How should we reform learning and testing?

C. ATTENTION NEEDS TO BE PAID TO EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION AND CAREER GUIDANCE.

The 2025 high school graduation exam, based on the 2018 general education program, is expected to consist of four subjects. Of these, two subjects, mathematics and literature, are compulsory; the other two are elective subjects chosen by students from the following: foreign language, history, geography, physics, chemistry, biology, informatics, technology, economics , and law.

This year's 11th-grade students will be the first group of candidates to take the high school graduation exam under the new method.

Thus, the number of subjects and the fact that students know their exam subjects in advance are completely the same as the high school graduation exam more than 40 years ago. However, the 4-subject exam in 2025 has many new features (36 ways to choose exam subjects, instead of 4 combinations as before) and the required achievement focuses on qualities and abilities, not knowledge and skills as before. Therefore, a synchronized change is needed in career education , teaching and learning perspectives, and university admissions to a new level.

The 2018 General Education Program aims to develop students based on their qualities and competencies. General education is divided into two stages: basic education (primary and lower secondary) and career orientation (upper secondary). At the upper secondary level, students are differentiated according to their aptitudes and career orientation through elective courses with various combinations. In addition to the eight compulsory subjects/activities (mathematics, literature, foreign language, history, physical education, national defense and security education, local education, experiential activities - career guidance), students can choose four more subjects from the following: (geography, physics, chemistry, biology, informatics, technology, economics and law education, fine arts, music ).

This requires students to understand their abilities, talents, aptitudes, and future career paths in order to choose the most suitable subjects and graduation exam subjects. Therefore, experiential education and career guidance at the lower and upper secondary levels are very important, encompassing both academic and career guidance.

In this context, academic guidance helps students develop effective learning methods and choose subjects at the lower and upper secondary levels that best suit their individual needs. Career guidance helps students assess themselves to choose a suitable field or profession for the future.

Candidates taking the 2023 high school graduation exam. From 2025 onwards, the high school graduation exam will be reformed to align with the 2018 General Education Program.

Don't underestimate one subject, neglect another.

It's important to affirm that all subjects contribute equally to students' success; there are no core or elective subjects. Some core subjects like mathematics, literature, foreign languages, or history play a significant role in fostering patriotism and are compulsory. However, the success of many students in life may stem from subjects other than the compulsory ones.

Schools must focus on teaching and learning all subjects, without prioritizing some subjects over others. In reality, nearly 40% of students take the graduation exam solely for the purpose of obtaining a diploma; therefore, subjects such as technology, economics and law education, and computer science are essential for students who pursue vocational training or enter the workforce after high school.

T is changing the way universities conduct admissions.

University admissions from 2025 onwards must change from the current system. On the one hand, there should be increased emphasis on competency-based exams; on the other hand, new subject combinations should be developed, including subjects such as computer science, technology, economics, and law; or admissions based on academic transcripts should comprehensively assess at least the results of four or five semesters of high school. Subject combinations including foreign languages ​​or history should have increased quotas, prioritizing international language certificates…

Innovate teaching, testing, and evaluation in all subjects. Reform the perspective on learning. Learning shouldn't be about pleasing teachers or passing exams (learning only what's tested), but about developing character and competence, becoming a better person, and competing for jobs that are being replaced by artificial intelligence, which is already replacing many professions. Foreign languages ​​play a crucial role in international integration, enabling Vietnam to participate more effectively in the global value chain. Therefore, focus should be placed on developing all four skills in students: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, according to Vietnam's six-level skill standards. Foreign language certificates based on Vietnamese standards should be prioritized in university admissions, similar to international certificates, so that foreign language teaching in high schools can compete with centers that offer international certificates. Strongly innovate the teaching and learning of history; don't be complacent and assume that because it's a compulsory subject, students will simply learn it regardless of how it's taught.

Students took exams in four subjects according to their chosen subject group more than 40 years ago.

The method of taking the high school graduation exam in four subjects has been applied in our country for a long time. After 1975, in the South, a 12-year education system was implemented, with high school (THPT) divided into streams. Accordingly, students could choose one of the following four streams: Stream A (literature - history - geography), Stream B (literature - foreign language), Stream C (mathematics - physics), Stream D (chemistry - biology). Students in all streams studied all subjects, but the content and time spent studying each subject differed depending on the stream.

The high school graduation exam consists of 4 subjects, depending on the chosen academic track. Track A (4 subjects: mathematics, literature, history, geography); Track B (mathematics, literature, foreign language, history); Track C (mathematics, literature, physics, chemistry); Track D (mathematics, literature, chemistry, biology). Mathematics and literature are tested in all tracks, but the difficulty level of the exam varies depending on the track.

The high school graduation exam in the South, consisting of four subjects as described above, was implemented during the period 1976-1980. After the high school graduation exam, university entrance exams were held in three blocks: A (mathematics, physics, chemistry), B (mathematics, chemistry, biology), and C (literature, history, geography). A notable feature of the high school graduation exams during this period was the strict supervision and grading, with no extra tutoring or supplementary classes; schools only conducted a few review sessions for students. By grade 12, students already knew the subjects and focused more on preparing for the graduation and university entrance exams (if they registered to take them). The graduation and university entrance exams were all essay-based, with mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology including a problem-solving section in addition to the theoretical part.

A limitation of the 4-subject high school graduation exam in the 1976-1980 period was the essay-based format, heavily focused on testing knowledge. Students often had to memorize, sometimes even rote learning from the 12th-grade textbooks. Some students in the humanities stream (mathematics, literature, physics, chemistry) took the university entrance exam in the science stream (mathematics, chemistry, biology), while others in the social sciences stream (mathematics, literature, chemistry, biology) took the university entrance exam in the science stream (mathematics, physics, chemistry). This was due to choosing the wrong stream.

To avoid unbalanced learning

While most teachers find the Ministry of Education and Training's proposal to organize the high school graduation exam from 2025 onwards with four subjects reasonable, they still hope the Ministry will reconsider some aspects.

Surveying 11th-grade students, the first cohort to take the high school graduation exam under the new curriculum starting next year, we found that most of them agree with the option of fewer subjects. Currently, they are studying elective subjects with career orientations according to the 2018 General Education Program. Therefore, their desire to take fewer subjects, primarily those related to their chosen career paths, is understandable.

However, with the four-subject exam system, there will be long-term consequences. This includes students focusing on only certain subjects from the moment they register for 10th grade. Overemphasis on one subject while neglecting another is inevitable. Therefore, how should the Ministry of Education and Training determine graduation eligibility based on academic transcripts? What should the ratio between academic transcripts and exam scores be?

The decision not to make foreign language exams compulsory will somewhat reduce students' motivation to study this subject. Therefore, the Ministry needs to find ways to encourage students to take the exam.

Currently, localities and schools use many different sets of textbooks. Some schools even use their own compiled materials. This requires accuracy and impartiality from the Ministry of Education and Training in the exam question setting process. How closely will the exam questions adhere to the required learning outcomes? Who will be involved in the question setting process?...

Ngoc Tuan

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