The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) is considering allowing schools to print university degrees instead of using blank template forms provided by the ministry.

Under current regulations, after the year’s enrolment season ends, schools have to report to MOET the number of students they enroll.

The number of incoming students will be checked against the number of students that finished school four or five years ago.

MOET will then provide universities a number of blank degrees based on schools’ reports on the number of graduates every year.

Le Quoc Hanh, head of the Training Division of the Ha Noi University, said the procedures required to buy the blank template degrees from MOET are not complicated and his school does not find it a problem.

However, Hanh still believes that it would be better to change the way of management.

Hanh noted that it is a good idea to give more “autonomy” to schools by allowing them to print and grant degrees themselves.

“The training quality of different schools varies. Issuing university degrees is the way for schools to build up their brands,” he noted.

The Ha Noi Economics University also advocates the plan to allow schools to print and issue degrees and certificates themselves.

“Degrees must be associated with the brands. The degree of the Ha Noi Economics University should be different from the degrees of other schools,” a member of the school’s management board said.

He went on to say that under the current degree management policy, degrees do not show the specifications of different schools and their brands.

“If this comes true, we will have our degrees and certificates designed by professional designers,” he said.

President of the Nguyen Trai people founded University Nguyen Van Nha said it is normal for schools to issue certificates and degrees to their students.

“It is the school which takes responsibility for the qualification of its graduates, and therefore, it is the school which is in the position to issue degrees,” he said.

Meanwhile, analysts have warned that MOET’s proposal would create problems for school degree and certificate management.

“Students will not have to go to school, but they will only have to pay money to schools to get degrees,” a university lecturer wrote on an education forum.

“If MOET does not keep a keen eye on the degree issue, schools will issue as many degrees as it wants. If so, university degrees will be just like waste paper, because everyone can have them,” a student commented on the same forum.

However, the president of a people-founded university said this would not happen.

“You would kill yourself if you grant degrees this way,” he said. “This is not something schools want.”