What do teachers, parents and students in Nghe An say about the plan to draw lots for the 10th grade entrance exam?

According to the draft, the Ministry of Education and Training proposes two options: admission by review or entrance exam. If admission by review, localities will base on secondary school transcripts. In the case of entrance exam, the exam will take place with 3 subjects, including Math, Literature and a randomly drawn subject from the subjects for scoring, under the new curriculum. The third subject will be announced before March 31 every year. Students who take the entrance exam for specialized schools will take the corresponding specialized subject.

Although it is just a draft and awaiting comments, this information in recent days has made many parents and students worried.

Nghe An Newspaper recorded the opinions of parents, students and schools surrounding this issue..

Student Tran Thao Uyen - Class 9A, Ben Thuy Secondary School (Vinh city)

As a senior student, I am really worried about the 10th grade entrance exam, especially since this is the first year we take the exam under the new General Education Program.

To prepare for this important exam, besides studying at school, we are currently taking extra classes both inside and outside of school. The study schedule and curriculum are very difficult. Therefore, I hope the entrance exam will be successful.Grade 10maintain stability, to avoid psychological disturbance for students and for us to review smoothly. If we draw lots, students will have to study many subjects and that is too much for us.

Ms. Duong Thi Huong - Homeroom teacher of class 9A, Nghia Hanh Secondary School (Tan Ky)

I think that if the Ministry of Education and Training applies the drawing of lots for the third exam subject when students have already entered the school year, it will be very difficult for students and create pressure for them. In fact, students have been reviewing for the 10th grade exam since the summer.

Of course, any change will bring progress, but there needs to be a roadmap for parents and students to prepare. For many years now, Nghe An Education Department has been applying the third subject of English and I think this is very good, even in a mountainous school like ours. Learning English will help students develop, integrate better in the future and help them in their studies and future work.

In case English has to be replaced by another subject, I hope to take History or Civics. These are subjects that are related to reality, helping students understand the law, know about etiquette, behavior or know more about the history of the country. We hope that the exam still reflects the quality of teaching and does not put pressure on candidates. And to avoid pressure, first of all, there must be time for students to prepare. We say that the new program helps students develop their qualities and abilities, but in reality, students still have to spend too much time studying.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet - Teacher at Ben Thuy Secondary School (Vinh city)

I feel really pressured. Many parents even compare the 10th grade entrance exam to being more stressful than the university entrance exam, the most stressful exam in a student’s life. Because, if the university entrance exam is for you, you have many opportunities to choose from. But with the 10th grade exam, especially in Vinh city, you only have 3 public schools and the number of students taking the exam every year is very large.

In the 2024-2025 school year, the exam will be implemented according to the new General Education Program, so not only teachers but also parents are very worried. In fact, we have not yet determined the structure of the exam and many parents have asked about this issue, while many other provinces and cities have issued it. In this situation, we are still trying to teach normally.

As a homeroom teacher, in the past few days, I have also received questions from parents about the third exam subject. That shows that parents are very worried and concerned about this issue. Personally, I think that if we organize the lottery at this time, it will put more pressure on parents and students. Not to mention, if the third subject is announced in March, just over 2 months before the exam, it will be very difficult.

Currently, the 10th grade entrance exam is being implemented with 3 subjects: Literature - Math and English. If the exam still maintains these subjects, I think parents and students will be somewhat assured. In fact, for a long time, parents have invested in their children's education. In addition to Literature and Math, parents often focus on English because this is a social trend. As for the subjects of Natural Sciences, History - Geography, in the current context, it is very difficult to teach them systematically because of the lack of teachers. There are very few teachers who can take on all 3 subjects and have to teach them together. In the current program, there are also interruptions between subjects, so students' reception is also limited.

Mr. Nguyen Vuong Linh - Principal of Dang Chanh Ky Secondary School (Nam Dan)

I think the Ministry of Education and Training has a reason to propose a draft to draw lots for the third exam subject. That will help students study evenly, not skip other subjects and be consistent with the new General Education Program. However, in the current context, the change needs to have a roadmap to avoid causing confusion among the public and students.

With the current draft, if implemented, I am concerned about 3 issues: When implementing the lottery, how should it be done objectively and should there be participation from some principals of secondary schools and representatives of parents of students? Secondly, if implemented this year, it will not be suitable because students have studied for more than 2 months and if there is a change, they will not be mentally prepared. In addition, it is necessary to choose a suitable 3rd subject. In fact, currently, for Natural Science, students have to study 3 subjects, they are very hesitant, even those who are excellent students. In the case of taking too many subjects, it will increase the difficulty for students and will not achieve the goal of reducing pressure and load on the 10th grade entrance exam as the goal of the draft.

Ms. Le Thi Ngoc Phuong - parent in Nghia Tho commune, Nghia Dan district

My daughter is in grade 9 at Phu Tho Secondary School and she is aiming to pass the entrance exam to the provincial boarding school for ethnic minorities. Although she is a good student and is on the school's list to take part in the district's excellent student exam in English, I know she is under a lot of pressure because the competition rate for boarding schools is also very high.

We hope that the 10th grade entrance exam will remain stable as it has been for many years to avoid psychological disturbance for the children. In case of having to draw lots and announce the 3rd exam subject, I think it should not be extended until March 31.