Vietnam - 50 percent of university lecturers are unqualified

Up to 50% of university lecturers in Vietnam do not have post-graduate degrees.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), Vietnam now has a total of 77,500 university lecturers. However only 3.5% are professors, while 10% have doctorates and 40% have master's degrees.

According to the draft Law on Tertiary Education, the minimum requirement for university lecturers is a master's degree. Once the law takes effect, around 5% of university lecturers will not be eligible for their jobs.

Currently, most Vietnamese universities receive teachers with bachelor's degrees and then give them extra training. Some specialised departments cannot hire lecturers without graduate degrees because the country's education system cannot train them.

During a recent inspection, MoET found that many universities and colleges opened new departments without meeting ministry’s minimum requirements on the number of lecturers who have master and doctorate degrees. As a result, they were ordered to stop entrance exams for these departments.

Under the ministry’s regulations, to open a new department, universities must have at least one doctor and three masters in the area. Initially, universities and colleges registered enough qualified lecturers, but the number dropped during the training process.

Prioritising professors

To increase of lecturers, according to the draft Law on University Education, schools need prioritise the recruitment of teachers who have qualifications even higher than those stipulated. Schools also need to offer incentives to attract qualified teachers and focus on raising their quality.

The law also stipulates that universities and colleges need to extend the working hours for professors, associate professors and doctors who reach the age of retirement but still want to teach.

Former Deputy Minister of Education and Training, Banh Tien Long, also proposed that the draft law include this policy because the rate of number lecturers at universities and colleges remains small.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training, Bui Van Ga, said the law also clearly stipulates the rights of lecturers, such as joining intensive courses while still receiving a salary and subsidies. Lecturers who work in disadvantaged areas will receive extra subsidies and stipends for accommodation.

Dtnews

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