Schools recruit medical and pedagogical majors with 'strange' combinations: What does the Ministry of Education and Training say?

In the 2025 admission season, many schools used odd combinations (admitting to English Language majors but considering combinations that do not include English, or History Pedagogy but combinations that do not require History), causing many candidates to feel confused and worried about unfairness in university admissions.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son said that schools do not clearly understand the difference between this year's university admission season and previous years. According to Mr. Son, in previous school years, students following the old general education program (2006) had to study all compulsory subjects. For example, in the field of Health, even if the group does not include Biology, students still have certain knowledge because they have studied this subject in high school.

However, 2025 is the first year that students will graduate from the new general education program. The program includes four compulsory subjects: Math, Literature, History, Foreign Language, and optional subjects. Therefore, if a school recruits medical students without using Biology, it may lead to a candidate who does not study this subject being admitted.

"If a method or combination cannot assess the core knowledge and competencies of learners for that industry, it needs to be reviewed," said Mr. Son.

The Ministry of Education and Training requires schools that recruit students for the medical and pedagogical majors with 'strange' combinations that do not have core subjects to review their enrollment activities. (Illustration photo)

According to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, universities are not limited in the number of admission combinations. However, Mr. Son said that the majors and admission combinations must meet the reliability, assess the input requirements, and classify candidates. Realizing the inadequacies in admissions using "strange" combinations, the Ministry of Education and Training requires schools to review.

Regarding the solution, the Deputy Minister of Education and Training suggested that schools can set additional criteria for the entrance threshold. For example, if the medical major recruits using a combination of Math, Chemistry, and English, it should add a compulsory requirement to study Biology in high school, and at the same time set a minimum score for this subject.

Previously, Hanoi Capital University recruited students for the Physics Education major with four combinations, but only one combination had Physics as a subject, which was C01 (Literature, Mathematics, Physics). The remaining three combinations did not have this subject, including: D01 (Math, Literature, English), C02 (Literature, Mathematics, Chemistry) and C04 (Literature, Mathematics, Geography). In the History Education major, the school also recruited students based on four combinations, of which only one combination had History as a subject, which was C03 (Literature, Mathematics, History).

Similarly, the Geography Pedagogy major of Hai Duong University recruits the D01 combination (Math, Literature, English); or the Physics Pedagogy major of Khanh Hoa University recruits the D07 (Math, Chemistry, English) and B00 (Math, Chemistry, Biology) combinations, in addition to the two combinations with Physics.

Hoa Binh University announced to recruit 4 majors in Health: Pharmacy, Nursing, Traditional Medicine and Medicine with 5 combinations, including combination A01 (Math, Physics, English), C04 (Literature, Math, Geography), D01 (Math, Literature, English).

Many experts believe that schools using "strange" combinations without major subjects will more or less affect candidates' learning, as well as future training and teaching results.

Kim Nhung

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cac-truong-tuyen-nganh-y-su-pham-bang-to-hop-la-bo-gd-dt-noi-gi-ar935529.html