Many options for students who did not pass the public high school entrance exam.

Teachers visit the recruitment office.

Immediately after completing the entrance exam.10th gradeHaving not scored enough points to get into a public school, student Phung Ngoc P. (Cua Lo ward) decided to apply to study at the Center for Continuing Education No. 2. Prior to this, teachers from the center had visited the family to provide advice and answer some questions about the continuing education program. Although the curriculum has changed, the parents are reassured that their child will still receive a general education like in public schools and will be able to take the high school graduation exam. If they wish, the children can also receive free vocational training in various fields.

From mid-June until now, immediately after public high schools announced their admission results, staff and teachers of Continuing Education Center No. 2 have proactively reviewed the list of students who did not pass the entrance exam for grade 10 and connected with parents to provide timely advice and support. In many cases, teachers have directly visited each family, listened to the thoughts and aspirations of parents and students, and together found the most suitable path for each student.

Sharing about this process, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy - Head of Training Department of the center said: “I visited many families in Cua Lo ward, Vinh Loc ward and surrounding areas to provide direct consultation. In fact, initially many parents were hesitant when mentioning their children studying at the Continuing Education Center and wanted to find other options. However, we frankly shared and helped them understand the advantages of this learning model.”

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When studying in the Continuing Education system, students enjoy all the same rights as students in public schools. More importantly, after graduation, they will receive two diplomas: a high school diploma and a vocational diploma. Crucially, they can still take university entrance exams on equal footing with all other students. In recent years, many students who completed the Continuing Education program at the center have achieved high scores in their graduation exams and been admitted to universities.

Mr. Nguyen Thuong Hai - Director of Continuing Education Center No. 2

This school year, Mai Hac De High School (formerly Nam Dan district) was allocated a target of enrolling 5 classes, with a total of 225 students. To date, the school has enrolled nearly 200 students, equivalent to more than 4 classes. Of these, 159 students registered as their first choice and did not have to participate in the 10th grade entrance exam.

The remaining students are those who took the entrance exam but did not get into public schools. Although the number of applications is not yet large, statistics from the school show promising signs for the quality of students applying for the second choice, with many achieving nearly 14 points.

Tra Giang, a student applying for admission to the Continuing Education Center, shared: "I scored 13.25 points, a score that could help me get into some public schools if they called for additional students. However, due to the long commute and realizing my own limitations in academic ability, I decided to choose to study at a private school."

Sharing about this year's enrollment process, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc - Vice Principal of the school - said: The school's enrollment area is quite large, encompassing the communes of Van An, Dai Hue, Nam Dan, and Kim Lien. To attract students, the school has intensified its宣传 efforts through its online portal and organized direct counseling sessions at junior high schools in the area. In addition, the school focuses on investing in facilities and teaching equipment, while continuously improving the overall quality of education.

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We implement many practical support policies such as: waiving tuition fees and awarding scholarships to high-achieving students who still choose to study at the school; waiving or reducing tuition fees for students from poor households, families with preferential policies, and students with outstanding academic achievements…

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc - Vice Principal of Mai Hac De High School

Choose a vocational course that matches your skill level.

In line with the policy of educational streaming, each year in Nghe An province, approximately 20-25% of 9th-grade students do not attend public schools. However, for various reasons, the number of students choosing vocational training or enrolling in Continuing Education Centers remains low.

According to the three-year report on the implementation of Project No. 14/DA-TU dated January 25, 2022, of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee on training and developing skilled human resources in Nghe An province for the period 2021-2025, with orientation to 2030, both the vocational training enrollment figures for junior and senior high school students have not met the set targets. Specifically, the percentage of junior high school graduates entering vocational training in 2024 reached 37% (achieving 97% of the Project's target) and the percentage of senior high school graduates entering vocational training reached 37.5% (achieving 89.29% of the Project's target).

Another observation this school year is that, despite many students achieving low scores, they still choose to pursue general education rather than vocational training. Recently, a student who scored only 2.5 points on the entrance exam for 10th grade was still admitted, and many schools admit students below average, raising concerns about the quality of education.

Regarding this matter, at the Nghe An Provincial People's Council meeting in July, Mr. Thai Van Thanh, Director of the Department of Education and Training, frankly expressed his opinion: The fact that a student with only 2.5 points was still admitted to Nam Dan 2 High School is "unreasonable." Between reason and emotion, reason must be prioritized. Ideally, before admissions, schools should consider and provide clear guidance so that students with very low scores can pursue vocational training, which is more suitable to their abilities.

To find a solution for students pursuing vocational training, the Director of the Department of Education and Training stated that, according to current regulations, students attending vocational schools are still entitled to a high school diploma. Furthermore, when the Vocational Education Law is amended in the future, transforming vocational secondary schools into vocational high schools, where students will be taught the high school curriculum, it will create favorable conditions for vocational schools in their enrollment efforts.