VietNamNet Bridge – Though Vietnam has allocated 20 percent of the state budget for the education sector, the money has not gone where it is needed.

A high school teacher in Hanoi, for example, noted that many students in mountainous areas study in classrooms made of bamboo, and many schools in other localities have been left idle.

Local newspapers several days ago reported that 40 school campuses in Nhu Xuan district of Thanh Hoa province, one of the 60 poorest districts in the country, are empty.

The people’s committee of Ky Anh district in Ha Tinh province spent VND200 billion to build a vocational junior college, which has attracted only 100 students.

The investor spent VND236 million to build a toilet at the Long Hiep Secondary School in Quang Ngai province.

A modern dormitory was built with capital of VND1 trillion from government bonds, but it has attracted only one student.

The Ministry of Education and Training initiated a national program on teaching foreign languages to 2020, which was applauded by all Vietnamese who dream of becoming “global citizens”. Though Vietnam is a poor country with average income of $1,960 per annum, local authorities still decided to spend billions of dong to buy overhead projectors, smart boards and other modern teaching aids to serve foreign language teaching.

However, the modern equipment has been put in mothballs, simply because teachers and students do not know how to use them. At many schools, the expensive equipment is in storage, because school leaders fear that students may damage it.

Educators believe that Vietnamese need to meet European standards in foreign language skills. However, the teachers of English can only meet “Vietnamese standards”. The teachers are so seriously lacking that in some provinces teachers begin to work only after a short period of training.

MOET has vowed to eliminate the gap between education in big cities and remote and mountainous areas, and plans will build more schools and upgrade school facilities. However, many projects exist only on paper.

The program supporting students in very difficult areas has been implemented, but capital has not been disbursed, even though many education courses have been completed.

Though the state budget allocated to education development is huge, parents continue to complain that they have to pay unreasonable school fees. A parent in Hanoi said he had to pay more than 4 million for his son to attend the first grade this year.

Thanh Mai