Students reported that the joint training program between Ho Chi Minh City Open University and College of Economics and Technology No. 2 (Bien Hoa, Dong Nai) had many irregularities and violations of training regulations, including the fact that students had to wait 10 years to be recognized for their entrance.

Students study for 7-8 years before receiving admission decision.

According to student feedback: "Up to now, there are more than 5,000 students studying the above joint training program in Bien Hoa. Many students have studied for 7-8 years and in some cases, up to 10 years, before receiving a decision to recognize their entrance, such as PHL, who enrolled in the 2010 course, but it was not until 2020 that a decision was made to recognize incoming students."

According to students, in reality, many students are studying but there is still no decision to recognize incoming students.

"According to the training regulations, students must have a training period, not just study until they graduate. However, there are many cases where students are "legalized" by the Ho Chi Minh City Open University with a decision to recognize their admission after studying for 5-10 years.

Is this action of the school in accordance with regulations and are previous courses recognized?" many students wondered.

According to Tuoi Tre Online 's investigation, over the past several months, students of the joint training program between Ho Chi Minh City Open University and College of Economics and Digital Technology 2 have repeatedly sent petitions requesting the two schools to clarify the subject exemptions.

Students said that the school exempted subjects arbitrarily and indiscriminately.

Many students are exempted from more than 10 subjects, while in similar cases the exemption results are different and the school does not respond.

College of Economics and Digital Technology 2 has repeatedly sent documents requesting the board of directors of Ho Chi Minh City Open University and the distance learning center to respond in writing to the affiliated unit and students regarding subject exemptions.

In a document sent to Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Master Nguyen Thanh Phong - College of Economics and Technology No. 2, said: "The affiliated unit thinks that if you are in the same class, you should enjoy the same subject exemption rights, not the case of some people getting it and others not... Due to the nature of enrollment, some people start studying before others... Exempting subjects must be fair, if done like that, it is forcing students."

"Students submitted incomplete application documents, so the school was slow to make decisions."

According to MSc. Hua Van Duc - Deputy Director of the Distance Learning Center of Ho Chi Minh City Open University - the school has been collaborating in distance learning with the College of Economics and Digital Technology 2 since 2003. The two sides have coordinated to enroll 27 courses in accounting, business administration, economic law, and law (depending on the period).

As of the second semester of the 2024-2025 school year, there were 3,098 students registered, of which 1,030 students had graduated, 212 students had not completed the training program, and 1,856 students had dropped out.

Responding to Tuoi Tre Online about the case of a PHL student who enrolled 10 years later before receiving a decision to recognize his admission, Mr. Duc said that this student enrolled at the school in 2010, studying the economic law program at the Nhon Trach Vocational Education - Continuing Education Center (Dong Nai). The student then applied to transfer to study at the Economic - Technical College 2.

"According to the school's distance learning regulations, students studying in the form of credits can proactively register for courses according to their abilities and in accordance with the regulations. Therefore, students can register for courses and take exams at training facilities that the school has a training partnership with.

In 2010, PHL students submitted incomplete application documents, missing and incorrect information, so when the students completed their application documents, the school issued a decision to recognize the students (Decision No. 297/QD-DHM dated February 26, 2020).

Therefore, the previous subjects that students have accumulated are recognized by the school for their learning results. Based on the training program, PHL students need to study 6 additional subjects to complete the program and be considered for a degree based on the recognition of all the subjects that students have studied," said Mr. Duc.

Why do students in the same class have different subject exemptions?

Regarding the issue of resolving different subject exemptions among students in the same class, the representative of the distance training center affirmed: the joint training program with the College of Economics and Technology No. 2 and many other training affiliated units all comply with the regulations on enrollment and training in the form of distance training according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training for each specific period.

The school issues training regulations, lists of recognized learning outcomes, and subject exemptions appropriate to each admission target (high school graduates, vocational school graduates, college graduates, and university graduates).

Students admitted to any category will be subject to the corresponding exemption list, so there will be cases where students in the same class have different exemption credits.

The number of exempted subjects depends on the student's transcript and admission input. However, all students must ensure that they meet the graduation standards of the course according to the issued training program, and will be considered for graduation and awarded a degree according to regulations.

"According to the distance learning enrollment regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, Ho Chi Minh City Open University is allowed to enroll distance learning students based on application review, without organizing entrance exams.

At the same time, remote enrollment has many rounds during the year, ensuring that classes are organized continuously, regularly, and conveniently for learners, so in different admission rounds, students can register for subjects and study the same subject class," the center representative explained.

In previous cases, if there was a reduction in the same admission subject, the reduction results were not the same, due to the different time of reduction consideration for students (when the reduction department received the student's application) and the application of new reduction regulations.