Is choosing STEM studies still a 'concern' for students at specialized high schools?

Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son speaks at the workshop - Photo: NB

On September 28th, the Ministry of Education and Training, in collaboration with the University of Technology, organized a workshop to gather feedback on the draft project "Training human resources to serve high-tech development in the period 2025 - 2035 and orientation towards 2045".

The estimated cost is 20,000 billion VND.

At the workshop, Dr. Dang Van Huan (Department of Higher Education , Ministry of Education and Training) on ​​behalf of the drafting committee provided information on some key contents of the draft project "Training human resources to serve high-tech development in the period 2025 - 2035 and orientation towards 2045".

The target for the period 2025-2030 is for the proportion of people pursuing STEM fields to reach 35% at each educational level, with at least 2.5% in basic science fields and 18% in fields related to digital technology.

Considering the total scale of STEM education, the number of students enrolled in engineering and master's programs should account for at least 10%, and the number of students enrolled in doctoral programs should account for at least 1%; the proportion of women should be at least 25%.

Regarding the quality of university admissions, most STEM fields have improved and are above the overall average, with at least 40% of students from specialized high schools studying STEM subjects.

The target for the period 2030-2035 is for the proportion of students studying STEM fields to reach 40% at each educational level, with at least 3% in basic science fields and 20% in digital technology-related fields.

The total estimated cost for implementing the main tasks and solutions of the project until 2030 is approximately 20,000 billion VND, of which the state budget accounts for about 16,000 billion VND and other legal sources of capital account for about 4,000 billion VND.

There are 25 public higher education institutions and 3 private higher education institutions that are prioritized for investment and implementation of talent training programs.

Dr. Dang Van Huan (Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Training) presents the draft - Photo: NB

Why are students at specialized high schools less likely to choose STEM?

During the discussion session to gather feedback on the draft proposal, Mr. Chu Duc Trinh, Rector of the University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, stated that the proposal, once implemented, would create a mechanism for the Ministry of Education and Training to more closely manage the output standards of universities.

According to Mr. Trinh, the project needs to prioritize investment in several areas where Vietnam has strengths, such as information technology, artificial intelligence, and data science, because although Vietnam has invested heavily, current development is still not commensurate with its potential.

For fields with low enrollment rates, specific mechanisms are needed, along with changes in how communication is made to potential students.

Mr. Trinh believes that this field has been discussed extensively in the past, but there needs to be a plan for semiconductor training to avoid a rush to train personnel, which would create a workforce for society working in low-value jobs.

Professor Chu Duc Trinh, Rector of the University of Technology, speaks during the discussion - Photo: NB

Particularly during the discussion, some opinions suggested that the trend of many high school students choosing to study social sciences and humanities, and showing less interest in basic sciences and STEM fields, especially among students in specialized high schools, is a major challenge for training human resources to serve high-tech development.

Specifically, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa from Quy Nhon University stated that the number of students choosing to study basic sciences, natural sciences, and STEM fields is quite low, with the majority opting for social sciences and humanities.

Representatives from Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry stated that in recent years, during admissions counseling, the university has been "loudly" highlighting the advantages of STEM education to attract more students and talented individuals to this field; however, many talented students have not chosen it.

"With such a good job market, why are there so few students enrolling, especially high-achieving students? It's probably due to the long training duration and high training costs. If we can solve this problem, things will be different."

"We need to allocate state budget to invest in this field, possibly providing 100% scholarships, so that in 5-10 years we will have a skilled STEM workforce," a representative from Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry stated.

Representatives from the University of Da Nang commented that some of the criteria outlined in the proposal are difficult to evaluate, such as 25% female students pursuing STEM fields, and 40% of students from specialized high schools enrolling in STEM programs… attempting to include these in the proposal's objectives would be very difficult to achieve.

According to Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son, shifting women to STEM-related jobs is a crucial solution, as he believes women are just as capable as men in STEM fields. Therefore, preferential policies and incentives are needed to create equality and fairness for women.

Regarding the lower percentage of students from specialized schools choosing STEM fields compared to the general population, Mr. Son stated that this is a cause for concern, because when the government invests heavily in specialized schools, students will have more reason to choose STEM.

"We must address the root causes. If we don't set goals and targets to increase the percentage of students in specialized schools choosing STEM, then the training in these schools will not achieve its objectives. We must boldly overcome this," Mr. Son affirmed.

Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son requested that the editorial team and drafting committee fully incorporate the feedback received at the meeting, ensuring that the proposal is both comprehensive and specific in order to successfully implement the project.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hoc-sinh-truong-thpt-chuyen-lua-chon-hoc-stem-con-la-tran-tro-20240928150938357.htm