From 2025 onwards, high school graduation candidates will take 4 exams, including 2 compulsory subjects (Math, Literature) and 2 optional subjects (Foreign Language, History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Economic and Legal Education, Information Technology, Technology).
Thus, Foreign Language is no longer a compulsory subject like previous exams.
Explaining this major change, Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Van Chuong, Director of the Department of Quality Management, Ministry of Education and Training , said that English is now compulsory from grade 3 to grade 12 and all transfer exams include this subject.
When entering university, schools also have regulations on foreign language output quality for students upon graduation.
"At university level, there are also output standards according to the 6-level competency framework. Therefore, we cannot say that because of a high school graduation exam, we should drop out of foreign language learning. Learning a foreign language is continuous, learning the whole process," Associate Professor, Dr. Huynh Van Chuong emphasized.
No longer a compulsory subject in the high school graduation exam, will the quality of students' English decrease? (Illustration: NN)
Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong also affirmed that not having a Foreign Language exam does not reduce the role of the subject, the most important thing is still regular testing and evaluation.
Starting from 2015, the Ministry of Education and Training organized the national high school graduation exam with 4 compulsory subjects: Math, Literature, Foreign Language and one of two groups of Natural Sciences and Social Sciences . The innovation of the high school graduation exam in 2025 is supported by many experts.
Agreeing with the plan that English is no longer a compulsory subject, Professor Thai Van Thanh, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Nghe An, said that taking the exam does not necessarily mean that students' English ability will increase.
In Nghe An, the quality of teaching and learning English is better than 5 years ago. The main reason is that the locality has mechanisms to influence teachers and learners, and care about the learning environment. Nghe An is also one of the few localities that spends its budget to train English teachers according to international standards (TOEIC), and considers admission to grade 10 for students with IELTS certificates of 4.0 or equivalent.
Master Ho Sy Anh, expert from the Institute of Educational Research, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, said that making English an optional subject was carefully considered.
Teachers and parents should not worry about students neglecting English because most universities include this subject in their admissions criteria, or consider a combination of foreign language certificates and graduation exam scores. "Therefore, students who want to apply for university admission are still required to study and take the English exam," said Mr. Sy Anh.
He hopes that the Ministry of Education and Training as well as high schools will actively innovate methods of teaching and learning foreign languages, so that students love and voluntarily study this subject, instead of just studying it for university admission. "In recent years, the Ministry of Education and Training has repeatedly focused on innovating the way of teaching and learning History and Literature, and now is the time to apply that to Foreign Languages."
As an English teacher in Hanoi, Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh agrees with the view that foreign languages should be an optional subject in the high school graduation exam.
English in particular and foreign languages in general are important, but only those who really need to use them should study them deeply. In fact, in the era of integration, everyone uses foreign languages in the work process. However, foreign languages must be living languages to truly have the meaning of learning.
Of course, foreign languages should still be taught as usual, and whether or not to choose to take the graduation exam in this subject depends on each student. It is the importance of English, leveling everything, that makes everyone go to school and study to get an IELTS certificate like today, but how many people after getting the certificate can communicate well is not certain, the female teacher said.
Ha Cuong
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