PROVINCIAL EDUCATION: DOING THEIR BEST BUT. . .

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 002963 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/06 TAGS: SOCI PGOV VM SUBJECT: PROVINCIAL EDUCATION: DOING THEIR BEST BUT. . . ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY ROBERT C. PORTER, CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I., REASON: 1.5 (D) ¶2. (C) SUMMARY. PROVINCES BETWEEN HO CHI MINH CITY AND HANOI CLEARLY HAVE DEVOTED STAFF AND GOOD INTENTIONS IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS, BUT AN ENDEMIC LACK OF CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02963 01 OF 03 140145Z RESOURCES LEAVES CHILDREN IN OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS WITH FEW RESOURCE MATERIALS. PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES SEEK TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO FINISH GRADE 9 AND HAVE ACCESS TO COMPUTERS AND ENGLISH CLASSES WITHIN A FEW YEARS, BUT MANY LOCALITIES MAY MISS THIS TARGET. THESE EDUCATIONAL CONSTRAINTS WILL FURTHER REDUCE VIETNAM'S ABILITY TO COMPETE EFFECTIVELY IN GLOBAL MARKETS IN THE FUTURE. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (U) DURING OCTOBER 25-NOVEMBER 2 TRAVELS TO PROVINCES ALONG ROUTE ONE BETWEEN HO CHI MINH CITY AND HANOI, POL/C AND POL FSN DISCUSSED EDUCATIONAL ISSUES WITH PROVINCIAL PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN, EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT CHIEFS, AND SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, AND ALSO VISITED A NUMBER OF ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE/HIGH (GRADES 6-9) SCHOOLS. SEPTELS WILL DESCRIBE OTHER DISCUSSIONS DURING THIS TRIP BY EMBASSY VEHICLE. HOW MANY KIDS CAN YOU FIT IN A CLASSROOM? -------------- ¶4. (SBU) THE PHYSICAL REALITIES OF PROVINCIAL EDUCATION AT LEAST IN THESE COASTAL PROVINCES OF VIETNAM ARE OFTEN DISMAYING FROM AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE, ALBEIT NOT NOTICEABLY INFERIOR TO SIMILAR SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST ASIA. CLASSROOMS ARE ALMOST INVARIABLY OPEN AIR, DESPITE THE HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY AS WELL AS SEASONAL DOWNPOURS. STUDENTS IN BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS ARE USUALLY CROWDED FOUR OR FIVE STUDENTS TO A BENCH AND FORTY TO FIFTY STUDENTS PER CLASSROOM. VIRTUALLY ALL ELEMENTARY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02963 01 OF 03 140145Z SCHOOLS AND MANY MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOLS MUST DIVIDE THEIR STUDENT POPULATIONS INTO MORNING AND AFTERNOON GROUPS DUE TO OVERCROWDING. WHILE STUDENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE FOUR OR FIVE HOURS OF CLASSROOM TIME EACH DAY, THE MIGRATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL BY FOOT OR BICYCLE IN MID- MORNING OR MID-AFTERNOON SUGGEST THAT MANY SCHOOLS ARE NOT ABLE TO KEEP TO THIS SCHEDULE. PLAYGROUND OR SPORTS FACILITIES ARE USUALLY SMALL OR NON-EXISTENT. ¶5. (SBU) STUDENTS IN MANY SCHOOLS APPEAR TO HAVE FEW BOOKS, APPARENTLY RELYING MORE COMMONLY ON LECTURES BY THE TEACHERS AND TRADITIONAL BLACKBOARDS. THE LIBRARIES IN MANY SCHOOLS CONSIST ONLY OF A SMALL ROOM WITH A HANDFUL OF BOOKS OR PERIODICALS. (AT MANY SCHOOLS, POL/C PRESENTED VARIOUS PAS PUBLICATIONS IN VIETNAMESE AND ENGLISH ABOUT ASPECTS OF THE UNITED STATES.) COMPUTER ROOMS AT MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOLS USUALLY CONTAINED NO MORE THAN TEN WORKSTATIONS AND A SINGLE PRINTER; FEW HAVE INTERNET ACCESS. EVEN COMPUTER ROOMS WERE USUALLY NOT AIR-CONDITIONED AND APPEARED NOT TO BE AVAILABLE FOR STUDENT ACCESS BETWEEN OR AFTER CLASSES. PROVINCIAL REALITIES AND HOPES -------------- ¶6. (SBU) ACCORDING TO BINH THUAN PROVINCIAL CHAIRMAN NUYNH TAN THANH, THIS PROVINCE WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION BY 1997. HIS GOAL NOW IS TO REACH UNIVERSAL MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION BY 2003 OR 2004. