An average of 21 Vietnamese students shares a seat in libraries. Of the 196 universities and colleges, 24 are without libraries while 119 are without e-libraries.

A corner of Van Lang University’s library in Ho Chi Minh City.

The figures were reported at a conference hosted by the Ministry of Education and Training, to estimate the infrastructure and teaching equipment of public universities and colleges, in Hanoi Monday.

Area for a student is only 35.7 square meters while it should be 55-85 meters, as in the current standards for universities.

Each student now just has about 3.6 meters for studying, much lower than the standard of 6 meters.

The public universities and colleges reported that they could only provide accommodations for 18 percent of over 855,000 students nationalwide.

About 84 percent of the schools have health clinics but with poor infrastructure and shortage of medical workers.

The number of laboratories just meets 40 percent of the students’ demand.

According to the ministry, to ensure 55 square meters for each student, the universities and colleges need 12,000 hectares to build and broaden schools, estimated to cost VND827 trillion (US$41 million), which the State budget could not afford.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said that the schools should create breakthroughs in building relationship with businesses, in calling social donation and in managing expenditure.

Additionally, he ordered the Ministry of Education and Training to strengthen the building of e-library system and establishment of a principles council for each education sector.