Corruption gives education bad image

Corruption in education and training, including the purchasing of higher marks, had given the sector a bad image, according to Vu Tien Chien, chief administrator of the Central Steering Board for Anti-Corruption.

Speaking at a conference on "Fighting corruption in education", held in Ha Noi yesterday by the Ministry of Education and Training, the Government Inspectorate, the Central Steering Board for Anti-Corruption and the Embassy of Sweden, Chien said some achievements had been made in fighting the problem.

However, he said that despite reforms, corruption was still seriously affecting the country's fine tradition of morality.

According to Deputy Minister of Education and Training Tran Quang Quy, Vietnam had 40,000 education units from pre-school to university, more than one million staff and teachers, and 23 million students.

The ministry had introduced many activities to prevent corruption, including the launching of campaigns to follow President Ho Chi Minh's moral example, a regulation for education units to be transparent, and another for teachers to behave ethically.

Other regulations had also been issued on extra-classes, spending by educational units, strengthening financial and accounting management - and administrative and salary reforms.

Quy admitted that there was still wrongdoings in the sector, but claimed corruption was rare and not serious.

However, Swedish Ambassador Rolf Bergman, noted that corruption in education was a threat to the target of sustainable development.

He said the goal of shifting to an intellectual economy and a higher-income country could only be achieved if new thinking and ideas were encouraged.

This could not come about if marks could be bought at educational units.

John Hendra, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, said corruption was a hindrance to development, maintaining that education was vulnerable to the problem.

He cited a recent survey of the Government Inspectorate on corruption in primary and secondary education in selected urban areas.

He said this provided precise information of corruption risks, including the fact that· parents knew they had to pay for help to get their children enrolled at a school.

Hendra also said that nearly 67 per cent of parents believed that paying to get children to a desired school was the correct thing to do.

Participants at the meeting said there was a need to set up a corruption assessment system within the education sector.

Opinions also focused on stricter punishments for violations and the participation of society and the media in heightening awareness of the issue.

Deputy Minister Quy said his ministry would enhance transparency in all educational units.

He also promised that the ministry would launch measures to improve regulations on educational staff ethics as well as pushing for a gradual rise in the living standard of teachers.