Inside Hong Bang International University (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Governmentrecognises the importance of private schools to development of the nationaleducation system, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture,Education, Youth and Children Phan Thanh Binh has said.
“Private and public schools are the two wings ofeducation,” Binh said at a forum held at Hong Bang International University inHo Chi Minh City on May 6.
“They [private schools] also create alever to lift public schools in development,” he said, adding that the countryhas issued legal policies to develop private education.
Dr Do Van Xe, Rector of Hung Vuong University,said that amended laws on higher education have helped remove barriers thatprivate schools have faced.
“I have taken advantage of more open regulationsin the amended laws, for example, to create training programmes meetinglearners’ demands and to help lecturers become more creative in theirteaching,” Xe said.
Such training and teaching can attract morestudents, he added.
With the contribution of private schools, theeducation sector in the country has become “competitive”, he said. “Quality isthe decisive element in the competition.”
Dr Thai Ba Can, deputy general director onhigher education development at Nguyen Hoang Group, and chairman of board ofdirectors of the Hoa Sen University, said that many large enterprises hadinvested in education. They have focused on building modern facilities andtraining programmes meeting international standards, and have brought advancedtraining programmes from other countries to Vietnam.
Dr Dam Quang Minh, Rector of Phu Xuan Universityin Thua Thien-Hue province, said that although the Government recognisesprivate schools as of one of “two wings” in education development, thedifference between the two wings still exists, meaning that private schoolshave not been treated fairly as public schools.
In HCM City, for instance, the number of privateschools has been increasing in both inner and outlying districts over the lastfive years to meet the burgeoning demand caused by overcrowding of publicschools.
Many parents like Nguyen Thi Ly of district 2 donot want their children to study in a classroom with more than 50 students, acommon occurrence in public schools.
Ly, who has a son who will enter first gradenext year, is finding out about private schools in the vicinity.
Nguyen Thi Huong of Tan Phu district has movedher two children from a local public school to a private school, fearing theteaching methodology do not enable them to develop their comprehensionskills.
These parents are willing to pay higher fees atprivate schools in exchange for the better and more modern facilities they offerand the small number of students in each classroom.
Ten years ago, private schools’ main aim was tocreate an environment for improving their students’ English, but that haschanged now to soft skills and developing students’ talents and creativity, andcurriculums are based on this now.
Dr Huynh Cong Minh, Chairman of the FoundingCommittee of EMASI School, told Sai Gon Giai Phong (LiberatedSai Gon) newspaper that, unlike public schools, private school teacherscreate conditions for students to be creative and curious.
For instance, they let their students solve mathproblems while teachers at public schools guide their students step by step asregulated by the Ministry of Education and Training.
Recently, many private schools have set upcounselling boards to help improve the capacity of their teachers and assistprincipals and managers with adopting proper methodologies.
To meet the increasing demand, many privateschools are opening more branches around the city.
The Asian International School is opening acampus in district 2’s Thao Dien ward in August.
The Vietnam Australia International School haseight campuses in districts 2, 3, 7, 10, Phu Nhuan, and Go Vap.
The paper quoted an unnamed Department ofEducation and Training official as saying the number of admissions at privateschools has increased in the last few years.
In recent years, a number of universities haveestablished or bought out schools to create a feeder system.
Tan Tao University, a private non-profituniversity in Long An province, opened along with a high school in 2010 forthis purpose. But the school is not well known.
In September this year, Ton Duc Thang Universitywill enroll students from grades 10 to 12 in its Vietnam Finland InternationalSchool.
Its entire teaching equipment and aids have comefrom Finland and cost more than 25 million USD.
But according to a school spokesperson, the goalis not only to absorb the students directly into Ton Duc Thang University, butalso to offer Vietnamese children good education.
Besides, the school will provide a place for theuniversity’s teachers training students to gain practical experience.
In April, the HCM City University of Technologyannounced it had bought Royal International School in District 7, which wasestablished in 2011 with an international bilingual model and trainingprogramme based on British curriculums.
Nguyen Tat Thanh University and others arescouting around for investing in buying out high schools.
Hoang Ngoc Vinh, former director of the Ministryof Education and Training’s vocational training department, said:“Universities should be encouraged to invest in school education ifthey can ensure quality in both their school and higher education systems.”
Some universities buy schools purely forcommercial reasons, he added.
Pham Thai Son, director of the HCM CityUniversity of Food Industry’s admission and communication centre,said a university investing in schools is better than other investors doing so.
“It will really be a threat to education ifinvestors … mainly invest to promote their brand … and then sell it again torecover the investment.”
