The school year begins with exams based on the new curriculum.

The 2024-2025 academic year is considered very important by the Ministry of Education and Training because it marks the final year of the first phase of the 2018 General Education Program, and also the year when the high school graduation exam will begin to be held under the new program.

Along with those two "indicators," there are many tasks to be done in the new school year.

S will convince society of the results of innovation.

After four years of implementation across different grades and levels, the 2018 General Education Program will be completed in the 2024-2025 school year, with the final grades of each level, including grades 5, 9, and 12, being implemented. This will also be the first year that the high school graduation exam is organized according to the new plan, meeting the requirements of the reformed General Education Program.

This school year has two important tasks: implementing the 2018 General Education Program for the final grades of all levels, and preparing for the organization of the 2025 high school graduation exam.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

On the eve of the new school year, in an interview with the press, Mr. Nguyen Kim Son, Minister of Education and Training, acknowledged: "Although the journey of reforming general education has faced many difficulties, it has also shown the determination and efforts of the entire political system, the government at all levels, and the entire education sector to gradually form a mindset of innovation in those who implement and benefit from the reforms, and to convince society of the positive results of the reforms." The Minister of Education and Training stated that the Ministry had made preparations in previous school years. For example, the plan for the high school graduation exam from 2025 has been developed, widely discussed, and received very high consensus from society. Immediately after the plan was issued, the Ministry of Education and Training began preparing for the 2025 high school graduation exam. The regulations for the 2025 high school graduation exam are expected to be issued in November 2024. The long-term stability of the regulations has been considered during the drafting process to facilitate implementation for students, teachers, schools, and localities. "In addition, the preparation process for the 2025 high school graduation exam needs to be piloted on a fairly wide scale for evaluation. Therefore, the Departments of Education and Training have prepared plans for this work, and are practicing to avoid risks when implementing the official exam," Mr. Kim Son stated. This academic year has two important tasks: effectively implementing the 2018 General Education Program for the final grades of all levels, and preparing the conditions for organizing the 2025 high school graduation exam.

ADJUSTMENTS TO UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS

Along with reforms to the high school graduation exam, the head of the Ministry of Education and Training also shared the policy of adjusting university admissions: "In the context of general education reaching the final stage of reform, and the high school graduation exam entering its first year under the new plan, adjustments and reforms in admissions are necessary to align with the overall reform from general education to higher education." Based on this direction, Mr. Nguyen Kim Son stated that the Ministry of Education and Training is reviewing and finalizing the draft of the new admissions regulations for 2025 with the general spirit of simplifying, facilitating students and society, ensuring the quality of admissions, and providing equal opportunities for candidates. Higher education institutions will continue to operate autonomously in admissions but will have to further enhance their social responsibility.

BUILDING TRUST AND REASSURANCE FOR TEACHERS

The Ministry of Education and Training announced that the shortage of teachers will increase by 19,856 in the 2024-2025 school year (6,000 more in preschool education and 13,856 more in general education). The main reason is the increase in the number of students, leading to an increase in the number of classes. Minister Nguyen Kim Son emphasized the reality: "The development of education depends on the development of the teaching staff. The results of educational reform depend on the innovation of each teacher." From this, Minister Son argued that the quality of an education system depends, in part, on the quality of the teaching staff. The quality of teachers, in turn, depends on many factors. Besides individual efforts and the continuous learning spirit of each teacher, policies, the working environment, and the methods of selecting, recruiting, and developing teachers play a crucial role. Mr. Nguyen Kim Son stated: The Ministry of Education and Training has directed localities to fill all available positions and commission teacher training; universities are actively organizing training programs linked to new subjects and ethnic minority language teachers… The Ministry of Education and Training will continue to improve the system of policies and laws to enhance the status of teachers; including the Law on Teachers, which will be submitted to the National Assembly , creating a legal framework for the promulgation of policies on remuneration, recruitment, employment, management, honoring, and rewarding… and empowering the education sector to proactively recruit, assign, and place teachers. In recent times, preferential policies for teacher training students, changes in basic salaries… have positively impacted students' choices to study education; many localities have issued and implemented specific mechanisms and policies to create incentives to attract and retain teachers; The Law on Teachers is being drafted based on practical requirements... On August 27th, the draft Law on Teachers was discussed by the Government at a specialized legislative drafting session to finalize it before submitting it to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly as prescribed. According to the plan, this draft law will be submitted to the National Assembly for initial consideration and comments at the 8th session (October 2024) and considered and passed at the 9th session (May 2025). "All of this shows that there have been important developments to address the difficulties facing the teaching staff," Mr. Nguyen Kim Son shared.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested a reduction in pressure during the high school graduation exam and an increase in staffing levels.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued a directive on strengthening the conditions to ensure the effective implementation of tasks for the 2024-2025 school year with the motto: "Putting students at the center; teachers as the driving force; schools as the support; families as the foundation; and society as the basis." The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Education and Training, relevant ministries and agencies, and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities to focus on implementing several specific tasks. Regarding the first high school graduation exam implemented under the 2018 General Education Program, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Education and Training to fully and thoroughly prepare the conditions for organizing the exam to ensure quality, safety, seriousness, effectiveness, reduce pressure, and create favorable conditions for students. Review and reorganize the network of higher education and teacher training colleges in conjunction with improving quality; promote university autonomy, especially financial autonomy; Implement autonomy in a substantive manner, linked to accountability, openness, and transparency; prepare well for the 2025 university and college teacher training admissions. Direct the strengthening of coordination between families, schools, and society in the education of children, students, and university students, especially in preventing school violence, crime, and social evils among students, and ensuring school security and safety. The Prime Minister also assigned the Ministry of Education and Training to continue coordinating with the Ministry of Interior and localities to review the number of teacher positions to propose to the Central Government additional positions in the education sector; the Ministry of Interior will preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training to inspect and urge localities to recruit teachers according to the allocated positions, overcome the surplus and shortage of teachers in educational institutions, ensuring the principle of "where there are students, there must be teachers in the classroom" but in accordance with local realities and effective in placement. The Ministry of Finance is balancing central government budget funds for education and training, especially funding to support localities in implementing the Project to ensure physical facilities for preschool and general education programs in the period 2017-2025. For provincial People's Committees, the Prime Minister requested a review, arrangement, and redistribution of preschool and general education teachers among educational institutions in the area to address local teacher shortages and surpluses; to recruit teachers according to the allocated staffing quotas; and to research mechanisms and policies to attract teachers to work and stay long-term in the locality. Furthermore, the review, organization, and arrangement of educational institutions should continue, adjusting class sizes appropriately, reducing scattered school locations, increasing boarding and semi-boarding schools while improving the quality of education and training; and establishing multi-level general education schools suitable to local conditions, ensuring convenience and meeting the learning needs of children and students attending two sessions per day. Allocate land for the construction of educational facilities when planning new urban areas…; strengthen guidance, instruction, and inspection of educational institutions regarding the management of financial revenue and expenditure, and publicly disclose all fees collected at the beginning of the school year to ensure compliance with regulations.

Over 25 million high school and university students begin the new school year.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training's summary updated as of the afternoon of September 4th, the country has 53,979 educational institutions; 25,255,251 students, including 2,068,522 university students. The total number of lecturers, teachers, educational administrators, and employees is 1,659,589.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nam-hoc-khoi-dau-thi-theo-chuong-trinh-moi-185240905004015558.htm