Introduction to Vietnam: Land, People, Culture - Lecture 5: Education in Vietnamand Vietnamese society in transition - Lam Thi Thu Suu

Lecture 5Education in Vietnamand Vietnamese society in transition  Pham Hoa Hiep Lam Thi Thu Suu Suu.csrd@gmail.com Vietnam has a long tradition of educationTotal (2012) : 49.18 million (63 % population); Age structure: Age 15 -29: 47.5%; Male: 49.52% Female: 50.48%Urban: 26.90%Rural: 70.40%VIETNAM LABOUR FORCE (age of male 15-60; female 15-55) Literacy of population aged 15 and over increased from 87.3% in 1989 to 93.5% in 2009 and about 94.0% in 2010 ;ATTAINMENT OF EDUCATION Vietnam has achieved the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) on education for all: Completed universalisation (phổ cập giáo dục) of primary education in 2000 and lower secondary education in 2010; Average schooling year of population aged 15 and older in 2010 around 9.6 years;Social equity in access to education, especially for ethnic minorities, children of poor families, girls and disadvantages has improved a great dealATTAINMENT OF EDUCATION Percentage of correct age in general education by 2020: primary level: 99% ;Lower secondary level: 95%; Upper secondary and equivalent: 80%; 70% disability children in school by 2020. VIETNAM EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEVELOPMENT STRATEGYATTAINMENT OF EDUCATION Gross enrollment of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and tertiary education has experienced strong growth since 2005 ISSUES: SKILL SHORTAGESVietnam has an abundant labor force in the agricultural sector and production line but lacks well-trained, skilled laborersEmployers can’t find suitable candidates with relevant experience and skills Employers ranked the country's workers in the bottom 10 percent regionally. Around 50% employers rated the labor force fair or poor and one-third said they were unable to find the skills they need (ManpowerGroup/TNS Survey, 2013) A separate survey found around two in five employers in the country reported difficulty filling jobsIssues in higher education: From 1975- 1990Soviet Union’s modelOutstanding students were sent to the Soviet Union, East Germany for university and post graduate studies. Upon returning home, they held key positionsUniversity is state subsidized and free for all who passed exam to get inEarly 90s - PresentFree market economy, efforts to integrate into the global community _> change in higher education system Desires for International/Western education is ever growingDesires for quality in higher education (evident in educational reforms and policies, and capacity building projects globally, e.g Vietnam’s program 322 & 911 for sending staff to the West ) EDUCATIONAL REFORM Ministry of Education aim: 35% of academic staff at the doctoral level by 2020 (1,000) lecturers are sent overseas annually for MA and PhD studies) Current number of Vietnamese students in some most popular host countries (Source: Chi Hong Nguyen, 2013) Common Policies/Concepts/ValuesIn all policy documents, advancing the society through educating an educated, creative, independent, active, ICTs and English literate and globally-oriented workforce is a shared aim. Educational ReformsReform policies demand education transform itself through internationalisation and towards learner-centred education (LCE)These have been believed to bring about desirable changes and transformationsProblemsWestern trained staff are considered to be at front line of education reform, but after returning home they often feel unable to use the knowledge and skills they have learnt Voice of a Western trained university lecturerVietnam National Alumni Conference, 14-15 December 2013, Pullman Hanoi Hotel, Hanoi, VietnamWhen I returned I found that what I mostly did was trying to fit back into the college’s teaching situation and get accustomed to the way everybody else was working to become part of the system again, rather than trying to introduce and implement changes/new ideas as I once hoped to do Multiple factors affecting change I have problems with technology/facility /resources in my classroom I am too shy to propose change and do want people think that I show offI cannot have full commitment to university The boss and I do not share the same languageI have to teach for a testI have a very large classMy students at university are too much used to old learning style I could implement some change, but the teacher who teaches a parallel class is not happy. We follow the same mandate curriculum and teach for same final examProblems Brain drain (human capital flight): Many talented students remain and work in the West after their studies Many qualified/talented staff move from government/public sector to private sector Many stay in government organizations but are not committed/devoted What are we concerned about?Serious concern about quality in higher education (poor image, poor ranking in teaching and research)What does the labour force market need? At primary and secondary level: pressures/ competition/ study load/ parents’ beliefs (too much work/too much private teaching/tutoring ) Questions?Vietnamese society in transitionThe 1990s the Planned Economy was abolished and replaced by a multi-sectored and open economy. Economic reform has contributed to the national economic growth, household income Vietnam become a middle income countryVietnam’s society in transition1. Changes of economic systemEconomic activities are diversified.Labor market is stratified Gaps between rich and poor are widened2. Changes of social valuesSocial stratificationPrivate enrichment Male-oriented family structure Pressure of triple role of women3. Labor and workMany Professor, PhD, Master and bachelor Young people can not do farming work, nor technology workEngineers can not creat a charger Labout Market’s competivenessUnemployment 4. Education in crisis: Problems of school, curriculum, textbooks and teaching methodsUnemployment of graduatesShifting the burden: education as matter of individualsTeachers’ salary, additional tutorials and degradation of educational system as a whole 5. Environment in crisisProblem of structural poverty in transitionPoverty in rural and mountainous areas still high, and especially among ethnic minorities.The gap between the rich and the poor has widened dramatically. New poor groups are emerging (women, migrants, affected people from environment issues and development projects)More Landless peopleVulnerable groups to climate change impactsLand confiscationsFrom 2001 to 2009: - 1,116,000 ha of agricultural land were taken for investment projects. - Every year, 124,000 ha of agricultural land are transferred to development projects. - More than 50% of confiscated land were at the most densely populated areas of the Red River delta and Southeast deltaFor the last 10 years: - 4% of agricultural land were confiscated - more than 1% of total rice landImpacts of land confiscation (MARD survey):Land confiscations affected badly 627,000 peasant households, 950,000 laborers & 2,5 million people.53% of households had incomes reduced.only 13% of households were able to move to new jobs87% fell into unstable employment or uncertainty in livelihoodsLandless peasants have been on increase and found difficulties in seeking new jobsEvery one hectare of rice land confiscated, 15 to 20 rural laborers will become unemployment Peasants are not sure if the local governments will help find new sources of livelihoods. Peasants on the moveGovernment Report: From 2008 to 2011 - 673,000 petitions and complaints submitted to the central government. - 1,57 million demonstrators gathering at the front of governmental bodies to express their grievances, - 70% of petitions and complaints are to do with land confiscations. - 98% of complaints and petitions to the MONRE are related to land disputes Resistance against land confiscations in Van Giang 201224 April 2012, Hung Yen sent 1,900 armed police to three communes of Van Giang districts to forces 166 peasant households to hand over 72 hectares of rice land for Vihajico development projects. Peasants preventing the armed police entering the village in the early morning to confiscate rice land in Van GiangWomen participations: Essential role in peasant protests against land grabbing: . more flexible, . less violence . creativeNude protest in Can Tho against land confiscation May 2012Woman shot by police in land confiscation, Vinh Long Sept 2012 Internet/Social Media as a new power of collective protestsThe State’s Responses to peaceful demonstrations: Why violence is used?Land confiscations in Tien Lang Hai Phong Jan 2012Protest against Formosa