Comprehensive educational reform must change exams

Innovation in training and examinations are decisive factors in the quality of the country's human resources in the future.

The draft Project on "Fundamental and comprehensive innovation of education and training" prepared by the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Education and Training has just been discussed and approved by the 8th Conference of the 11th Party Central Committee through a Resolution, to then solicit opinions from National Assembly deputies in upcoming sessions.

Professor Hoang Tuy - a prominent Vietnamese mathematician with many years of experience in education research commented that the Draft Project "Fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training" is the most elaborate and thorough draft ever drafted by the Ministry of Education and Training in coordination with the Central Propaganda Department.

However, Professor Hoang Tuy said that to effectively implement the Project, it must be implemented step by step and there must be a clear roadmap for each level and level of education.

The comprehensive education reform project will focus on changing exams (Illustration photo)

The comprehensive education reform project will focus on changing exams (Illustration photo)

Waste of human resources due to lack of clear career orientation

In the Project, Professor Hoang Tuy paid special attention to the need to reform the general education system first. Professor Hoang Tuy said that general education in our country currently has many shortcomings. If students do not pass the university or college entrance exam after 12 years of school, there is almost no "turn" for them to orient their future career.

The reality is that every year, only 1/3 to 2/5 of students pass the entrance exams to universities and colleges. The rest who fail the exams are stuck in a cycle of waiting for the next year to take the exam or looking for a vocational school. However, after a few years of studying, many graduates cannot find jobs because they do not meet recruitment needs. Vocational school graduates do not have the skills and expertise required for real jobs.

Every year, there are millions of young people who have completed 12 years of schooling but can only do simple jobs without any real professional skills. This is unrealistic because there is no country in the world where this situation occurs.

This is a huge waste of resources and human resources for the country. In particular, if this situation continues, it will be like a "time bomb" affecting the thinking and lifestyle of a whole generation of young people in the future.

In many countries around the world, career orientation has been given to students since they were in junior high school. Therefore, at this age, students have been taught a profession that suits their interests and abilities.

Vocational schools not only teach vocational skills but also cultural knowledge so that if any student wants to enter university or college in the future, they can be considered for admission if they meet the requirements.

Because of career orientation based on interests and abilities that are suitable to one's abilities from a young age, combined with high salaries for skilled workers, in many countries around the world, there is no emphasis on degrees, and parents expect their children to go to university or college at all costs.

Some countries in the world provide career orientation from junior high school level to help students gain solid knowledge and skills, be able to meet job requirements, social needs and compete with other workers in the world.

Professor Hoang Tuy

To create a TV or any device without errors, even the most basic and smallest parts have been carefully researched and assembled by highly skilled workers down to every detail. Each part of the TV is checked right from the production stage, not waiting until all the parts are assembled. Therefore, industrial products in some European countries are often of good quality and highly competitive.

The key factor in creating high quality products is that countries have focused on training and recruiting highly qualified, skilled and qualified workers.

Must reform exams

To have qualified and skilled human resources, Professor Hoang Tuy said that the Project "Fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training" must definitely innovate exams, especially at the high school level.

Currently, every year, we have to spend hundreds of millions of dong from the State budget and expenses from each family to take care of the high school graduation exam. However, the exam results do not truly evaluate the teaching and learning process of teachers and students. In addition, the time for high school graduation exam and university and college entrance exams are very close together, so it is very tiring for students.

According to Professor Hoang Tuy, the reform of examinations in Vietnam can also be modeled after the French model. Accordingly, students will take the exam after finishing a part of their studies, instead of waiting until the end of the semester to take a combined exam of all subjects. The high school graduation exam is carried out very seriously, systematically and honestly, along with the assessment of teachers and schools throughout the students' high school studies.

In the US, students do not have to take the high school graduation exam. The school will evaluate students objectively through their studies and exam results in semesters I and II. When students finish high school, they do not have to take the graduation exam but will be awarded a high school graduation certificate based on the results of their coursework.

Currently, in many European countries, students are assessed on their high school learning results to be considered for admission to universities and colleges. The assessment of the learning process and high school examinations in these countries is carried out very seriously and systematically under strict supervision. Many quality assessment councils have been established with a high responsibility in assessing the records, learning process and examinations of students.

In the US, admission to universities and colleges is based on high school results and school recommendations. Some other universities are more rigorous in their selection by requiring candidates to pass an exam (SAT) that tests their intelligence and reading and writing skills.

Some American colleges and universities will consider students based on their high school academic performance and SAT scores to admit them to the school.

To be admitted to universities and colleges of their choice, right from high school, students must choose to study at specialized schools that provide training in subjects and professions to prepare them for university and college.

Each country has a different culture and education system, and we cannot impose the model of one country on another. However, we should refer to and learn from the training and examination factors that bring positive socio-economic effects.

However, Professor Hoang Tuy agreed with the proposal to keep the high school graduation exam but there must be innovation in the way that when students finish a part, the school must test and evaluate that part, instead of combining all subjects at the end of the semester. The high school graduation exam should stop with 2 comprehensive subjects or an essay to test the overall knowledge of the students in 3 years of study.

Vietnam should carefully refer to the model that countries around the world have implemented in using graduation exam results and assessments from teachers and high schools to select students for admission to universities and colleges.

The project "Fundamental and comprehensive innovation of education and training" was discussed and approved by the 8th Conference of the 11th Party Central Committee through a Resolution, which will be a stepping stone for comprehensive reform of education.

According to Professor Hoang Tuy, reforming training and examinations are the first things that need to be done. Because these are the factors that determine the quality of the country's human resources in the future./.

According to (V0V.VN)