Creative ways

(Baonghean) - Every year, Nghe An province sets a target of 10-15% of junior high school graduates being streamed and transferred to vocational training; by 2020, 30% of junior high school graduates will participate in the professional education system. To achieve this target, junior high schools in the province have had creative approaches that need to be replicated...

In the 2009-2010 school year, the Department of Education and Training determined that this was the year to create a strong shift in career guidance and streaming for students after junior high school. On that basis, the Department of Education and Training requested that the establishment of a steering committee for career guidance and streaming after junior high school graduation, and at the same time coordinate with schools to organize propaganda to parents and senior students of junior high school about the policy of career guidance and streaming.

Students of Tan An Secondary School (Tan Ky) in extracurricular activities.

In 2011, under the sponsorship of the VVOB Project - the Flemish Organization for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance, Kingdom of Belgium, career guidance work was really focused on. Thereby, career guidance teachers were not only equipped with knowledge about career guidance, how to teach career guidance effectively, but also helped them have innovative thinking in teaching and guiding students.

Quang Trung Secondary School is one of the schools that does a good job of streamlining in Hung Nguyen district. Every year after the results of the secondary school graduation exam are released, the school organizes a meeting with the final year parents. Based on that, each parent will be informed of the learning results and actual abilities of each student.

For students with low final scores or not enough to graduate, the school will guide parents to choose the next course of study for their children. In addition, every year the school also coordinates with the Hung Dao commune and town authorities, taking advantage of conferences of the Women's Union, Veterans Association... to propagate the purpose and significance of the streamlining work. Gradually change parents' awareness of vocational training. With these efforts, each year the school has about 10-15 students who transfer to vocational training after graduation, some of whom have stable jobs in factories and enterprises in the area after finishing vocational school.

In order to help students learn about local occupations, teacher Tran Thi Que, Tan An Secondary School (Tan Ky) contacted Mr. Dau Tien Sy, in Quynh Luu hamlet, Tan An commune, the owner of a very effective orange growing model in the area. Students were able to directly visit the model, talk directly with farmers working there, ask questions related to orange growing techniques, orange varieties and directly participate in choosing varieties, planting and caring for oranges. Talking about the effectiveness of this method, teacher Tran Thi Que shared: Many students after graduating from secondary school, even though they do not continue to study at high school, still turn their backs on vocational training and choose to go to the South to work as workers. In the long run, this way of working far away is not effective, while Tan An has a lot of potential to develop the farming profession. Through this vocational guidance session, we hope that students will see the effectiveness and value of the garden economy, so that they can find a way to start a business in their hometown.

The way Dien Tan Secondary School, Dien Chau District, has also been very effective. To guide students in their careers, in addition to introducing them to information about vocational schools in the province, the school invited a role model of “real people with real jobs” to talk about the career-building process for students. That is Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, a former student of the school, who, after finishing secondary school, went to study mechanical engineering and opened a shop in his hometown. Nguyen Van Tuan, a 9th grade student, shared: I feel like I understand a lot about choosing a career; how to choose a career that is right for my abilities, strengths and the needs of society.

At Hung Binh Secondary School (Vinh City), students were asked to write essays about the meaning and importance of choosing a career based on science. After each essay, the teacher understood the students' thoughts better, saw their dreams and ambitions, and based on that, guided them to choose a suitable career in the future.

The “new winds” in career guidance work in secondary schools in Nghe An will also open up new hopes for the work of streaming in the coming time. In order to reduce the situation of students racing to enter university, training “too many teachers, not enough workers”, not close to the actual needs as at present.

My Ha