Improving vocational education: From 'seeking permission' to autonomy.

Nâng chất giáo dục nghề nghiệp, từ 'xin phép' đến tự chủ - Ảnh 1. — Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat - Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department - Photo: HA QUAN

On the afternoon of September 11th, the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, together with the Ministry of Education and Training, organized a workshop to orient the autonomy and accountability of vocational education institutions in accordance with Resolution 71 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development.

Eliminate outdated notions of autonomy.

Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, emphasized that Resolution 71 of the Politburo affirms a fundamental change in the Party's thinking on education governance.

This means eliminating the notion that "only financially self-sufficient institutions are entitled to autonomy," and instead making autonomy a fundamental right of all vocational education institutions, regardless of size or financial capacity.

"Autonomy is not limited to financial matters, but also manifests in proactively developing and implementing training programs, innovating teaching methods, organizing the organizational structure, developing the workforce, expanding international cooperation, and closely linking with businesses and the labor market," said Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat.

Besides the progress, Mr. Dat believes that the vocational education system still has many limitations, such as "half-hearted" autonomy, many schools having to wait for permission for things they "could proactively do themselves," limited creativity, unclear accountability, lack of data transparency, and a superficial monitoring mechanism…

He hoped that the results of the workshop would be a valuable source of reference, helping the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department and the Ministry of Education and Training to advise the Politburo and the Secretariat on specific, practical, and feasible solutions, quickly putting the spirit of Resolution 71 into practice.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Tien Dong, Principal of Ly Thai To College, autonomy in vocational education is not only a right but also a responsibility.

For example, schools proactively collaborate with businesses using the 1+1+1 model, which involves one year of theoretical study at the school, one year of study at a training center, and one year of work experience at a business.

This leads to an increased rate of graduates finding employment in their trained fields. The data is publicly available and transparent, serving as a commitment to accountability to society and parents.

The school is also strengthening its collaborations with Japanese partners in precision mold making and semiconductor technology, and with China in computer vision.

nghề nghiệp - Ảnh 2.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Dong - Principal of Ly Thai To College - Photo: HA QUAN

From a trend of "control" to "monitoring"

Meanwhile, Mr. Vu Tri Tien, Vice Principal of Bach Mai Medical College, shared his perspective with the spirit of "not imposing old standards on a modern education system."

With the advantages of an autonomous model, the school trains many students and trainees at various levels every year, revenue is increasing rapidly, and there are plans to build a new facility spanning tens of hectares in Ninh Binh province.

Therefore, Professor Tien proposed perfecting the legal framework for the health sector, developing a "dual" team of lecturers and doctors, and encouraging cooperation between businesses, hospitals, and research institutes…

Through the discussions, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc assessed that vocational education institutions have proactively designed training programs, opened new fields of study, and linked them to the needs of businesses and the labor market. Some institutions have streamlined their organizational structure and enhanced transparency and accountability.

Deputy Minister Phuc pointed out several lessons learned, such as the key factor in ensuring the sustainability of autonomy by linking businesses and society, and the State continuing to play a "facilitating and guaranteeing" role through ordering, assigning tasks, and providing basic funding…

International experience shows a trend towards shifting from "control" to "supervision," expanding the rights of institutions while simultaneously establishing strict accountability mechanisms.

The workshop also agreed to research and propose amendments and additions to regulations on the autonomy of vocational education institutions in appointing positions, attracting talent, etc.