Winning 2 10s in Math, Newton School male student becomes valedictorian of Pedagogy Specialized School

Hanoi University of Education's High School for Gifted Students has just announced the 2023 10th grade entrance exam results, and very quickly, the name Do Hai Nam – class 9G0 of Newton Secondary and High School – has become a phenomenon.

Winning two perfect scores of 10 in the math exam at Newton High School, becoming the top student in the specialized teacher training program (Figure 1). — Do Hai Nam (a student in class 9G0 at Newton Secondary School) became the top student in the Mathematics specialization at Hanoi University of Education High School for Gifted Students in 2023 with two perfect scores of 10. Photo: PV

With two perfect scores of 10 in the qualifying round and the specialized exam round, Do Hai Nam not only passed the entrance exam but also secured a scholarship and excelled, becoming the top-scoring valedictorian of the school (admission score of 37.75 points). This is a very rare case, not only for Hanoi University of Education High School for Gifted Students but also for any specialized high school nationwide.

Not stopping there, Hai Nam impressively passed the entrance exam for 10th grade at the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences - Vietnam National University, Hanoi, achieving top scores in both the specialized Mathematics and Physics classes. Prior to that, the male student also secured a direct entry into 10th grade at Chu Van An High School.

Speaking to the press, Hai Nam said: "Passing the entrance exams and achieving top scores in specialized schools wasn't surprising; but passing with two perfect scores of 10 was truly overwhelming with happiness."

“Achieving two perfect scores of 10, especially a perfect 10 in the specialized subject exam, is very difficult. It not only demonstrates the student's exceptional talent but also their meticulousness and thoroughness in every solution and every problem within the short exam time. When I heard that my beloved student had achieved the top score, my emotions were indescribable: I was surprised, proud, and incredibly happy.” – Ms. Le Thi Bich Dung, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Newton Inter-level School System, stated.

Sharing about her son's learning process, Ms. Phan Thanh Thúy said that the family did not put any pressure on him, but Hai Nam himself had clear goals, aspirations, and a path to strive for. He set a goal to do his best in the entrance exam for the Hanoi University of Education's High School for Gifted Students. After the exam, he said he had completed both math test papers.

“From the age of 20 months, my child showed good recognition and memorization skills, and could recognize letters. As she grew older, her love and passion for mathematics grew even stronger. She enjoyed finding solutions when faced with difficult math problems, and when she solved them, she felt overjoyed, as if she had overcome a challenge,” Ms. Thuy recounted.

Speaking about Hai Nam's achievements, Ms. Thuy couldn't remember all the awards and titles her son had won. However, among that long list of medals and titles, she clearly remembered that her son had won a Silver Medal at the IMSO International Science and Olympiad. In 9th grade, he won second prize in the district and city-level Mathematics Olympiad for gifted students.

"Hainan is quite reserved and has a very high level of self-discipline and independence. His secret to learning math is simply a scientific learning method, focusing on core knowledge before delving into new concepts," commented Ms. Thuy.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh, Hai Nam's homeroom teacher and math teacher, the male student has always had outstanding academic performance throughout his studies. Nam is an intelligent student with good aptitude, and he is also very diligent and determined. She often sees him diligently working on difficult math problems, even during recess. Therefore, according to Ms. Linh, his results in the specialized entrance exams, especially his top score in the specialized math program at the Teacher Training College, are entirely deserved.

Responding to questions about when Nam started studying Physics and why he decided to take the specialized Physics exam, Hai Nam revealed: “I only decided to study Physics at the beginning of 9th grade to broaden my knowledge. Because I started studying quite late compared to many students who are aiming for specialized exams, I didn't have high expectations and only considered taking the specialized Physics exam as a challenge and an experience. Perhaps because of that relaxed mindset, I did well on the exam and got a pretty high score.”

Proud of her son's achievements, Ms. Thuy humbly said: "Hai Nam is fortunate to be in a class with many outstanding students. His classmates in class 9G0 Newton also have excellent records in academic competitions and in their 10th-grade specialized classes."

With so much time dedicated to studying, does Hai Nam have time to play? Ms. Thuy affirms that Nam is a true "gamer." Besides studying, to relieve stress, he also frequently plays games. Knowing that he has always strived in his studies, his parents don't forbid him from playing games, only reminding him to manage and balance his time between studying and playing.

Reportedly, Hai Nam is still waiting for the results from Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students and has not yet decided which school he will attend. Although it's too early to talk about the future, Nam currently hopes to continue his involvement with mathematics.

This year, Hanoi University of Education's High School for Gifted Students is recruiting 315 students, attracting over 6,100 applicants. The English specialized class has the highest number of applicants – 2,049, with a competition ratio of 1/29.3, meaning only one student out of every 30 is admitted. Next is the Literature specialized class with a competition ratio of 1/28.5. Other specialized classes have competition ratios ranging from 1/10.2 to 1/19.8, with the Biology specialized class having the lowest ratio.

The High School for Gifted Students affiliated with Hanoi University of Education is a branch of Hanoi University of Education. Founded in 1966, its predecessor was a "special mathematics class" for students from evacuation areas, later becoming a specialized high school system for mathematics and computer science. Students from the school have won 60 medals in international Olympiads.

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