Many Vietnamese parents are trying to send their sons to study overseas to avoid military service.
A parent, who visited an overseas education advisory service in Hanoi said her son's academic record was only average so the hope of him passing the university entrance exams is frail.
Her fear was enhanced after the new regulation stated that students should prioritise their military services over tertiary study. "My neighbour, who came back after serving his military duties, hasn't been able to find job yet," her son said.
Another parent in Thai Nguyen was also in a hurry to find a suitable foreign school for their son upon hearing about the new regulation. "My family is not well-off but he is our only son. I'd rather let him study abroad rather than seeing him suffer," she said.
Ho Phuong Lan, employee in Thuy Anh Study Consultancy Firm said, "I have just received a customer from a wealthy family. His average scores are bad so his parents are trying to get him abroad. They are willing to spend hundreds of millions of VND on him every month."
According to To Nguyet Phuong, Head of Sale Department in a study consultancy firm, the number of high school students wanting to study abroad had increased sharply since early this year.
Many said they want to avoid military service. Most of the customers are from rich families; and the others are parents who don't want their children's studying to be interrupted.
Parents believe that by studying abroad, their children will be more open and gain more knowledge. They also don't want their children go through the hardship of doing military service during peace time.
Unsurprisingly an officer in Thai Nguyen Province said, "Time spent doing military service is good for young males. They are trained in body as well as mind. Moreover, the training is not as scary as people think."
