by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs. [1]

Since then, college admissions have not been integrated into the general system of the Ministry of Education and Training, making it difficult to reach learners and consuming a lot of resources for colleges. At the same time, in the context of some lower-ranking universities setting increasingly low admission scores as present, many colleges are facing major challenges in admissions.

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College enrollment plummets due to university “label”

Speaking with Vietnam Education Electronic Magazine, Dr. Doan Thi Thu Huong, Principal of Hanoi College of Technology and Commerce said:

“Currently, some universities are not recruiting enough students, leading to lowering the entrance scores to compensate for financial difficulties and fulfill other school goals. Along with that, the mentality of many families is still heavy on degrees, causing many candidates with low scores and weak academic performance to still choose to study at university. These are the problems that are causing difficulties for college admissions,” Ms. Huong shared.

Dr. Doan Thi Thu Huong, Principal of Hanoi College of Technology and Commerce. (Photo: NVCC)

Agreeing with the above opinion, Associate Professor, Dr. Do Van Truong – Vice Principal of Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College (under Hanoi University of Science and Technology) said that the fact that lower-ranking universities set the floor score and standard score too low, only fluctuating from 15-18 points, is a very difficult problem.

“Because that score is only equal to the entrance score of many colleges, but is preferred by candidates because of the “university label”, making candidates hesitate and afraid when applying for admission to colleges.

Compared to previous years, the number of applications for admission to Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College in 2024 has decreased significantly,” Mr. Truong shared.

In 2024, Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College plans to recruit 2,000 students in 15 training occupations, with no change in enrollment compared to 2023.

According to Mr. Truong, Automotive Technology and Mechatronics are two “key” occupations that the school is promoting and have the most candidates applying for admission. Currently, Automotive Technology is the occupation with the number of candidates far exceeding the initial enrollment target, so the school plans to increase the admission benchmark score compared to the benchmark score of the 2023-2024 school year. In addition, the school’s remaining training occupations are quite “difficult” in recruiting.

Not only is there competition between universities, but colleges are also competing with each other. Many schools are actively promoting communication, so the college admissions environment is increasingly fierce.

Another particularly serious problem that Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College is facing is the problem of “duplicated names”. Mr. Do Van Truong said that currently, there are many colleges that use the two words “polytechnic” in their names. This makes parents and students confused and unable to distinguish which college belongs to Hanoi Polytechnic University.

“After parents and candidates submit their application along with all related tuition fees, they are shocked to find out that they have chosen the wrong school. When they withdraw their application, they encounter many troublesome problems. Because when there is such a mistake, the school’s reputation is also affected.

Faced with that problem, Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College has not really had any other solution other than promoting propaganda work, actively sharing images of the school so that candidates and parents can easily access it, avoiding unwanted incidents,” said Mr. Do Van Truong.

Associate Professor, Dr. Do Van Truong – Vice Principal of Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College. (Photo: NVCC)

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Proposal to combine a common recruitment channel

A major difficulty that all colleges currently face in enrollment is that they are not on the General Enrollment Support System of the Ministry of Education and Training.

According to the leaders of some schools, currently all colleges (except pedagogical colleges) are under the management of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, but many parents and students do not understand and have difficulty accessing information, leading to a lack of uniformity in the enrollment process.

Therefore, Mr. Do Van Truong proposed that the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and colleges need to coordinate to actively promote propaganda and information dissemination to parents and students.

Associate Professor, Dr. Do Van Truong (left) during a quality inspection of practice equipment for students. (Photo: NVCC)

At Hanoi College of Technology and Commerce, Dr. Doan Thi Thu Huong said that the school has had to make great efforts to strengthen communication and career counseling to be able to approach and convince students and parents about the benefits and opportunities of vocational education.

In addition, because the university and college training programs are managed by two ministries (Ministry of Education and Training; Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs), the direction of program development is inevitably inconsistent.

Ms. Huong added: “Some universities apply the admission method based on the results of the high school graduation exam, which can cause difficulties for college students. Students who want to register for a transfer program are forced to review general knowledge, even though they have spent 2-3 years studying at colleges.

In addition, the quota for training from college to university is often not prioritized compared to full-time university admission and training. This creates a barrier for candidates when considering choosing to study at college before continuing their advanced studies at a higher level.

