Le Thanh Thao is a 12th grade student at a high school in Nghe An, who has just passed her high school graduation exam. Before that, during the process of choosing a major and university, her boyfriend constantly encouraged her... not to go to university.
Thao said her boyfriend is 6 years older than her and is from the same hometown. He graduated from a university two years ago but had difficulty finding a job after graduation.
Many graduates put their university degrees aside to work as ride-hailing drivers and shippers for a living (Illustration: Hoai Nam).
Apart from Thao, no one in her boyfriend's family knew that for a long time, the male graduate worked as a shipper to earn a living and waited for a new job opportunity. He had thought about borrowing money to go abroad to work like other young people who finished middle and high school in his hometown.
The shipper guy analyzed with his girlfriend that university is very expensive, the lowest cost is 70-80 million VND per year, beyond Thao's family's ability. It is not easy for students to study and work part-time to earn money to cover expenses.
As someone with real experience, he told the girl that going to university now does not guarantee a job after graduation. Not only is the job market difficult, but the reality is that going to university does not mean that students are capable enough to meet real needs.
Thao's lover suggested that she was skillful, liked art and romance, and if necessary, she could go to Ho Chi Minh City to learn flower arrangement or bartending. Find a job first, work to earn money, then go to university.
A male university graduate is looking to study abroad in the hope of finding a job and income (Photo: Hoai Nam).
Thanh Thao thought her boyfriend was right. She saw around her many people with university degrees but unemployed, going abroad to work or struggling with unrelated jobs. But the female student also regretted not going to university.
"I believe I will pass the entrance exam to the school I applied to, but whether I will attend university or not, I will consider it further," the female student said.
Passed university but did not study
"Don't go to college" is probably not only the advice of a male bachelor who works as a shipper for his girlfriend, but it has been the choice of many students and families recently.
According to a report by the Ministry of Education and Training, based on enrollment targets, 2023 will have the lowest rate of candidates enrolling in universities and pedagogical colleges in the 2020-2023 period.
Based on enrollment targets, 2023 has the lowest enrollment rate in the 2020-2023 period (Photo: Captured from the report of the Ministry of Education and Training).
Specifically, the total enrollment target for 2023 is 663,063, but only 546,686 candidates (accounting for 82.45%) were admitted. In the previous three years, the enrollment/target ratio ranged from 83.39% to 94.08%.
Thus, there are many candidates who pass the university entrance exam but choose... not to go to school.
According to a report from the World Bank in Vietnam, Vietnam has the lowest university and college enrollment rate among East Asian countries in the 2020-2022 period.
According to this report, tuition pressure, universities in Vietnam rely heavily on tuition fees, becoming a barrier to accessing higher education for many students.
Specifically, in 2017, tuition fees accounted for 57% of the revenue of public universities in Vietnam, by 2021, tuition fees accounted for 77% of the revenue.
Meanwhile, financial support for students in difficult circumstances is still limited, such as low coverage, small value and unattractive repayment terms; there is no national scholarship program; the study loan program is difficult to access...
Besides the issue of tuition fees, the vice principal of a university in Ho Chi Minh City said that the recent familiar image of university graduates working as technology drivers, shippers, housekeepers... has somewhat affected students' choice of university.
The situation of many graduates being unemployed and not meeting market requirements has shaken faith in university education more than ever.
"These past years when I have been consulting on admissions, I have encountered many questions like "should I go to college?" Working in university admissions, I answer in a way that encourages students to go to college.
When I think back, I'm not sure if I was giving the right advice. Now everyone gets into university, but university is not for everyone," said this manager.
In the case of the female student who received advice "don't go to college" from her boyfriend, the vice principal stated that what the boy said was not without reason.
But girls need to be independent, consider their choices based on many factors and conditions. Besides, they also need to consider whether their boyfriend is a patriarchal person, with the idea that women do not need to study or not.
Vietnam is still a market with a serious shortage of skilled workers. According to information from the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in 2023, the rate of trained workers in Vietnam will reach about 68%. Of which, the rate of trained workers with degrees and certificates will only reach about 27-27.5%.
Aiming for high quality human resources is the job of every individual, of any education system, of any country.
Students in Ho Chi Minh City during a university admissions consulting program (Photo: Hoai Nam).
According to Mr. Pham Thai Son, Director of the Admissions and Communications Center, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, now everyone has the ability to pass the university entrance exam, but more importantly, which school to study at, whether that environment helps students develop their abilities and meet the requirements of the labor market or not....
“Should I go to college?” is a serious question for everyone. Behind that, we must talk about the responsibility in higher education training.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nam-cu-nhan-lam-shipper-nan-ni-ban-gai-lop-12-dung-hoc-dai-hoc-20240626115149914.htm
Comment (0)