A Degree at Any Cost

Nina, the oldest child of the family, comes from Hòa Bình, a Vietnamese province 80 kilometres from Hanoi. Her mother, a day labourer in a brickwork, earns only 200,000 dongs a day, barely £7. It was insufficient to feed her family.

Therefore, Nina decided to pursue a university degree, believing that would be the only way for her to outperform her mother. To do so, she had to move to Hanoi for her study, paying for rent (2,500,000 dongs per month, around £90), and her school fees. To achieve her objectives, Nina contracted a 100-million-dong bank loan (£3500).

A small fortune for her, especially when she also has to finance her sister and two younger brothers’ education. Nina’s case is not unusual in Hanoi. Many students from various provinces and with underprivileged backgrounds have come to the capital to pursue a degree.

The quality of the curriculum is not the only obstacle that fresh graduates encounter. For Nina, the main goal of university is to gain access to a well-paid career. Each year, 60% of university graduates are unemployed, while the job market suffers from a shortage of qualified workers.

Why is there such a gap?

Beyond the faults in the different sectors, Nina points out the corruption: “The only way for a doctor in Hanoi to have regular patients and earn a living is to work part-time in a hospital”. Such positions are inaccessible for a student lack of resources. Nina claimed she would have to pay the hospital 800 million dongs (over £27,000) to be considered for a position. “The corruption perception index in Vietnam in 2017 reached 35 points (100 being the cleanest, 0 being the most corrupt), ranking them the 107^th out of 180 countries. Thus, the inefficient administration, the widespread corruption, and resource waste are short-term economic constraints. The rampant corruption within some of the country’s top public offices is an important cause, both direct and indirect, of the country’s impoverishment”, confirms Nguyen Quang Anh in his analysis.

Before corruption and unemployment, housing is a great obstacle for students. Nam is in his third year of informatics studies at the University of Transports and Communications. He lives with his two sisters, one of whom is married and has a 10-month-old child. They all share a 10-square-metre bedroom that barely fits two bunk beds and a desk. Nam would like to relocate, but lacks the resources to do so: “When my niece was born, none of us slept for four months. I want to graduate as quickly as possible to escape from this closet!”

Trong, 19, is in his second year of informatics studies at Hanoi Polytechnique University, and shares a room with three other students for 4.5 million dongs (£150). While he benefits from decent housing, he is unable to fully enjoy it as he works in addition to his education, as most students from poor families do.

Trong found a job as a night guard in a hotel in Hanoi. “I study during the day and work at night,” the young man explains, with drawn features and tired eyes. For most students from unprivileged families, studying in Hanoi means a lot of sacrifices, which most of them willingly make in the hope of finding a lifeline for themselves and their families.

In My Dinh, an area away from the capital centre, the paths are subdivided into ever narrower and more labyrinthine alleys. The houses seem to have been built randomly, with little urban planning.

Thu Ha is 22 years old, but looks like she is 16 due to the malnourishment signs. She lives in a 9-square-metre bedroom with her roommate. To reach her attic, one has to climb several flights of stairs and follow a maze of narrow corridors between tightly packed buildings. The only window of the room is blocked by a building for a long time, reducing the already scarce circulation of stale air and depriving the space of natural light. Only a neon light illuminates Thu Ha, who welcomes us while coughing. She is learning French and preparing for a degree in tourism.

Thu Ha has lost her parents when they fled their creditors, vanishing into thin air, leaving behind their daughter.

Hanging, on the derelict walls, there is a poster of a lavender field, the image of hope and an escape. At the other end of the room, a pile of vermicelli bags awaits.