Students 'cry for help' because they are not allowed to take graduation exams on an outside stage

Hoping to graduate from professional theater, invested more than 100 million VND

In this appeal, the collective of students of the 28th class of drama and film actors of the Ho Chi Minh City College of Culture and Arts said: “With the desire to organize the practical graduation exam at the Bong Sen Traditional Music and Dance Theater and Tran Huu Trang Opera House - professional performance venues, ensuring sound, lighting, and actual stage space conditions suitable for the profession, our class has come up with the idea of taking the graduation exam outside since September 2024”.

The class representative said that the class had proactively planned, mobilized social resources and implemented from April 2025. Specifically, the stage deposit was 43 million VND, stage design, sound, lighting, music , costumes... with a total cost of more than 110 million VND.

In addition, over 80 specialized individuals were mobilized to participate in backstage, technical, filming - photography, makeup, MC, coordination... and finalized the performance schedule for June 15, in line with the progress of the school-wide graduation exam.

Sinh viên ‘kêu cứu’ vì không được thi tốt nghiệp theo nguyện vọng - Ảnh 1. — The graduation exam for students majoring in drama and cinema is determined to be held at the school in the school document issued on April 21.

“The exam at a professional stage is completely legal, and has special significance for professions that require practical performance such as drama and film actors. The school's training regulations also state that 'the graduation exam for the practical subject can be held outside the school and approved by the principal'. In addition, the organization of graduation exams for the drama and film acting major of the school was often held outside the school campus, due to the limitations of the school's stage," said the class representative.

Students of class K28A also said that on May 21, the class submitted the proposal to the leaders of the Department of Theatre with the consent of the lecturers and the organizing team. The head of the department, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Phuong, replied that she would ask for the opinion of Ms. Ho Ngoc Minh, the Vice Principal in charge of the school.

“After meeting Ms. Minh three times to ask for permission for the class, Ms. Phuong informed the class that Ms. Minh had refused to let the class take the exam outside. On May 21, to help Ms. Minh better understand the determination, the difficulties of the class, and the expenses the class had invested, our class made a 'Review Application' with the content asking the school leaders to consider and approve the class to take the graduation exam outside the school. But Ms. Phuong replied that Ms. Minh did not agree and had returned the application to the faculty,” said the K28A class.

According to the class representative, if the school does not allow the competition to be held at the registered stage, students will suffer serious consequences including financial losses of more than 43 million VND in deposits paid to outside units (stage, design, music, photography, etc.), and the inability to rearrange the entire crew of more than 40 people because the performance schedule has been fixed.

“If the exam is held in a limited space at the school, it will not ensure professional quality, break the professional standards of the acting industry, and negatively impact the psychology, reputation, and motivation of students before graduation,” said class K28A.

“This is a graduation ceremony, not a performance.”

Talking with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporter Regarding this issue, Ms. Ho Ngoc Minh, Vice Principal in charge of Ho Chi Minh City College of Culture and Arts, affirmed: “This is a graduation exam, not a performance. The graduation exam involves many stages and is planned in advance according to school regulations. Therefore, students must comply with the regulations.”

According to Ms. Minh, on April 21, the school issued a plan to organize the graduation exam for full-time students of the 28th course, including the drama-cinema acting major, based on the plan sent by the faculty. This plan of the school clearly states what the exam includes and where it will be held. Accordingly, the drama-cinema acting major will organize a graduation exam for the practical subject with the content of "creating and perfecting a role in a theatrical work" at hall A, from June 17-19.

“Class K28A planned to take the graduation exam outside without consulting the faculty and the school. The school has been licensed to open a major and provide training for many years now, and has adequate facilities to meet professional requirements, so organizing the graduation exam at the school is in accordance with regulations. Students do not need to hire outside facilities, which is very expensive. If they want to organize a performance for family, friends, and audiences to watch, they can do it separately, but the graduation exam must be organized according to school regulations,” Ms. Ho Ngoc Minh shared.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Phuong, head of the Department of Theater, also confirmed that the department had previously talked about the graduation exam plan since mid-February, but no students of class K28A had registered with the department about their wish to take the graduation exam outside the school.

Ms. Phuong provided the document regulating college-level training according to the school year system issued by Decision 203 dated October 24, 2022, which is: "Graduation exams for practical subjects can be organized outside the school and approved by the principal".

“However, if students want to take the graduation exam outside, they must register and submit their scripts in advance. If the school stage does not meet the requirements, the department will ask the school leadership for consideration. However, near the end of May, the department only heard students talking to each other and it was not until May 21 that they submitted their application to the department, while the plan had been issued since April 21. Not to mention that if the graduation exam is organized outside as a performance with a large audience, the impacts from objective factors may affect the students' psychology, leading to poor results,” Ms. Bich Phuong commented.

Ms. Minh said that on June 3, the school leaders had a meeting with the Department of Theater and concluded that K28A students will still take the graduation exam at the school according to the plan issued by the school. Regarding the financial 'losses' that the students mentioned, Ms. Minh informed: "The school also discussed with the students that if they have deposited with an outside theater, the school will support them by contacting them to get their deposit back."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sinh-vien-keu-cuu-vi-khong-duoc-thi-tot-nghiep-tai-san-khau-ben-ngoai-185250605081959698.htm