What did the Hoc Mon District Department of Education and Training report?

According to a report from the Hoc Mon District Department of Education and Training, the Department received information from parents via text message complaining about the situation: "Some schools require parents to sign a commitment stating that their children will not take the 10th grade entrance exam because of poor academic performance," accompanied by an image of a form requesting to withdraw from the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2024-2025 school year.

After investigation and verification, the Department of Education and Training stated that the person who posted the complaint online was copying and pasting the "Application to not participate in the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2024-2025 school year" of student TCTV, class 9/5, currently studying at Nguyen Van Bua Secondary School. The homeroom teacher of class 9/5 is Ms. LTND. The information in the application was written by the student and photographed by a friend of the parent, who then posted it without permission while sitting in a coffee shop with the student's father.

The application form for exemption from the 10th grade entrance exam is pre-printed for students to sign.

The parents of student TT.CTV had previously messaged the homeroom teacher as follows: "Our child, TT, did not take the entrance exam for 10th grade at a public school. However, she still submitted an application to a private school, and will continue her high school education. Therefore, our family's wish is for her to attend a private school. It's not that we feel our child lacks the ability to attend a public school. The family commits to her continuing her studies at Bamboo School..."

Upon verification, the application form for not participating in the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2024-2025 school year, issued by the school, was based on lessons learned from the previous school year. According to the homeroom teacher's report, the parents complained that: "The father agreed to let his child not take the exam, but the mother wanted her child to take the entrance exam and questioned the homeroom teacher," thus requiring a clear commitment.

According to the Hoc Mon District Department of Education and Training, the information posted online was removed from the page by the person responsible 60 minutes after it was published. The parents also apologized to the school and the homeroom teacher.

On May 4-5, at the teachers' council meeting, Ms. NP (Acting Principal) presented to the council that counseling is the responsibility of the school's management board and the homeroom teachers of grade 9, but the final decision on whether or not to take the exam rests with the students and their families; teachers do not force students in any way; the school does not use the results of the grade 10 entrance exam as a criterion for evaluating performance.

According to the Hoc Mon District Department of Education and Training: On May 2nd, the Head of the District Department of Education and Training held a regular meeting with the principals of junior high schools in the district. During this meeting, the Head of the Department of Education and Training reminded the schools about the tasks of considering graduation eligibility and preparing for the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2024-2025 school year. He also emphasized that schools should only advise students and parents on their choices for the 10th grade entrance exam; the final decision rests with the students and their parents; the results of the 10th grade entrance exam will not be used as a criterion for evaluating school performance; and parents and students will not be required to submit applications to be exempt from the 10th grade entrance exam.

Upon receiving the information, the Department of Education and Training immediately instructed the school to contact TCTV's parents and report the incident in detail to the Department of Education and Training. The school leadership was also instructed to immediately review all cases of 9th-grade students who wish not to attend a public high school, in order to provide timely advice and coordination with their families.

At the same time, we invite students who registered but did not enroll in public schools to come to the school on the morning of May 12th to remind parents and 9th-grade students of the school and guide them to change their first-choice application by the deadline of 4 PM on May 12th (if necessary). We also remind the school leader, Ms. NP, about the general management and student admissions counseling work in accordance with the directives of the Head of the Department of Education and Training at the Principals' meeting on May 2nd. The Department of Education and Training will hold a meeting on May 13th to remind and review the individuals involved to learn from this experience throughout the entire sector.

Since the morning of May 11th, a pre-printed application form titled "Request to not participate in the entrance exam for 10th grade in the 2024-2025 school year" has been causing a stir on student and parent forums in Ho Chi Minh City, leaving the name section blank for students and parents to fill in.

Besides the information of the parents, the student, and contact phone numbers, this letter also contains the following statement: “Based on the student's academic performance in the past school year and their limited cognitive abilities, the family believes that the student is unlikely to be able to keep up with the public high school program. Therefore, the family is submitting this letter to the school administration requesting permission for the student (student's name) to not participate in the 10th grade entrance exam organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, scheduled for June 6, 2024.”

The content of the letter immediately caused a stir on social media, with many reacting harshly, arguing that the school prioritized academic achievement over allowing the student to take the entrance exam for 10th grade.

Many other opinions also stated that regardless of the student's academic ability, even if they don't get into a public school in the upcoming 10th grade entrance exam, the school should not prohibit them from applying. "Distributing pre-printed forms like that is inappropriate," one comment read.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/vu-phat-don-xin-khong-thi-tuyen-lop-10-phong-gd-dt-hoc-mon-bao-cao-gi-196240512084756464.htm