Lesson 1: Choosing by crowd effect

It is clear that kindergartens in Vinh city (Nghe An) are overloaded. However, at the primary level, having over 45 students per class is not uncommon in schools in the city center such as Ha Huy Tap 2, Le Loi, Le Mao...

According to statistics from the Vinh City Department of Education, up to now, primary schools have always ensured enough places for students to study. The reason for the overloaded classrooms is due to the situation of parents choosing schools for their children to study. In addition to objective reasons such as "close to home, far from the alley", or close to grandparents, parents' offices for convenient pick-up and drop-off, many parents also have prejudices that the school in their area is in an area with "low education", close to markets, near motels, ... so they apply to study outside the designated area; or because they hear that this school is good, that school has a "reputation", a "key" school such as Ha Huy Tap 2 Primary School, Le Mao, Le Loi ... with the desire for their children to study well and implicitly affirm their own position.

Class of teachers and students at SOS kindergarten.Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Tran The Son, Head of Primary Education Department, Nghe An Department of Education and Training said: "Primary education does not advocate building high-quality schools. In Vinh, there are still a number of primary schools that are building the "brand" of high-quality schools, and many schools consider themselves to be of high quality. Recently, in the National Math Competition for Children, Vinh had 06 high prizes, of which Cua Nam 1 Primary School took 02; Cua Nam 2 Primary School: 01; Le Loi Primary School: 02; Le Mao Primary School: 01; In the National English Competition, Vinh had 03 high prizes, of which 03 were in 03 primary schools: Hung Dung 1; Trung Do and Hermane Gmeiner Vinh (SOS) - Schools that are not considered "model schools".

To overcome the situation of schools having too many students or not enough students, since 2011 the city has issued a document to primary schools to limit the situation of students studying outside their designated area. Accordingly, only cases of students studying outside their designated area with legitimate reasons and approval from the Department of Education will be accepted.

Along with that, the city as well as wards and schools have paid attention to investing in purchasing equipment, building and upgrading clean water works and toilets to improve the quality of facilities, serving teaching and learning well. At Hung Loc Primary School, the leaders and people of Hung Loc commune agreed that the locality would take care of the funding and facilities, and the school would take care of the quality of education. In the past two years, the commune has invested over 3 billion VND in the school to renovate the school garden, drainage ditches, and build a 2-storey building with 10 classrooms to replace the Unicef ​​building from the 70s. Or at Dong Vinh Primary School, the teachers are known for their dedication to their students. The school also has the advantage of being located in a spacious, airy and quiet space. In the past two years, the school has changed its appearance: the ward has invested in facilities, built a green, clean and beautiful campus. This year in particular, the ward spent hundreds of millions of dong to invest in purchasing tables and chairs, computer rooms, projectors, dining systems, etc.

Mr. Thai Khac Tan - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Vinh City said: "The Department of Education and Training constantly invests in the teaching staff to improve their qualifications, thereby improving the quality of education, reducing the difference in quality between schools. In addition, the sector also has a number of other important measures such as rotating management staff, boldly promoting and mobilizing young, capable and qualified teachers to work at schools in the suburbs of the city to build a movement, improve quality in these areas... Promote the policy of socialization, ensuring quality harmony between schools".

The above solutions have shortened the quality gap between schools, students will enjoy the same fair educational conditions. I think that parents themselves, those involved, need to have a correct assessment and objective, accurate view of which school to send their children to. Obviously, not all students who get into a satisfactory school or class will study well, but the fundamental thing is the ability, awareness of the students and the attention of teachers and parents to train them. Do not waste time and money because of the effect of "key schools" and "choice classes" and especially make teachers and students suffer.

(To be continued)

Thao Nhi