Somewhat disagreeing with the proposal put forward by the Ministry of Education and Training, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai An, a teacher at a private secondary school in Cau Giay, Hanoi, wondered why the reason for not fixing the subjects for the 10th grade entrance exam under the new general education program was the fear of students focusing only on certain subjects or neglecting others. She argued that the current curriculum is unnecessarily heavy, and the pressure to achieve (not necessarily excel) in all subjects causes many students stress and fear of exams.
Why not focus on one area of study?
"Most students have traditionally had a reactive mindset; they believe that studying is only for exams, and if there are no exams, they won't study. This is the deepest root cause of unbalanced learning and rote memorization," Ms. An said.
Many people agree that students don't necessarily need to excel in all subjects. (Illustrative image)
Having over 11 years of experience studying in France from middle school and high school to university, Ms. An said that the French education system strongly emphasizes streaming when transitioning from middle school to high school. Students can choose to study in different series that suit their abilities. Of course, there are different exams depending on the series a student registers for, and all students advance to the next grade and attend classes according to their choices; there is no uniform exam system like in Vietnam.
Not only in France, but most European countries are adopting this learning and examination method, placing students at the center and giving them the right to choose what suits them best.
Education policymakers need to understand that: "Students are not superheroes; no one can excel in all subjects. Being good at one subject is still a form of excellence, and regardless of what that subject is, it will be valued and encouraged by the school and teachers."
With six years of teaching experience in Vietnam, Ms. An has observed that, whether in public or private schools, students are still focused on passing exams and neglecting their true passions. They become workaholics, studying from 7 am to 10 pm with numerous extra classes and regular schoolwork.
"It's a bitter truth that memorable algebraic identities learned in high school don't make a fashion designer or a doctor any better when they start working. No matter how good you are at math in high school, it won't be applicable in university or in the workplace," the female teacher stated frankly. Each field only applies and develops a few subjects, so isn't that considered unbalanced learning? And if that's the case for unbalanced learning in university, why should we be afraid of unbalanced learning in high school?
The current Vietnamese belief that Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, or Mathematics, Literature, and English, are the core subjects in the general education curriculum is somewhat misguided. This very belief leads to the reality that high school students often disregard other subjects, considering them secondary, even though they are just as important as subjects like Ethics, Literature, and Physical Education.
This inadvertently creates inequality between subjects and subject teachers, while also giving rise to a significant number of exam preparation teachers – the breeding ground for many negative aspects in education.
"I believe that we need a strong reform of the education system, reducing the amount of problem-solving knowledge in Math, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, and English for high school students. Instead, we need to increase their practical application skills and hands-on experience, while also increasing their knowledge of society," she suggested.
The same applies to organizing the 10th grade and university entrance exams; the question-setting methods should be re-examined because currently, high school students mainly invest in Math, Literature, and English with the goal of achieving high scores, rather than out of genuine interest and passion.
According to Cao Quang Tu, Director of Admissions at the Asian International School System (Ho Chi Minh City), the pressure to achieve academic excellence sometimes stems from parents. "The mentality of comparing children to 'other people's children' leads many parents to put pressure on their own children, wanting them to excel in all subjects without knowing their own abilities," he said.
According to Mr. Tu, many parents complain when they see "other people's children" getting a perfect 10 in Math while their own child only gets a 7 or 8, without noticing that their child might have gotten a perfect 10 in Music, Technology, or Science .
"Therefore, parents send their children to extra classes until 9 or 10 PM to achieve that goal, without realizing that each child has certain strengths. Recognizing their children's strengths, fostering their personalities, and creating opportunities for them to develop those strengths are what parents are lacking," Mr. Tu emphasized.
Being good at one subject is still being good.
While Circular 58 of the Ministry of Education and Training stipulated the average grade for each subject as the basis for classifying students' academic performance in the semester and the entire year, Circular 22 of 2024 no longer includes this provision. The average grade for the semester and the academic year is now calculated only for each individual subject.
Instead of classifying academic performance as excellent, good, average, weak, and poor as in Circular 58, Circular 22 assesses the development of learners' competencies according to the required learning outcomes of the program, evaluating learners' learning results using four levels: "good, fair, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory".
Explaining this, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Director of the Department of General Education, Ministry of Education and Training, once stated that this regulation reflects the view that all subjects are treated equally, with no subject being considered main or supplementary, and that only those who excel in Math or Literature are considered excellent students.
Circular 22 also abolishes the current regulation of calculating a single average score for all subjects, thus eliminating the situation where one subject's score can compensate for another's, leading to unbalanced learning.
Giving all subjects equal importance also allows students to fully develop their abilities in subjects they are good at, according to their personal interests, and to be recognized and evaluated fairly.
Therefore, when transitioning from lower secondary to upper secondary school, the level of differentiation and career guidance increases, and students will tend to study more and excel in subjects that match their aptitudes and career aspirations.
This truly reflects the spirit of the new general education program, which is a personalized education, enabling students to develop their full potential in all areas and be evaluated fairly and equally.
This shows that, even in the way students are assessed and graded according to the new general education program, the Ministry of Education and Training has applied new assessment and grading standards to help students develop their individual abilities to the fullest. Being good at one subject is considered good, not necessarily focusing solely on core subjects as before. Does this regulation contradict the recent statement by Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong, who expressed concern that students would focus on only one subject if a third subject was included in the entrance exam for 10th grade next year, and suggested a lottery system?
Minh Khoi
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/hoc-sinh-chi-can-gioi-the-duc-cung-la-gioi-ar900874.html
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