Concerns about rewarding students with high graduation scores

Students in Nghe An province take the high school graduation exam at the Phan Boi Chau specialized high school examination center. Photo: Hai Dang.

On August 19th, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued a decision to reward students with outstanding achievements and high scores in the 2024 high school graduation exam.

According to this decision, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee will award certificates of merit to 66 students who achieved high scores in the 2024 high school graduation exam.

Each student received a reward of 18.72 million VND; the total reward money for this occasion exceeded 1.2 billion VND.

The awarding of prizes has sparked mixed reactions. A high school teacher in Nghe An province stated: "The high school graduation exam is a routine, mandatory test; it's not a competition for gifted or talented students, and the exam questions are of average difficulty. Therefore, rewarding students who achieve high scores with large sums of money and Certificates of Merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee is unreasonable."

For comparison, the aforementioned teacher stated that teachers who win the title in the provincial excellent teacher competition only receive a reward of approximately 1.8 million VND and do not receive a Certificate of Commendation from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

On the other hand, students graduating with excellent or good grades from universities, colleges, and vocational schools in Nghe An province are not eligible for commendation from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

The reward for students in Nghe An province who achieve high scores in their high school graduation exams is 10 times the basic salary; even higher than the reward for the title of "Outstanding Teacher" (which is 9 times the basic salary). This is a prestigious title bestowed by the President of Vietnam , with very strict standards and conditions.

In response to the aforementioned concerns and shortcomings, on August 25th, in an exchange with reporters, the leaders of the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee stated that they would review and revise this matter to ensure that awards are given correctly and effectively motivate and encourage students to excel in their studies and training.

Source: https://laodong.vn/giao-duc/ban-khoan-viec-khen-thuong-hoc-sinh-thi-tot-nghiep-diem-cao-1384543.ldo