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES HIS PROVINCE FACES IN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02963 01 OF 03 140145Z THIS EFFORT ARE A LACK OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS AND RURAL POVERTY THAT FORCES PARENTS TO PUT THEIR CHILDREN TO WORK. WHILE IN PRINCIPLE ALL 103 MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOLS ARE SUPPOSED TO OFFER COMPUTER CLASSES TO STUDENTS, NOT ALL YET HAVE THE EQUIPMENT OR TEACHERS. ALL 31 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS (INCLUDING 4 BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR MINORITY STUDENTS) PROVIDE SUCH TRAINING, HOWEVER. DISTANCE LEARNING VIA TELEVISION OR INTERNET IS "LIMITED," HE NOTED, ALTHOUGH STUDENTS AT THE PROVINCIAL TEACHERS' COLLEGE CAN TAKE SOME UNIVERSITY CLASSES IN PHAN THIET CITY. HE ADDED THAT A PRIVATELY-FUNDED UNIVERSITY IS IN THE WORKS, AND HE EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE ABOUT ULTIMATE GOVERNMENT APPROVAL FOR ITS ESTABLISHMENT. ¶7. (SBU) THE KHANH HOA PROVINCIAL EDUCATION CHIEF NOTED THE NEED TO "STRENGTHEN" ITS SCHOOL SYSTEM AND TO "STRUGGLE" TO ACCOMPLISH UNIVERSAL 9TH GRADE EDUCATION; ONLY ABOUT 60 PCT OF TEENAGERS AT THAT AGE NOW COMPLETE MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL. HE LAMENTED THE FISCAL LIMITATIONS THAT PREVENTED ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE SCHOOLS. PROVINCIAL CHAIRMAN PHAM VAN CHI CLAIMED THAT FAMILY POVERTY RATHER THAN INSUFFICIENT PROVINCIAL BUDGETS WAS THE LARGER ISSUE; EVEN THE MODEST MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL FEES OF 70,000 DONG (USD 5) PER STUDENT PER YEAR WAS BEYOND THE RESOURCES OF SOME FAMILIES. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE PROVINCE HAD A TOTAL OF ONLY 60 COMPUTERS FOR 2000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND EXPRESSED A HOPE THAT BY 2003 75 PCT OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET (ONLY 4 PCT DO NOW, HE SAID). SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS NOW BEGIN ENGLISH; HE EXPRESSED A HOPE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02963 02 OF 03 140145Z TO BEGIN TEACHING ENGLISH IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, ALTHOUGH HE ADMITTED THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC PLANS TO DO SO YET. ¶8. (SBU) BINH DINH PROVINCIAL CHAIRMAN VU HOANG HA EXPRESSED A HOPE FOR UNIVERSAL MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION BY 2003 OR 2004 AS WELL AS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT BY 2003 OF A PRIVATELY FUNDED UNIVERSITY. THERE ARE NOW OVER 900 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, ABOUT 50 MIDDLE AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS, AND ONE TEACHER'S COLLEGE FOR AN OVERALL STUDENT POPULATION OF ABOUT 11,000. SOME PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES ALREADY EXIST, MOSTLY TEACHING NON-DEGREE COURSES IN COMPUTER, ENGLISH, OR VOCATIONAL TRAINING. TWO APPLICATIONS ARE PENDING FOR PRIVATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO COMPLEMENT A SINGLE EXISTING PRIVATE SCHOOL. HIS GOAL IS THAT 95 PCT OF STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO FINISH GRADE 9 BY 2005. HE CLAIMED THAT ALL HIGH SCHOOLS ALREADY REQUIRE COURSES IN COMPUTERS AND ENGLISH; SOME HAVE INTERNET ACCESS. A FEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ALSO OFFER ENGLISH, HE ADDED. ¶9. (SBU) ACCORDING TO QUANG NAM PROVINCIAL VICE CHAIRMAN HO THI THANH LAM, ALL CITIES AND DISTRICTS IN THE PROVINCE NOW HAVE MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOLS BUT SOME RURAL TOWNSHIPS DO NOT. EVEN PRIMARY EDUCATION IN THIS PROVINCE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE FULLY UNIVERSAL BEFORE 2007, ALTHOUGH ABOUT 80 PCT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN NOW ARE ABLE TO ATTEND. SHE CLAIMED ABOUT 60 PCT OF 15-YEAR OLDS FINISH MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL. SHE