Stopping enrollment in block C: Surprise, passivity and worries from students and teachers

Lim Ngoc Diep - Student of class 12C2, Boarding High School for Ethnic Minorities No. 2: "I regret spending 3 years of my life on block C"

This school year, my goal is to be admitted to the Party History major at the Academy of Journalism and Propaganda - a major that previously recruited according to group C and always had the highest admission score.

To pursue my dream, since grade 10, I have chosen to study the C group with three main subjects: Literature, History and Geography. However, since the end of April, I have been forced to change direction, temporarily stopping studying Geography to focus on Math - which I had previously studied only for graduation. The reason is that this year, the school announced that it would not enroll students according to the C group, which means that Geography will no longer be used in university admissions. Now I only have one choice: to apply according to the Math - Literature - History group.

Honestly, when I received the notice, I was quite confused and regretful because I had devoted 3 years to block C. But I also felt lucky because I still had more than 3 months to supplement my knowledge and adapt to the changes.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Binh - Head of the Social Science Group of Ethnic Minority Boarding High School No. 2: "When changing the admission method, we must take into account the interests of students"

This year,Ethnic Minority Boarding High School No. 2There are two 12th grade classes that follow the Social Science orientation. Traditionally, more than 90% of students in these classes choose to apply for majors in Block C such as journalism, law, social sciences and humanities, and pedagogy. In addition, some students also review social subjects to take separate entrance exams for security and military majors.

I was really surprised by the sudden change in admission methods and found it unfair to students. At this time, the high school graduation exam is only 2 weeks away, students do not have enough time to change their orientation or adjust their study plan.

In my class, out of 39 students, only 5 were admitted to group D, the rest only studied three subjects: Literature - History - Geography and were very confused and worried. In my opinion, if there is an adjustment in the admission plan, schools need to consider the interests of students and should implement it at a more appropriate time, so that students have time to prepare and adapt.

Teacher Tran Thi Lan Anh - History Teacher at Nguyen Sy Sach High School (Thanh Chuong): "Students in block C still have the conditions to develop comprehensively"

In recent days, not only teachers and students but also parents have been extremely worried. Many students have devoted their hearts and efforts to studying for the past 3 years to prepare for the graduation exam and university entrance exam, and are only waiting for the final step to reach the finish line.

The fact that some universities have stopped enrolling students in group C may, to some extent, be an adaptation to the trends and development needs of society. In recent years, the number of candidates registering for social science groups has increased, leading to concerns about the imbalance of human resources, as engineering majors increasingly lack students.

However, in my opinion, the biggest problem today is the timing of change – too sudden and lacking a clear roadmap, causing students to be confused and disadvantaged. The view that students studying in group C lack working skills is completely incorrect. In fact, many specific professions such as pedagogy, journalism, law, tourism, etc. really need the thinking, skills and knowledge typical of group C.

Over the years of teaching, I have noticed that many students in the C group have outstanding skills. The problem is that teachers need to discover and encourage them to develop their full potential. The C group admission is only the first step to university, and during the learning process, schools will continue to equip students with necessary skills such as English, information technology, and the use of artificial intelligence to meet modern career requirements.

In my opinion, before deciding to remove block C from the admission plan, there needs to be objective research and analysis on the work efficiency of block C students after graduation. In fact, after the direction of the Ministry of Education and Training, some schools have added block C to some traditional majors. However, the trend of gradually replacing block C in admission is likely to happen from next year.

This will greatly affect the next generation of students. Therefore, from now on, counseling and guidance on choosing subjects at high school level need to be done systematically, helping students to have more flexible preparation when entering the capacity assessment exams and university entrance exams in the future.

Teacher Cao Thanh Bao - Principal of Ha Huy Tap High School: "It is necessary to have a suitable roadmap and ensure career orientation for students"

Students born in 2007 are the first generation to study under the 2018 General Education Program, with the choice of elective subject combinations from grade 10. This is the foundation for them to orient their future careers. In other words, 3 years ago, they chose their career based on the subjects they will pursue, which they will take in the graduation exam and use for university admission. If universities suddenly change their admission plans, they will no longer have any basis for admission.

I agree that, in the context of university autonomy, keeping or eliminating block C is the right of schools and must be based on the actual needs of the school and society. However, any change requires careful preparation, with a minimum roadmap of 3 years, so that students do not fall into a passive, confused position and schools can also be proactive in organizing teaching, counseling and career orientation for students effectively.