The Gia Lai College of Education is one of a number of provincial colleges to receive approval for merging with a major university to improve their enrolment rates and quality. Photo giaoduc.net.vn

HCM CITY — Many provincial universities and colleges are planning to merge with large universities to improve their enrolment rates and quality standards.

For instance, most of the country’s 29 provincial-level colleges of education suffer from low enrolment rates. Thirteen of them have already received approval for merging with other schools to overcome their financial difficulties.

Nông Lâm University in HCM City recently held discussions with the Ninh Thuận Province People’s Committee for the merger of the Ninh Thuận College of Education with its campus in the province.

The merger has been approved and his university is carrying out necessary procedures for job assignment to submit to the Ministry of Education and Training for approval, Dr Trần Đình Lý, deputy rector of Nông Lâm, said.

There is tough competition among schools to enrol students, making things difficult for colleges in provinces, he said.

The Government’s policy of merging provincial colleges with large universities is obviously the ideal solution, he said.

It would help local students access better quality of training and reduce their travel costs, he said.

It would also help overwhelmed universities in major cities reduce their number of students, he said.  

The Long An College of Education has received approval to merge with Cần Thơ University following declining enrolment rates for many years.

Prof Hà Thanh Toàn, the rector of Cần Thơ University, said a campus would be established in Long An Province when the merger procedures are completed.

After merging, the school plans to offer multi-disciplinary programmes to meet the demand for skills required by industrial zones and in other countries, he said.

Other education colleges approved for merger include the Gia Lai College of Education, Thái Nguyên College of Education, Vĩnh Long College of Education, Điện Biên College of Education, and Tây Ninh College of Education.

Many educational institutions managed by the Ministries of Education and Training and Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs have proposed mergers to improve their operational and quality standards as set out in Resolution No.19 on tertiary education and vocational training.

Last December the 43-year-old Vĩnh Long Economics and Finance College became a branch of the HCM City Economics University. — VNS