It would be good only if education is placed atthe forefront and not return on investment, he said.-VNS/VNA
“Private and public schools are the two wings ofeducation,” Binh said at a forum held at Hong Bang International University inHo Chi Minh City on May 6.
“They [private schools] also create alever to lift public schools in development,” he said, adding that the countryhas issued legal policies to develop private education.
Dr Do Van Xe, Rector of Hung Vuong University,said that amended laws on higher education have helped remove barriers thatprivate schools have faced.
“I have taken advantage of more open regulationsin the amended laws, for example, to create training programmes meetinglearners’ demands and to help lecturers become more creative in theirteaching,” Xe said.
Such training and teaching can attract morestudents, he added.
With the contribution of private schools, theeducation sector in the country has become “competitive”, he said. “Quality isthe decisive element in the competition.”
Dr Thai Ba Can, deputy general director onhigher education development at Nguyen Hoang Group, and chairman of board ofdirectors of the Hoa Sen University, said that many large enterprises hadinvested in education. They have focused on building modern facilities andtraining programmes meeting international standards, and have brought advancedtraining programmes from other countries to Vietnam.
Dr Dam Quang Minh, Rector of Phu Xuan Universityin Thua Thien-Hue province, said that although the Government recognisesprivate schools as of one of “two wings” in education development, thedifference between the two wings still exists, meaning that private schoolshave not been treated fairly as public schools.
In HCM City, for instance, the number of privateschools has been increasing in both inner and outlying districts over the lastfive years to meet the burgeoning demand caused by overcrowding of publicschools.
Many parents like Nguyen Thi Ly of district 2 donot want their children to study in a classroom with more than 50 students, acommon occurrence in public schools.
Ly, who has a son who will enter first gradenext year, is finding out about private schools in the vicinity.
Nguyen Thi Huong of Tan Phu district has movedher two children from a local public school to a private school, fearing theteaching methodology do not enable them to develop their comprehensionskills.
These parents are willing to pay higher fees atprivate schools in exchange for the better and more modern facilities they offerand the small number of students in each classroom.
Ten years ago, private schools’ main aim was tocreate an environment for improving their students’ English, but that haschanged now to soft skills and developing students’ talents and creativity, andcurriculums are based on this now.
Dr Huynh Cong Minh, Chairman of the FoundingCommittee of EMASI School, told Sai Gon Giai Phong (LiberatedSai Gon) newspaper that, unlike public schools, private school teacherscreate conditions for students to be creative and curious.
For instance, they let their students solve mathproblems while teachers at public schools guide their students step by step asregulated by the Ministry of Education and Training.
Recently, many private schools have set upcounselling boards to help improve the capacity of their teachers and assistprincipals and managers with adopting proper methodologies.
To meet the increasing demand, many privateschools are opening more branches around the city.
The Asian International School is opening acampus in district 2’s Thao Dien ward in August.
The Vietnam Australia International School haseight campuses in districts 2, 3, 7, 10, Phu Nhuan, and Go Vap.
The paper quoted an unnamed Department ofEducation and Training official as saying the number of admissions at privateschools has increased in the last few years.
In recent years, a number of universities haveestablished or bought out schools to create a feeder system.
Tan Tao University, a private non-profituniversity in Long An province, opened along with a high school in 2010 forthis purpose. But the school is not well known.
In September this year, Ton Duc Thang Universitywill enroll students from grades 10 to 12 in its Vietnam Finland InternationalSchool.
Its entire teaching equipment and aids have comefrom Finland and cost more than 25 million USD.
But according to a school spokesperson, the goalis not only to absorb the students directly into Ton Duc Thang University, butalso to offer Vietnamese children good education.
Besides, the school will provide a place for theuniversity’s teachers training students to gain practical experience.
In April, the HCM City University of Technologyannounced it had bought Royal International School in District 7, which wasestablished in 2011 with an international bilingual model and trainingprogramme based on British curriculums.
Nguyen Tat Thanh University and others arescouting around for investing in buying out high schools.
Hoang Ngoc Vinh, former director of the Ministryof Education and Training’s vocational training department, said:“Universities should be encouraged to invest in school education ifthey can ensure quality in both their school and higher education systems.”
Some universities buy schools purely forcommercial reasons, he added.
Pham Thai Son, director of the HCM CityUniversity of Food Industry’s admission and communication centre,said a university investing in schools is better than other investors doing so.
“It will really be a threat to education ifinvestors … mainly invest to promote their brand … and then sell it again torecover the investment.”
It would be good only if education is placed atthe forefront and not return on investment, he said.-VNS/VNA
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