Open education transition

This is considered the key to opening the door to comprehensive innovation of the training system, towards an open, flexible education model and lifelong learning for everyone.

According to the provisions of the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Higher Education (Law No. 34), the system of higher education degrees includes: Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate degrees and equivalent degrees. Accordingly, learners can only obtain a degree after completing a full training program.

This draft of the Law on Higher Education (amended) has added provisions on granting “higher education certificates”. Accordingly, learners can study each subject, module and gradually accumulate to become a degree or use individual certificates as proof of actual learning capacity.

This approach reflects the core spirit of open education – flexible, diverse, learner-centered. The university education certificate is granted by the principal of the training institution to students upon completion of a subject or part of the curriculum. Having achieved this certificate, students can stop studying or continue to study another program and the universities will recognize the credits for their studies.

With the orientation of innovation in higher education, the university education certificate is an independent academic unit, with learning, transfer, accumulation and mutual recognition value between training institutions. This is an important breakthrough to help erase the boundaries between formal, informal and non-formal training, towards an open learning ecosystem where everyone has the opportunity to access higher education according to their own capacity, time and needs.

The introduction of “university education certificates” into the system is an inevitable step in the transition from a year-based education system to a competency-based and credit-based education system. This is also an effective tool to connect university training with the labor market, when businesses can recognize specific certificates of professional skills and competencies, instead of relying only on general degrees.

However, for this model to be effective, many factors need to be synchronized: a clear national qualification framework; a mechanism for recognition and transfer of credits between training institutions; and an open learning data platform that allows storing and authenticating individual certificates. Along with that is innovation in quality assessment methods, recognition of learning and professional capacity - a prerequisite to ensure the value of certificates.

More importantly, “university education certificates” will create more equal opportunities in accessing knowledge. Working people, or anyone starting a business, can study, receive certificates and continue to accumulate knowledge without being limited by time, space or age. Education becomes an open journey, not the only destination.

If implemented in the right direction, the higher education certification system will become the foundation of a learning society – where knowledge is shared, recognized and continuously developed. This is an important step from “closed” education to “open” education, from “once in a lifetime” training to “lifelong and everywhere” learning.

This is not just a story of universities, but a vision of national development – where every citizen can learn, practice and develop continuously in the new flow of knowledge of the digital age.

From the Party's strategic orientation to the actions of each school, teacher and learner, an open, flexible, connected and equal education system in learning opportunities will be created, becoming the foundation for Vietnam to deeply integrate and develop sustainably in the knowledge era.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/buoc-chuyen-giao-duc-mo-post752943.html