We visit Binh Duong Polytechnic Intermediate School at Song Than Industrial Park in Di An town on weekend. The number of students in the school on days-off is more numerous than on ordinary days. 80% of the school students are laborers working at industrial parks of Song Than, Vietnam-Singapore, Dong An and so on.  Students of medicine and pharmacy faculty enjoy a practical period.

Luong Thi Hong, the student of kindergarten pedagogy faculty revealed that salary of a worker is relatively stable but health of worker at factory does not ensured till at the age of 35. That is why I and my friends join in a vocational training class to hope for a better future. Meanwhile, Le Thi Mai Anh, the worker at Song Than Industrial Park is pursuing nursing major at the school. “I realize hospitals and clinics in Di An and Thuan An towns have been emerged rapidly whilst human resources for healthcare sector is in shortage, so I believe that nursing learning will help me find a better job after graduation”, Anh said.

Binh Duong Polytechnic Intermediate School has trained 5 majors. In the past, the school only opened vocational training classes in the day-time. However, owing to the rising demand, the school has opened more vocational training classes on weekend and at night to satisfy learners’ demand.

As of the early school year of 2013-2014, the school has had nearly 3,000 students, 80% of whom are laborers. With the wish of enjoying a better life, despite hard working hours on the day-time, the school learners have made efforts to pursue their study at night.

Among majors at the school, pharmacy is the most attractive major for learners, followed by kindergarten pedagogy, physician, accountancy, nursing. Teacher Mai Anh Nguyet, vice headmaster of the school said that to help students not to quit school, right from the early school year, our school held an early-year survey on quality to learn about students’ circumstances. The school chose excellent teachers to enrich knowledge for weak students and simultaneously to encourage needy students in an attempt to help them feel secure in learning.

With task of training human resources for Binh Duong province and other provinces and cities on all areas such as economy, healthcare and pedagogy, the school has paid much attention to material facilities and teaching equipments.

Until now, the school has had 13 practical rooms being equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities and a Vietnamese herb garden, meeting demand on teaching and learning. Combining learning and practice, aside from 20% of practical time at the school, students have enjoyed 35% of practical periods at hospitals, companies, factories.

In terms of human resources, apart from permanent teachers, the school has invited other lecturers from the HCMC University for Medicine and Pharmacy.

In order to offer favorable conditions for secondary pupils to join vocational training classes, since the academic year of 2013-2014, the school has opened a class for the 9th graders to create more opportunities of learning for them.

Reported by H.Thai – Translated by A.C