Should academic rankings be abolished?

The issue of academic ranking has always received widespread attention from society, with many differing opinions. Recently, Mr. Nguyen Quang Huan, a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and a member of the 15th National Assembly, proposed abolishing academic rankings and not publicly disclosing students' exam and test scores in order to thoroughly address the problem of excessive focus on achievements in education.

A lesson between a teacher and students at Tran Quoc Toan Primary School (Hoan Kiem Ward, Hanoi ). Photo: NTCC

Supporting your child in improving their learning abilities and skills.

At a conference to discuss draft documents for the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Quang Huan highlighted the pressing issue of the country's education system : the unusually high graduation rates and high number of outstanding students in many areas, reflecting the unresolved problem of excessive focus on academic achievements. To address this, Mr. Huan proposed addressing the obsession with degrees and the overly formal nature of examinations. He suggested a radical reform of student assessment towards a competency-based approach, eliminating rankings and prohibiting the public disclosure of exam scores. He also proposed reforming educational quality assessment through independent surveys, holding heads of educational institutions accountable for actual results, and applying AI technology to combat cheating in examinations.

In fact, from the 2024-2025 school year, the assessment of academic performance and conduct of junior and senior high school students has been carried out according to the guidelines of Circular 22/2021/TT-BGDĐT. Accordingly, for subjects assessed by comments, there will be two levels: achieved and not achieved; subjects assessed by a combination of comments and scores will be assessed according to one of four levels: good, fair, achieved, and not achieved. The levels of academic achievement: excellent, average, weak, and poor, as in Circular 26/2020/TT-BGDĐT and Circular 58/2011/TT-BGDĐT, are no longer used. Nevertheless, in many classes, the homeroom teacher publicly shares the scores of each subject after each test, mid-term exam, and final exam within the class group.

Ms. Ly Thu Dung (Truc Bach ward, Hanoi), whose two children are in junior high school, shared that not only she but many other parents in the class are very concerned about their children's grades and rankings. Ms. Dung believes that while she doesn't want to put pressure on her children with grades, she still supports the public disclosure of exam scores. She believes that academic rankings don't have a significant impact because the most important thing is still a child's actual ability. Whether a child ranks high or low in the class, or the class ranks high or low in the school, doesn't determine whether they pass or fail in a fiercely competitive exam like the high school entrance exam in Hanoi and many other localities today.

According to Mr. Duc Phuong (Kim Anh commune, Hanoi), when seeing his child's low scores, the best approach is not to scold or put more pressure on the child, which could make them feel insecure and discouraged. The issue isn't about maintaining or abolishing rankings, or whether or not to make exam scores public, but rather how parents perceive their child's academic results. Whether the scores are public or not, they still reflect the child's current abilities. Parents should then consider what needs to be done to help their child improve their skills and ultimately their scores.

Rankings and performance pressure

Dr. Le Viet Khuyen, Vice President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Vietnam, stated that in the university sector, university rankings are still conducted by many reputable organizations, and the results are recognized worldwide as reflecting the quality of training, research capacity, etc., of universities according to the ranking criteria. This serves as a reference for universities to improve and develop more comprehensively, while providing parents and students with more understanding to consider when choosing a school to attend. Regarding the secondary education sector, Dr. Khuyen believes that the ranking issue needs to be viewed from multiple perspectives. Even though graduation rates and the number of high-achieving students are unusually high in many places, would completely abolishing rankings reduce the motivation of students and teachers to strive for excellence?

Viewing the issue within the context of today's achievement-oriented education system, Associate Professor Pham Manh Ha (Hanoi University of Science and Technology), a career counseling expert, argues that rankings are partly responsible for inequality and unhealthy competition. “When rankings are emphasized, they easily become a source of pressure, encouraging behaviors like chasing grades, rote learning, or even cheating, distorting educational goals. Abolishing rankings isn't about encouraging 'not trying harder than others,' but rather shifting the focus from competing with peers based on grades to competing with oneself based on genuine ability. Professor Ha also believes that abolishing internal rankings is a necessary step to reduce the pressure of achievement, reallocate resources, and concentrate on building a fair and high-quality education for all students, thereby creating a generation that is truly capable of sustainable and healthy international competition.”

Lam Nhi

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/co-nen-bo-xep-hang-hoc-tap-hay-khong.html