Creative approaches

(Baonghean) - Every year, Nghe An province sets a target of 10-15% of junior high school graduates being streamed into vocational training; aiming for 30% of junior high school graduates to participate in the professional education system by 2020. To achieve this target, junior high schools in the province have implemented innovative approaches that deserve to be replicated…

In the 2009-2010 academic year, the Department of Education and Training identified this as a year to make a strong shift in career guidance and streaming for students after lower secondary school. Based on this, it required district education and training departments to establish steering committees for career guidance and streaming after lower secondary school graduation, and to coordinate with schools to disseminate information to parents and graduating lower secondary school students about the career guidance and streaming policy.

Students of Tan An Secondary School (Tan Ky) during an extracurricular activity.

In 2011, with funding from the VVOB Project - the Flemish Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance Organization, Kingdom of Belgium, career guidance received significant attention. Through this, career guidance teachers were not only equipped with knowledge about career guidance and effective teaching methods, but also developed innovative thinking in vocational training and career guidance for students.

Quang Trung Secondary School is one of the schools that does a good job of student placement in Hung Nguyen district. Every year, after the results of the secondary school graduation exams are announced, the school holds a meeting with parents of graduating students. Based on that, they inform each parent about the academic results and true abilities of each student.

For students with low GPA or insufficient graduation scores, the school will guide parents in choosing further education for their children. In addition, every year the school collaborates with the Hung Dao commune and town authorities, and takes advantage of meetings of the Women's Union, the Veterans' Association, etc., to promote the purpose and significance of vocational guidance. This gradually changes parents' perceptions of vocational training. Thanks to these efforts, each year the school has approximately 10-15 students who, after graduating, pursue vocational training, and some have found stable employment in factories and enterprises in the region.

To help students learn about local occupations, Ms. Tran Thi Que, a teacher at Tan An Secondary School (Tan Ky district), contacted Mr. Dau Tien Sy in Quynh Luu hamlet, Tan An commune, the owner of a highly successful orange farming model in the area. Students visited the farm, spoke directly with farmers, asked questions about orange cultivation techniques and varieties, and directly participated in selecting, planting, and caring for the orange trees. Regarding the effectiveness of this method, Ms. Tran Thi Que shared: "Many students, after graduating from secondary school, even if they don't continue their education at the high school level, turn away from vocational training and choose to work as factory workers in the South. In the long run, this path of working far from home is not effective, while Tan An has great potential for developing agriculture. Through this career guidance session, we hope the students will see the effectiveness and value of hill and garden farming, so that they can find ways to establish their careers in their hometown."

The approach of Dien Tan Secondary School in Dien Chau district is also very effective. To guide students in career choices, in addition to introducing them to information about vocational schools in the province, the school invites a real-life role model to talk about his career journey. That person is Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, a former student of the school, who, after finishing secondary school, went to study mechanics and opened a shop in his hometown. Nguyen Van Tuan, a 9th-grade student, shared: "I feel I've learned a lot about career choices; how to choose a profession that matches my abilities, strengths, and the needs of society."

Meanwhile, at Hung Binh Secondary School (Vinh City), students were asked to write essays about the meaning and importance of choosing a career based on scientific principles. After each essay, the teacher gained a better understanding of the students' thoughts, their dreams and aspirations, and based on that, guided them in choosing a suitable career for the future.

These "new approaches" in career guidance at junior high schools in Nghe An province will also open up new hopes for future career streaming. This will help reduce the current situation where students rush to university, resulting in an oversupply of academics and a shortage of skilled workers, which is not aligned with actual needs.

My Ha