ADMITTED THAT MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL FEES OF ABOUT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02963 02 OF 03 140145Z 90,000 DONG (US 6) POSE A PROBLEM FOR SOME FAMILIES, BUT SAID GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES WERE AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY FOR MINORITY STUDENTS. ENGLISH CLASSES ARE MANDATED BEGINNING IN 6TH GRADE, WITH SOME ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ALSO OFFERING COURSES. COMPUTER TRAINING DOES NOT BEGIN UNTIL 10TH GRADE, HOWEVER; SHE EXPRESSED A WISH THAT FUTURE BUDGETS WOULD ENABLE PURCHASE OF MORE COMPUTERS. CLASSES FOR MINORITY STUDENTS ARE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN VIETNAMESE, ALTHOUGH SHE SAID THE PROVINCE WAS "TRYING TO DO MORE" TO TEACH IN LOCAL MINORITY LANGUAGES. ¶10. (SBU) DANANG MUNICIPAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR HUYNH VAN HOA SAID THAT THE CITY HAD ACHIEVED UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION IN 2000 AND HAD THE SECOND HIGHEST LEVEL OF MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE NATION, WITH ABOUT 80 PCT OF ALL FIFTEEN-YEAR OLDS IN THE CITY NOW FINISHING 9TH GRADE. HE NOTED THAT THEY MIGHT NEVER REACH 100 PCT DUE TO THE LACK OF SCHOOLS FOR PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY HANDICAPPED STUDENTS. (SEPTEL WILL REPORT ON A PRIVATE FACILITY FOR SUCH STUDENTS RUN BY CATHOLIC NUNS.) MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL MONTHLY FEES OF 20,000 DONG (USD 1.25) POSE LITTLE PROBLEM FOR MOST URBAN RESIDENTS, BUT 5-10 PCT OF MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NONETHELESS RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS. HE EXPRESSED A HOPE FOR MORE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES, S&T TRAINING, ASSISTANCE FROM THE USG AND NGOS FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION, AND SCHOLARSHIPS TO AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. HE ADDED THAT ALL MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE INTERNET ACCESS BY 2005; HALF OF MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOLS IN DANANG NOW PROVIDE IT. ALL MIDDLE/HIGH CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02963 02 OF 03 140145Z SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE ENGLISH, AND THE GOAL WITHIN 5 YEARS IS TO BEGIN ENGLISH TRAINING IN THE 3RD OR 4TH GRADE. HE ADDED THAT DANANG HAS HAD PRIVATE SCHOOLS FOR ABOUT A DECADE, NOW INCLUDING THREE HIGH SCHOOLS, AND THAT THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN "SATISFACTORY." ¶11. (SBU) QUANG BINH PROVINCIAL VICE CHAIRMAN PHAN VIET DUNG DESCRIBED HOW THE PROVINCE HAD REACHED UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION AS EARLY AS 1993. AT PRESENT, ABOUT 78 PCT OF TEENAGERS FINISH 9TH GRADE; THE GOAL IS TO REACH UNIVERSAL MIDDLE/HIGH EDUCATION BY ¶2005. ONLY ABOUT ONE FIFTH OF TEENAGERS FINISH SENIOR/HIGH SCHOOL, HOWEVER. HE ADMITTED A SPECIAL NEED TO DO MORE TO PROMOTE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY STUDENTS; FOUR BOARDING SCHOOLS NOW EXIST FOR STUDENTS FROM THESE REMOTE AREAS. ENGLISH CLASSES ARE NOW ONLY COMPULSORY IN THE PROVINCE'S 18 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS; BY 2003, THE PROVINCE WANTS TO MAKE ENGLISH COMPULSORY IN ALL 115 MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOLS AS WELL. THERE ARE NO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AT PRESENT DUE TO "LOCAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS," BUT HE CITED SOME "SEMI- PRIVATE" SCHOOLS FOR COMPUTER TRAINING. ¶12. (SBU) ACCORDING TO NGHE AN VICE CHAIRMAN HOANG KY AND THE PROVINCIAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR, THIS PROVINCE HAD REACHED UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION BY 1998 AND SEEKS TO UNIVERSALIZE MIDDLE/HIGH EDUCATION BY 2005. COMPUTER TRAINING WAS AVAILABLE IN THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL