The vocational education law will take effect in three months. However, vocational schools still don’t know which management agency they will belong to – the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) or the Ministry of Education and Training (MOIT).

 

Both ministries want vocational schools

Vocational schools’ headmasters said they were puzzled, as both MOLISA and MOET are drafting legal documents relating to the management of vocational schools.

On February 10, 2015, MOLISA showed the draft legal document on its official website for public opinion. 

The draft said it is MOLISA’s Minister who has the right to release decisions to establish vocational schools.

Meanwhile, on March 17, MOET also made public its draft document for public opinion. The draft says this falls within the competency of MOET’s Minister.

A MOLISA’s official affirmed that MOLISA was just following the government’s instruction on the implementation of the new vocational education law which takes effect on July 1, which stipulates that MOLISA will be responsible for management over vocational education establishments.

Meanwhile, according to MOET, it is true that once the new law takes effect, vocational colleges will no longer belong to university education establishments, but will be a part of vocational education. 

However, the government still has not stated which agency will take responsibility for vocational education in accordance with the new law.

MOET’s Deputy Minister Bui Van Ga said that the draft decree compiled by MOLISA is not in line with Resolution No 29 and does not have sufficient legal basis.

An education expert in HCM City noted the problem now is that MOLISA and MOET both want to put vocational schools under their management.

“It is unclear when the debate will end. However, the two management ministries should act for the sake of learners, not for their benefit,” he said.

Misconception in law?

Dr. Le Viet Khuyen, former deputy director of the University Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Training, noted that the new vocational education law which excludes college (3-year training) out of university education may cause disruptive effects to the national educational system. 

He also emphasized that the restructuring is not in line with international practice, and that the error may lead to immeasurable consequences to the country’s strategy on human resource development.

Khuyen said the country should reconsider the vocational education law before the law takes effect, slated for July 1, 2015.

The headmaster of a vocational school in Hanoi also said the new vocational education law had surprised everyone when it was made public. 

“I cannot imagine what will happen if vocational education establishments do not belong to the education ministry,” he said.

NLD