The reason why the Ministry of Education and Training only directly manages key universities

The Ministry of Education and Training announced a draft Resolution of the National Assembly on a number of specific mechanisms and policies to make breakthroughs in education and training development.

z4637649566357-0ccab92bca09730d8d37ac1ae64540b0-1-6611.jpg — Students of National Economics University at the graduation ceremony. Photo: Duy Pham

Based on a review of current difficulties and shortcomings in education and training activities, the draft Resolution focuses on solving breakthrough and strategic issues to institutionalize Resolution 71 of the Politburo and to develop education and training. The draft proposes major policy groups to make breakthroughs in education and training development.

Including the arrangement and restructuring of the public education system including public universities, vocational education and continuing education (except for educational institutions under the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs); merging vocational education centers and continuing education centers into vocational high schools according to inter-ward and commune areas; implementing in the direction of reducing focal points, linking professional management responsibilities with human resources and finance, eliminating intermediate levels, ensuring a streamlined, unified and effective management system.

The Ministry of Education and Training directly manages key universities and colleges or those planned to be key national higher education institutions in engineering and technology, and is assigned to lead a network of training centers of excellence and talent, and colleges that perform the functions of regional centers and national centers for high-quality vocational training and practice.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism manage specialized higher education institutions. Transfer the remaining educational institutions to local management, ensuring full and comprehensive autonomy for educational institutions regardless of the level of financial autonomy. Research on merging research institutes with higher education institutions (except for specialized public scientific and technological organizations).

Explaining this content, the Ministry of Education and Training said that currently, higher education and vocational education institutions are under the management of many ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees; and are being identified as public service units under the direct management agency with the authority to establish. According to the Law on Higher Education 2012 (amended and supplemented in 2018), the Ministry of Education and Training is the state management agency in the field of education and training, including higher education. Higher education institutions are under the general management of the Ministry of Education and Training and other competent agencies.

The current delegation of autonomy to public universities and vocational education institutions is implemented according to the provisions of the Law on Higher Education. In addition, the delegation of autonomy is implemented according to the Government's regulations.

However, Resolution 71 of the Politburo, Resolution 281 of the Government, Document 59 of the Central Steering Committee on summarizing Resolution 18 have clearly defined the tasks of arranging and restructuring higher education institutions and party organizations in higher education institutions; merging and dissolving lower-standard higher education institutions; eliminating intermediate levels, ensuring streamlined, unified and effective governance; strengthening state management of higher education institutions; ensuring the principle of linking professional management responsibilities with human resource and financial management.

Thus, it is appropriate for the Ministry of Education and Training to manage key universities and higher education institutions; the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to manage specialized specialized schools; and localities to manage the remaining higher education institutions, ensuring proper implementation of the Party's guidelines and policies.

According to Decision 452 of the Government on planning the network of higher education and pedagogical institutions for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2030, key universities are identified as: Upgrading and developing Hanoi National University of Education and Ho Chi Minh City National University of Education as key national higher education institutions in pedagogy; focusing on investing in upgrading and developing 5 public higher education institutions with leading capacity and prestige in training and research in a number of key and spearhead technical and technological fields and sectors to become key national higher education institutions in engineering and technology, with quality and prestige on par with the region.

Investing in building Vietnam Maritime University into a national key university, reaching the same level as developed countries in the region in science, engineering and technology to serve the development of the marine economy.

In addition, the country currently has 9 public universities including 2 National Universities, 3 regional universities, Can Tho University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, Hanoi University of Technology, and National Economics University. These universities are all under the Ministry of Education and Training.