Re: Kho^ng co^ng ba(`ng (5)

[hduc@airmoon.epa.nsw.gov.au]

On Tue, 22 Jul 1997, Tuan Pham wrote:

> .. 
> The true purpose of scholarships is not to reward achievement
> at exams but to help in the development of a country. I am
> not sure that giving a large number to Hanoi students - no
> matter how deserving - serve that purpose. Of course we don't
> want a return to the bad old days of ho.c ta`i thi ly' li.ch, 
> but regional distribution is a different thing.
> 

Hello anh Tuan, AiViet and all,

Spot on !. Helping the development of a country is the main 
purpose of scholarships given to Vietnam by AusAid. In late 1980 and 
early 1990s, Australia gave the number of scholarships to Vietnam in a 
number of fields and it was then up to Vietnam to choose students to send 
to Australia. But soon there was dis-proportional representation of 
students from the Northern regions and there was some concerns and 
complains about the selection and under-representation due to information 
about the scholarships was not widely disseminated to other regions 
(mainly in the South). 

A few years ago, AusAid insisted on one of the conditions on giving 
scholarships is to have some Australian officials on the selection panel. 
Ausaid also decided on some quotas and priorities for some 
under-developed regions. It also advertised the scholarships and how to 
apply for widely in many newspapers in Vietnam. When i was in Vietnam 
earlier this year, i saw the advertisement of Ausaid scholarship in major 
newspapers in HCM City, like Saigon Giai Phong, Lao Dong, Tuoi Tre..
I think AusAid knew about the problems in Vietnam. And what it did 
recently is very smart and fair. This will reduce the problems of 
cheatings or favouritism. It did in a way so that its purpose of 
giving aid to a country is to best develop the potential of that country 
and not to reward the achievement of an exam or a selection system.


Cheers,

Hiep