Slow tuition compensation makes it difficult for vocational schools to attract students

The project "Career education and student orientation in general education for the period 2018-2025" issued with Decision 522/QD-TTg in 2018 of the Prime Minister has determined the goal that by 2025, at least 40% of junior high school graduates will continue to study at vocational education institutions (VET) training at elementary and intermediate levels.

Vocational education is gradually being chosen by many students and parents because of its short training time and tuition support according to Decree 81/2021/CP.

However, according to a recent report on annual enrollment of vocational education institutions, the average rate of junior high school graduates enrolling in vocational education levels from 2021 to August 2024 is about 26.19%.

According to Master Nguyen Dang Ly, Principal of Ho Chi Minh City International College (Binh Tan District), students and parents have become more open to vocational training, but vocational schools still face many difficulties in recruiting and training. To effectively stream students after graduating from junior high school, Mr. Ly proposed:

- For the Department of Education and Training: Allow qualified vocational schools to teach the GDTX system.

- For the Department of Education and Training of districts: Create conditions for vocational education schools to participate in teaching career counseling classes at high schools and middle schools.

- For the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs: Develop career counseling programs for vocational education schools; provide specialized training courses for teachers on career counseling; deploy tools and tests to assess career abilities and interests to support counseling work.

- For the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of districts: There is a flexible mechanism in implementing the payment of vocational training support money according to Decree 81/2021/ND-CP and 97/2023/ND-CP, creating conditions for schools to directly receive support funds when there is confirmation from parents.

Students of Lam Son Secondary School (District 6) visit and learn about vocational training facilities.

Students learn about careers right from middle school.

Dr. Dang Van Sang, Principal of Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic College (District 12), said that many localities are still negligent in considering and resolving tuition compensation for students, causing students and parents to lose trust in vocational training institutions.

Localities give many different reasons: Some localities only provide tuition exemption compensation of 2 million VND/semester; because students are already working and receiving salaries, they are not eligible for exemption support; because they are past school age and do not study continuously, they are not eligible for exemption support.

"Some districts in Ho Chi Minh City have not yet resolved to compensate students for tuition fees for the 2023-2024 school year. Up to now, students have studied the third semester but have only received one semester's tuition exemption," said Dr. Sang.

Parents with children in secondary school participate in effective career orientation program

Dr. Nguyen Dang An Long, Vice Principal of Ho Chi Minh City College of Economics , pointed out another problem that makes vocational education "inferior" to university education.

Accordingly, vocational training institutions have not been proactive in seeking businesses, but are still passively waiting for businesses to order human resources from the school. Therefore, schools have difficulty in recruiting students, enrollment targets are not high or do not reach the set target.

Many students think that internship is just "serving tea", "pouring water" and "doing errands". Therefore, they rarely try to improve their professional skills during the internship.

Previously, speaking at the conference to review 1 year of implementing the joint program on orientation and vocational training for secondary and high school students in the period of 2023 - 2025 on September 19, Ms. Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, assessed that the results of the orientation were still quite modest.

The Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee requested that in the coming time, the Department of Education and Training together with the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs need to strengthen propaganda, counseling and career guidance so that students can clearly and correctly understand vocational education and the importance of human resources after vocational education training.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cap-bu-hoc-phi-cham-khien-truong-nghe-kho-thu-hut-hoc-sinh-sinh-vien-196240925141941231.htm