Motivation to attract students

In fact, 9+ model is not new, it comes from vocational training for students graduating from junior secondary schools in continuing education centers. Despite not new, not all parents and students know about it.

Recently, meeting parents whose children graduated from Dai Mo Junior secondary School (Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi), reporters had the opportunity to talk with some parents, finding that not everyone knows about this preeminent model.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan (Xuan Dinh, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi) said Mr. Nguyen Huy Linh - her son is currently learning automotive technology with 9+ model at Hanoi Industrial Vocational College. As expected, after finishing the program, Linh obtains a senior secondary school diploma and continues to pursue his learning at colleges and universities. Linh is very excited to learn with 9+ model here because automotive is his passionate field, in a short time of study, he can both study and work at the same time.

Linh said: "From the second year, I have been attended internship in enterprises, receiving trainee salary by enterprises. My dream is to be able to pursue learning in college or university to open a company or a car garage specializing in automotive warranty and maintenance".

The 9+ vocational training fields such as auto technology, beauty therapy, housekeeping, tourism, electromechanical ... are developing very well. These are mostly fields of high demand from labor market, however, in fact, not every parent or student knows and chooses this form of training.

Ms. Tran Tu Chi (Dai Mo, Nam Tu Liem) also has a child going to graduate from senior secondary school in 2020. Mrs. Chi plans to advise her child to pursue vocational training and education because she sees that her child has no cultural learning capacity. "My child is weak at learning, so my family wants him pursue apprenticeship, perhaps cooking or beauty therapy" - Mrs. Chi shared.

Although she was mentally prepared and oriented for her child to pursue vocational training early, Mrs. Chi and many other parents do not know that many schools are currently providing training with 9+ model.

"I have never heard of VET consultation, just know that now there are many VET institutions, which enrolls students without exams. Particularly, it’s my first time to hear about 9+ training model. If you know it early, maybe we let him to attend apprenticeship right after finishing grade 9 to save time and money, helping him become more mature faster "- Mrs. Chi said.

Although she has made the plan and advised her son to attend apprenticeship, Ms. Lan, Mrs. Chi and many parents still expect after graduation their children can have many choices, either entering into world of work or continuing to pursue higher learning if they want.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Ly - Rector of the Ho Chi Minh City International College said that it is a misconception that somebody attending apprenticeship is incapable. To attend apprenticeship, people also need to have certain capacity, not everyone can do.

"With advantages of short learning time, little investment, 9+ model at college become the trend of society, which helps VET institutions recruit more students" - Mr. Ly said.

There is still much controversy

Although 9+ model at College has many advantages, in fact, during it’s implementation, the model also get many conflicting opinions. People in some universities believe that junior secondary school students are not qualified enough to study at collegiate level. Therefore, universities will not accept students from 9+ model at Colleges for inter-college transfer training program.

In addition, many parents are also reluctant to let their children attend 9+ model at College. The reason is that the model training is so intensive, with lots of practice, not all students can follow, especially those who just graduate from junior secondary school of only 14-15 years old.

In addition to the controversy about the capacity as well as the psychology of the parents, 9+ model at both intermediate schools and colleges is also facing many other challenges. Mr. Do Van Giang - Deputy Director of Official Training Department, Directorate of Vocational Training and Education, said that now the biggest "bottleneck" is the fact that the Ministry of Education and Training has not released the documents to recognize and certify volume of cultural knowledge in secondary school for those who have demand for inter-college transfer program. The state management agencies need to think about this and surely the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs must promptly handle them so that parents and students can be assured. On the other hand, the required amount of knowledge must be more practical.

"Second, the authority to teach and recognition of completion of the amount of cultural knowledge should place for vocational education institutions so that VET institutions themselves can teach and recognize this knowledge as regulated by, instead the current situation that students have to study a program in two places like today (vocational schools for technical training, continuing education centers for cultural learning) "- Mr. Giang said.

Mr. Gian Tu Trung - Director of IRED Education Institute said that refusing vocational students to enroll to inter collage transfer program is absurd. This is because the fact that now training must be based on the capacity and needs of the society, not just which field, which level and who to train. Society now no longer place much importance on qualifications, but capacity.

"The problem now is to train people into skilled laborer, to create jobs, not to train people to get a degree" – said Mr. Trung. With this argument, Mr. Trung said that the practice of 9+ model at College is consistent with the trend of the times. 9+ Model at College is actually just an extension of the mechanism for learners and teachers. Graduates must also meet necessary and sufficient requirement of having high skill to be accepted by the labor market regardless which training he/she pursue (intermediate, collegiate or universities)

Recently, the Prime Minister issued Directive 24 on promoting the development of skilled human resources, contributing to improving labor productivity and increasing national competitiveness in the new situation. Accordingly, the directive allows the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to consider pilot training at 9+ model at College for students completing junior secondary schools.

The Directive is also seen as an open opportunity for colleges to promote enrollment for VET. It also provides a boost for motivational connections in the learning process, helping students achieve lifelong learning goals.

According to information from DVET, currently students attend 9+ model can be fully exempt from tuition fees. This is a great deal for students studying vocational training and education. 

Many parents are still not ready

"Regarding 9+ model at College, the school surveyed parents and found that, if letting students just graduated from junior secondary school attend college training programs, it is a bit too much for them. From junior secondary school, if students immediately attend college, knowledge will be great. Students studying in 9+ model at College will be granted a practical engineer degree, with intensive practice time.Most parents are not ready to for children to study this system.

Students are placed into difficult situation?

"Students in this model will be very tired because they have to" run the show ", have to study culture and apprenticeship in two institutions as it is now. The reason is that VET institutions are not allowed to teach cultural programs like secondary schools. Therefore, students in this model have to apprentice at VET institutions and study cultural program at a continuing education center. In my opinion, it is necessary to delegate the rights and responsibilities to the principal in program design and learning outcome standards. If an institution can not guarantee outcome, enrollment should be cut off ".

Mr. Dong Van Ngoc - Rector of Hanoi Electromechanical College

Each year, there have 1.2 million of students graduating from junior secondary school. Up to 70% of these choose to continue to high school. The rest are apprenticeship, drop-out, early labor. Choosing apprenticeship is the ultimate solution chosen by very few students. Statistics of the General Department of Vocational Education