School year 2025-2026: Promoting professional cluster activities

'In the new school year, the department will promote the autonomous activities of professional clusters. That is, to promote decentralization of management of professional cluster activities, giving proactive authority to the heads of professional clusters'.

Grade 12 students of Ernst Thalmann High School (HCMC) return to school on the morning of August 20 - Photo: NHU HUNG

That was the opinion of Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc - Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City - at the conference to summarize the 2024-2025 school year and deploy tasks for the 2025-2026 school year at the general education level on the morning of August 20.

"Super city" of education

For a long time, general education in Ho Chi Minh City has achieved many outstanding achievements in the national education level. However, after merging with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau , Ho Chi Minh City has become an "educational super city" with many challenges.

Reporting at the conference summarizing the 2024-2025 school year for general education, the Department of Education and Training said that in the 2024-2025 school year, Ho Chi Minh City maintained the quality of general education with many remarkable achievements (this school year, Ho Chi Minh City has not merged).

The rate of students completing primary school and graduating from secondary school is almost absolute; The results of the 2025 high school graduation exam in Ho Chi Minh City are in the top 10 provinces and cities with the highest average scores in 8/12 subjects.

In addition, the city continues to implement the model of "Advanced, Internationally Integrated School" to improve teaching quality and develop a high-quality school model. Up to now, the city has had 39 schools approved by the city to implement this model.

Regarding the digital classroom model, the city also maintains effectiveness by teaching English and computer science remotely, broadcasting to primary schools in Can Gio and Cu Chi. This model aims to help schools that lack English and computer science teachers to organize learning for students, ensuring quality and subject curriculum.

According to Ms. Lam Hong Lam Thuy - Head of the General Education Department of the Department of Education and Training, the excellent achievements of the city's students in the past school year continue to affirm the quality of general education and the efforts and hard work of students, teachers and units in studying and training. Even the work of nurturing excellent students has achieved many outstanding results.

16 specialized clusters

After the merger, Ho Chi Minh City has nearly 2.6 million students with more than 3,500 educational institutions, becoming an "educational megacity". In general education alone, the city has more than 2 million students.

Specifically, primary school has 939,002 students; secondary school has 759,278 students; high school has 352,051 students.

This poses many challenges for the education sector in Ho Chi Minh City, not only the large number of students but also the large administrative boundaries and diverse types (rural, urban, island communes, special economic zones...). The state of facilities and teacher capacity is not uniform in localities, especially in disadvantaged and densely populated areas...

Not to mention the local surplus - shortage of teachers, a part of managers and teachers do not meet the requirements of foreign language and computer skills, leading to failure to keep up with the requirements of innovation in education and international integration.

Faced with that situation, immediately after rearranging administrative boundaries, the Department of Education and Training divided the city into 16 specialized clusters.

Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc emphasized: "In the new school year, the department will promote the autonomous activities of professional clusters. That is, to promote decentralization of management of professional cluster activities, giving proactive authority to the heads of professional clusters.

By monitoring the comprehensive activities of units in 16 professional clusters, the department will grasp the situation and record any abnormalities, difficulties, and problems to promptly guide and resolve. In addition, the department will also record effective educational activities to introduce to other units to learn from and share experiences together."

At the conference, Ms. Lam Hong Lam Thuy proposed a number of solutions to improve the quality of education in the city as follows: First is to effectively implement two-session teaching/day at general education institutions that meet the required conditions. Improve the effectiveness of teaching methods and forms, testing and assessment to develop students' qualities and abilities.

The work that needs to be focused on is building a test bank and assessment for subjects, ensuring consistent and synchronous implementation according to the 2018 General Education Program.

Along with that is the exploitation and use of textbooks, learning resources, and teaching equipment effectively and appropriately in practice. Building digital classrooms; digital learning resources warehouses, digital lectures of subjects and educational activities.

"Especially, the development of a plan to improve the quality and publicize the quality of education to society. That is promoting the green school model, open classrooms, inviting parents to school to attend class time, meal time, and student activities" - Ms. Thuy said.

Key tasks for the coming school year

According to the Department of Education and Training, the key tasks of Ho Chi Minh City's general education level in the 2025-2026 school year include: Effectively implementing the 2018 General Education Program; Improving the effectiveness of innovation in teaching methods and testing and evaluating students; Improving the quality of universalization and ensuring equity in education;

Strengthening integration, gradually making English the second language in schools; Promoting digital transformation, creative science and technology; Innovating management work, promoting the effectiveness of state management of educational institutions when implementing two-level local government.

Get feedback on student cell phone use in school

A skills lesson of students at Nguyen Van To Secondary School (HCMC) - Photo: NHU HUNG

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu - Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City - required 100% of primary, secondary and high schools in Ho Chi Minh City to implement the happy school model.

Depending on specific conditions, each school will implement the happy school model to a certain extent. The goal of the city's education sector is to create the best learning conditions, the friendliest environment, and bring the best things to students.

"We teach not to prepare students for exams but to help them live happier lives. The same goes for students using phones in school. I suggest that the Student Affairs Department quickly collect opinions from parents, experts, scientists...

Last school year, many schools did not allow students to use this freely, but the city needs to have uniform regulations. I think that allowing students to use phones in school will greatly hinder the interaction and direct exchange between teachers and students, and between students and students.

If students are not allowed to use phones, schools must ensure that students can contact their families using school facilities and do not charge fees. Students are only allowed to use phones during necessary lessons and with teachers' permission," Mr. Hieu affirmed.

HOANG HUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nam-hoc-2025-2026-day-manh-hoat-dong-cum-chuyen-mon-20250821085625162.htm