Retire a university principal with a “huge” salary: What law applies?

Vice Minister Hoang Minh Son discussed this content on the sidelines of the Vietnam 2020 education conference “Autonomy in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice”, organized by the National Assembly Committee on Culture and Education. Today, November 27.

The incident occurred at Ton Duc Thang University, including the issue of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor that sanctioned the dismissal of Rector Le Vinh Danh after he reported that he received a salary of more than 500 million VND a month, is news controversial in society, as well as in the National Assembly forum recently.

This is also an emerging issue related to the implementation of the university autonomy policy that many experts have sent to the seminar. This is an example cited by many delegates to talk about problems that need to be resolved in the implementation of the university autonomy policy.

– From the Ton Duc Thang school lesson, how do universities need to have university autonomy in the right direction and achieve the expected efficiency, Vice Minister?

– In my opinion, there are two points, the first is to have a correct conception of university autonomy, that is, schools can actively decide according to the provisions of the law without having to implement the mechanism of asking – giving, but not being free It means not being subject to any law, but being within the framework of the law. A university is subject to many laws, such as the public investment law, the bidding law, the budget management law, and many more. This is a very important point.

In addition, schools must implement the principles of democracy, transparency and accountability in operations and accountability not only to society, but also internally to students, students, and authorities. state administration. Openness, democracy is the mechanism for the exercise of accountability. Of course, it is necessary to build a good institution for the School Council.

Ton Duc Thang School has also had a School Council for a long time, but recently some things have happened stemming from the two points I just mentioned.

If the public, democratic implementation and recognition of university autonomy are implemented more correctly and in accordance with the law, the functioning of the system will be ensured. Non-public schools, in addition to being a university, are also non-commercial public units, so they are governed by many laws, which need great attention.

– It seems he said to have shame management agencies at all levels in the application of the laws mentioned that it is difficult to distinguish right and wrong, especially on the removal of Rector Le Vinh Danh from Has the university been very successful in implementing this autonomy mechanism?

– Today we are talking about university autonomy, the Ministry of Education and Training is the state agency for the management of higher education, so that issue should be asked to the relevant ministries and agencies (General Confederation of Labor of Vietnam, Ministry of the Interior – PV) is better.

– The deputies of the National Assembly, in the interrogation of the last tenth session, analyzed that in a university, the maximum legal basis for management is the Law of Higher Education. Your opinion, as the leader of the educational and training authority?

– As I said, a university, in addition to the Higher Education Law, is also subject to a series of other laws, which are the Law of Cadres, Officials, Public Employees, Law of Public Investment, Law of Tenders. , Budget Management Law, Public Assets Management Law … and above all, the Constitution. These laws, when applied, have a mutual relationship, not just the Higher Education Law.

– Not to mention the problem topic Asset Management, Financial management at Ton Duc Thang school, private story disciplinary competence Director Le Vinh Danh, Clean the delegate Congress has a point chor that, work fired this manthe highest legal document Do you need to comply with the Higher Education Law?

– The Higher Education Law provides for the election, recognition, appointment and removal, not removal and disciplinary action of an official such as the rector. It should be noted that the scope of the adjustment is like this.

In my opinion, it is not advisable to delve into the current situation of the Ton Duc Thang school. This should ask the specialized agency, a ministry cannot fully understand.

– In another aspect, also related to the dismissal of the Rector of Ton Duc Thang University, nMany presentations at today’s seminar Also cite this example for manifestation analysis “group benefits“, the interests of the” sector ministry “or the” direct management agency “are Prevent the autonomy of universities?

– I have no data on this subject, without evidence, I cannot answer. That question is not well founded and that problem is not yet confirmed. There is no database or data to confirm it. Where are the presentations, maybe in a specific school … just quote there. In order not to fall into the trap, it is necessary to ask them again to see where they expressed their judgment, then consider and criticize.

– That said, but in this case, the institution of the School Board, which is defined in the law as the highest authority in the exercise of university decision-making, seems to be still just a formality. How does the institution of the School Council function substantially, sir?

– It is necessary to change the perception, to fully understand the provisions of the law, do it, act then will change the perception. A school that does not have a school council will never recognize this institution as unimportant, but when it does, it will find the school council very important. Needed to do this. Before, the universities did not have a school council, but now, the implementation of autonomy must have and must see the importance of this institution.

– Thank my Lord!

Phuong Thao