Reply to the article 'Phan Boi Chau School students comment on the 5th grade exam'

(Baonghean.vn) - Nghe An electronic newspaper has an article "HPhan Boi Chau School students comment on the 5th grade exam in Vinh City"In which the author emphasizes, "It is not necessary that every exam must be so heavy that students must achieve a score of 9 or 10. If so, we will sow in children's minds the first steps of achievement disease."

» Phan Boi Chau School students comment on the 5th grade exam in Vinh City

I am a former student of Phan Boi Chau class 11 and have a different opinion.

First of all, it must be said that student Le Quang Quan (Class A1K44, Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted) was very interested in the city's education and boldly discussed it in an elaborate article. To broaden public opinion, we would like to discuss with the author what parents and students are interested in, not limited to and only from the perspective of student Quan:

Primary school students in Vinh city participate in the "Primary school student exchange" festival. Photo: Documentary.

1. Responsibility for setting questions: According to Clause b, Article 15 of Circular 22/2016/TT - BGDĐT "For 5th grade students: the professional team sets the end-of-year periodic test questions for the whole grade; organizes the supervision and grading of the test with the participation of middle school teachers in the same area; the homeroom teacher completes the student assessment records and hands them over to the school". Thus, the Vinh City Department of Education and Training's setting of questions is contrary to the policy of the Ministry of Education and Training.

The Nghe An Department of Education and Training in its report to the Ministry confirmed that the test questions for grade 5 by the Department of Education and Training were not in accordance with the provisions of Circular 22/2016/TT – BGDĐT. In the final exam of the second semester, Vinh city was the only unit in the whole province that did not comply with the direction of the department.

As far as we know, the Department of Education and Training is the only one in the country that takes responsibility for setting the questions. This has caused a negative public opinion, saying that the Department sets difficult questions so that students have to take extra classes to be able to do the test (?!).

2. The test is too long and overloaded. The author of the article commented, “Objectively looking at this, we can completely affirm that although it is difficult, the test is completely suitable and reasonable for the goal of differentiating students.

Questions 9 and 10 in the 5th grade semester 2 exam. Reference photo.

For questions 9 and 10, which are considered difficult and unreasonable, students can completely handle them according to the skills and knowledge learned in advanced courses or in reference materials. Particularly for question 10, although it is a difficult question, the skills and knowledge are still completely within the program of 5th grade students.

Perhaps student Quang Quan forgot that this is a test for the general population of 5th graders, and that "students cannot completely handle it based on the skills and knowledge they have learned in advanced courses or in reference materials."

The author's comment that "As for question 10, although it is a difficult question, the skills and knowledge are still completely within the curriculum for 5th graders" is subjective. This has been confirmed by the experts of the Primary Education Department of the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, "the Math test is too long and overloaded compared to the knowledge and skills standards prescribed by the program, especially questions 9b and 10".

If the author still asserts that “it is part of the 5th grade curriculum”, then please specify which week it is in? Not to mention, the author also forgot an important parameter: the test time is only 40 minutes for 10 questions.

Class time of students at Hung Binh Primary School, Vinh city. Photo: Archive.

3.The author commented, "Thus, we can see that the test can be completely adapted to the knowledge of 5th grade students and is completely appropriate, according to Circular 22/2016/TT-BGDDT dated September 22, 2016." Meanwhile, the Vinh City Department of Education and Training itself admitted its shortcomings: "The test is based on the matrix, the 5th grade Math test is still difficult (question 9b, question 10) compared to the requirements of the periodic and mass test.

In light of this incident, the Vinh City Department of Education and Training has seriously learned from experience in organizing and directing periodic end-of-year tests for grade 5 to be more in line with the city's reality." We respect the author's opinion, but whether the above statement is true to reality and the assessment and review reports of the Department of Education and Training as well as the Department of Education and Training, the readers will have to answer for themselves.

I don't understand where the author based his statement "It is not necessary that every exam must be so heavy that students must achieve a score of 9 or 10. If we continue like that, we will sow the first steps of achievement disease in children's thinking."

First of all, let me clarify for the author that no parents or students in Vinh city have said that they "must achieve a score of 9 or 10" (even though 240 students achieved a score of 9). People only ask: Why did the Department arbitrarily take the right to set questions contrary to Circular 22/2016/TT - BGDĐT and Official Dispatch No. 808 /SGD&ĐT - GDTH on "Guidelines for KTĐK, consideration for promotion to the next grade, completion of primary school program, quality transfer and enrollment for grade 1" of the Nghe An Department of Education and Training? Has the content of the Math exam followed the curriculum for grade 5 students?

The lack of 10 points is the result of the exam being “too long and overloaded” as stated by Deputy Director Thai Huy Vinh. Let me reiterate, children do not need to be obsessed with achievements. The fact that in a place like Vinh city, 4,459 students could not solve the entire exam is the responsibility of adults.

If adults make excuses for mistakes, they will continue to make more mistakes.

An Thanh

K11 Math, PBC