Faced with these realities, the leadership of Hanoi College of Technology and Commerce and Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College jointly proposed that there should be close coordination between the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Training. Putting information from colleges into the common enrollment support system will help students easily access information about major codes, school codes and choose appropriate training programs.

If the databases of general education, universities and colleges are integrated, the admission flow will become more convenient and efficient.

Students who “fail” university entrance exams have to go to college?

There is an opinion that colleges are always disadvantaged and only accept students who “fail” the university entrance exam. Many candidates have the idea that attending college is a failure for those who do not pass the university entrance exam. However, in the current context when the labor market is in great need of people with practical skills, colleges are not only a backup solution but also a promising path, opening up wide career opportunities.

Sharing about this issue, Dr. Doan Thi Thu Huong said that in reality, university and college are two different educational paths. Studying at college should not be considered a “failed” choice but should be seen as a choice that suits the needs and abilities of each individual.

Students who choose college often have specific goals and want to quickly access the labor market. Training programs at colleges often focus on practice and professional skills to help students quickly apply knowledge to real work. This is a great advantage that college education brings to students after graduation.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor, Dr. Do Van Truong said that the nature of college is mainly to teach vocational skills and practical skills, while university will train thinking and specialized knowledge.

“Companies often have specific requirements for each job position. Some jobs require a college degree, while others focus on professional skills and practical experience.

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If there is a need to change positions between candidates from different educational levels, it will be difficult for both groups of college and university students to adapt easily because each position has different requirements and standards. College graduates, when equipped with solid professional skills, will have an advantage in finding jobs and do not have to worry too much about career opportunities,” said Mr. Truong.

Mr. Phung Nhu Phuong, a former student of Mechanical Engineering at Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College, shared the reason why he chose to study at college instead of university even though he had been admitted to some lower-ranked universities.

As Phuong said, studying at college saves more time with the program lasting only 2.5-3 years compared to 4-5 years at university. Students can start working earlier and receive practical training suitable for their target career. Besides, tuition fee is also an important factor in Phuong's decision.

Currently, Nhu Phuong is working as a technician at Molex Vietnam Limited Liability Company. With this job, Phuong can directly apply the knowledge he learned in the classroom.

“When studying at vocational college, I had the opportunity to practice very carefully to apply the theoretical knowledge I had learned into practice. Thanks to that, I can understand and confidently apply my knowledge to work easily. In addition, I plan to study at Hanoi University of Science and Technology to improve and enhance my qualifications.

In my opinion, choosing to study at college or university and then choosing a career depends on each person's own ability and conditions.

Before deciding on the career you want to pursue, each candidate should carefully research their future job. You must love the job and be determined, avoid getting discouraged and giving up before completing your studies,” Nhu Phuong commented.

Meanwhile, Ha Quoc Khanh, a former student of Mechatronics at Hanoi Polytechnic Vocational College, participated in many programs on technological thinking and innovation. Although he was accepted into several universities, Quoc Khanh still decided to choose college.

Sharing the reason for this choice, Quoc Khanh said: “I passed the Tourism and Travel Management major, but it was the year when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, so the major I chose to study was disrupted. Realizing that my future job in this profession was unstable, I decided to choose to study at college with a major that had more open opportunities.

I also plan to continue studying at a higher level to both consolidate my knowledge and improve my professional capacity. Because the nature of the college program is vocational training, I have a lot of time to practice. Thanks to that, I am not surprised when I graduate because I have a clear picture of my chosen career as well as my future job.”

Ha Quoc Khanh and his team entered the round of 16 of the Vietnam Robot Creation Competition – Robocon Vietnam 2024. (Photo: NVCC)

Regarding the opinion that only students who fail university entrance exams have to go to college and only students who do not do well in school have to go to vocational school, both Nhu Phuong and Quoc Khanh disagree with this point of view.

According to Quoc Khanh, studying at college or university is not so important, what is important is whether the chosen career is suitable for you, can bring stable employment in the future or not and whether you love that career or not.

Many college graduates have achieved success in their careers and some have gone on to further their education or started their own businesses. It is important for each individual to identify the right educational and career path for themselves in order to achieve their goals and be successful in the future.

References:

[1] https://www.molisa.gov.vn/baiviet/25617?TinTucID=25617

Thuy Hien

https://giaoduc.net.vn/van-con-quan-niem-cho-rang-truot-dai-hoc-moi-phai-hoc-cao-dang-post244749.gd

Nguồn: https://truonglehongphong.edu.vn
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