This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

140120Z Nov 01

2001HANOI02963 - CONFIDENTIAL
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ3340

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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4658
INFO ASEAN COLLECTIVE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

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 
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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 
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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 
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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 
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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 
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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 
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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 
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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 
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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 
 
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