FOR STUDENTS EVEN AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL BUT IN RURAL AREAS ONLY AT MOST MIDDLE AND SENIOR HIGH CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02963 03 OF 03 140145Z SCHOOLS. SOME REMOTE SCHOOLS IN MINORITY AREAS DO NOT YET HAVE ELECTRICITY. ENGLISH IS COMPULSORY ONLY IN MIDDLE AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS. THE PROVINCE, WHICH HAS A SIGNIFICANT MINORITY POPULATION, HAS BEGUN SOME ELEMENTARY CLASSES IN HMONG LANGUAGE BUT HAS "NO SPECIFIC PLANS" FOR INTRODUCTION OF OTHER MINORITY LANGUAGES. LESS THAN 20 PCT OF ALL TEACHERS THEMSELVES COME FROM MINORITY GROUPS. EDUCATION IS FREE FOR MINORITY STUDENTS EVEN THROUGH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY. ¶13. (SBU) NGHE AN OFFICIALS ALSO NOTED HOW THE PROVINCE HAD "STRUGGLED" TO INDUCE HMONG FAMILIES TO ALLOW THEIR DAUGHTERS TO STUDY. IN SOME AREAS, THE PROVINCE SET UP SEPARATE SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS, WITH ONLY FEMALE TEACHERS. OFFICIALS AND TEACHERS HAVE ALSO BEEN PROMOTING THE CONCEPT THAT HMONG BOYS SHOULD ONLY MARRY GIRLS WHO KNOW HOW TO READ. THERE ARE NO BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR MINORITY STUDENTS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, BUT SOME EXIST FOR MIDDLE AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHOSE HOMES ARE MORE THAN TWO HOURS FROM A SCHOOL. THE MAIN CHALLENGES OVER THE NEXT DECADE FOR THE PROVINCIAL EDUCATION SYSTEM ARE TO REDUCE THE GAP BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN STANDARDS, TO POPULARIZE AND FUND COMPUTER AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING, AND TO PROMOTE POST MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION. AT PRESENT, ONLY ABOUT 1,000 OF THE PROVINCE'S 7,000 SENIOR/HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES ENTER UNIVERSITY. ¶14. (C) COMMENT: VIETNAMESE CULTURE HAS TRADITIONALLY VALUED EDUCATION, AND THERE ARE CLEARLY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02963 03 OF 03 140145Z MANY DEVOTED TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONAL OFFICIALS IN THESE AND OTHER PROVINCES. NEW SCHOOLS ARE BEING BUILT (SOME WITH FUNDING INDIRECTLY FROM USDA AND OTHERS BY OTHER INTERNATIONAL DONORS SUCH AS SOUTH KOREA) OR RENOVATED. EDUCATION APPEARS TO REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF LOCAL BUDGETS, ALTHOUGH IT REMAINS UNCLEAR HOW MUCH FLEXIBILITY LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE UNDER MINISTRY OF EDUCATION GUIDANCE. THE STRUGGLE TO PROMOTE MORE UNIVERSAL EDUCATION WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE NEXT DECADE, BUT MAY NOT BE FULLY SUCCESSFUL GIVEN FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL CONSTRAINTS AS WELL AS GEOGRAPHICAL BARRIERS AND LOCAL CULTURAL TRADITIONS. THE SAD TRUTH IS THAT, IN AN ERA OF GLOBALIZATION AND INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION AND SERVICE STANDARDS, TOO FEW PROVINCIAL STUDENTS IN VIETNAM ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE COMPETENCY EVEN IN ENGLISH OR BASIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY THAT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO ENHANCE VIETNAM'S ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS. THIS REALITY IS UNLIKELY TO CHANGE DRAMATICALLY EVEN WITHIN A DECADE. END COMMENT. ¶15. (U) NOTE: FOLLOWING A RECENT VISIT BY THE REGIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE OFFICER FROM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK, POST NOW PLANS TO INITIATE SEVERAL SMALL PROJECTS WITH UNIVERSITIES IN HANOI AND HO CHI MINH CITY AIMED AT REFORMING THE STANDARDS USED IN MEASURING ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY IN VIETNAM AND IMPROVING TRAINING FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH AT THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LEVELS. PORTER CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 02963 03 OF 03 140145Z CONFIDENTIAL