VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has released a new regulation on training postgraduates for master’s degree with many easy requirements.

Under current regulations, training establishments have the right to train master’s within the “quota” granted to them by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). It is the establishments which raise entrance exam questions, prepare examinees for the exam and mark exam papers.

The time for training will be cut to one year instead of two, to be applied to majors which require 5-year training at university level.

Many educators commented that MOET seems to be “too affectionate” towards learners.

“With one year, schools can produce ‘counterfeit’ masters,” a university lecturer said.

A postgraduate training course now lasts two years. However, learners only have to spend one year on learning. Since the credit-based training began, learners are required to spend more time on self-study with less time in class.

But the majority of learners cannot take initiative in their study and research.

“I know that many learners never go to class. They hire others to go to class for them,” he said.

“I cannot imagine how schools would produce masters in just one year,” he continued. “Everything would be in a mess.”

Dr. Pham Tat Dong, chair of the Vietnam Society of Study Encouragement, said it was necessary to increase the required time to train postgraduates for master’s degrees instead of shortening them.

Educators have also expressed their disappointment about the new regulation, saying that all the requirements have been lowered to attract more learners.

The university lecturer said that while MOET repeatedly urges schools to pay higher attention to the teaching of foreign languages, it has reduced the requirements for foreign language skills for some groups of learners.

“Everyone knows that the majority of postgraduates do not have English skills good enough to translate foreign books for their research and dissertation writing,” he said.

“I thought MOET would have set stricter requirements to settle the existing problems in master’s training. But I was wrong. They did quite the opposite,” he said.

Under the law, training establishments with at least five lecturers with doctorates can offer a master’s degree.

Educators protest

Associate Professor Duong Van Sao, former president of the Hanoi Trade Union University, said the ministry should have tightened training to ensure quality.

“It is necessary to set a bar to control the number of postgraduate students. Only the students finishing universities at a distinctive level are allowed to continue studying for master’s degree, while other graduates need to work for several years before returning to school,” he said.

KT&DT