"It was a technical mistake, it was never our policy," said Tran Thi Ha, head of the Ministry of Education and Training's department for higher education.

Ha said a typist had mistakenly included proposals that had been collected during the drafting process.

The state-run newspaper Tuoi Tre on Monday quoted anonymous sources at the ministry as saying the draft was withdrawn due to public protest. It had been posted on the ministry's website last Tuesday.

The online newspaper VietnamNet.vn quoted former minister of education Tran Hong Quan as saying there was no legal framework for the proposal.

"Graduates of private schools are also Vietnamese citizens who have full rights and responsibilities, the same as students in state schools," Quan said.

Ha said public and private universities were treated equally. But she said it was difficult for private universities to provide law, journalism, education and medical degrees, as many did not meet government regulations regarding facilities and staff.

At least 48 of Vietnam's 376 universities and colleges are private. The country officially legalized private schools in 1995.

The media in Vietnam are tightly regulated by the government. All media must be affiliated with a government agency or authorized mass organization, although many have grown increasingly independent.

Deutsche Presse Agentur - March 1st, 2010