How does the city with the second largest number of students in the country recruit and take the 10th grade entrance exam?

Always ensure 70% or more of students go to public schools, no shortage of places to study

Ho Chi Minh City has the largest population in the country with nearly 10 million people, ranking second in the country in terms of the number of students (after Hanoi ) with about 1.7 million students at all levels. The annual 10th grade exam has about 100,000 candidates participating.

In terms of scale, Ho Chi Minh City currently has 114 public high schools, including 3 specialized schools; 91 non-public and international schools; each district has 1 continuingeducation center, not to mention dozens of secondary schools and vocational colleges, ensuring that students graduating from grade 9 do not lack places to study in grade 10.

Starting from 2017, Ho Chi Minh City has stepped up the work of streamlining after junior high school. This school year, more than 70,000 9th graders took the 10th grade entrance exam, of which 63,000 students got a place in public schools, and nearly 2,000 students got into specialized classes.

According to the orientation of the post-secondary education system, starting from this school year, the quota for public grade 10 in Ho Chi Minh City is expected to decrease by 3% each year. The goal is that by 2020, the percentage of students attending public high schools will be only 70%. For many consecutive years, despite the fluctuation in the number of students taking the 10th grade entrance exam, Ho Chi Minh City has maintained the rate of 70% of students having a place in public schools.

In 2018, there were 105,000 junior high school graduates (fewer students taking grade 10 exams), while the total target for public grade 10 was about 70,000 students. In 2019, there were more than 80,000 candidates registering for the grade 10 exam, the public enrollment target was more than 67,000.

Students in Ho Chi Minh City take the 10th grade entrance exam. Photo: Nguyen Hue

By 2020, there were 96,000 students graduating from junior high school, but 14,000 candidates actively did not take the 10th grade entrance exam, leaving 82,000 candidates taking the exam and the enrollment target for public 10th grade was more than 67,000 students.

The Covid-19 epidemic peaked in Ho Chi Minh City in 2021, so this year there was no entrance exam for grade 10, but 114 public high schools admitted 67,989 students, accounting for 70% of the total number of students in grade 9 at that time.

By 2022, there will be 93,277 candidates taking the 10th grade entrance exam, of which 114 public high schools in the area will enroll 72,784 students.

In 2023, about 96,000 students will take the 10th grade entrance exam, while the target for public schools is 77,300 students.

Most recently, in 2024, although there were 114,933 junior high school graduates, only 98,681 students took the 10th grade entrance exam. Meanwhile, the enrollment target for public schools is 71,020 students. 16,252 students who voluntarily did not take the exam accounted for 14.15%. This figure was 14.33% in 2022, and 15.35% in 2023.

The Department of Education and Training conducted a preliminary survey at the Department of Education and Training of districts and Thu Duc City and found that there were many reasons why students actively did not take the exam, such as: Being eligible for direct admission (7.42%); choosing to study abroad or change their residence (9.37%); learning a trade at colleges or intermediate schools, studying at continuing education - vocational education centers or continuing to study at private schools (79.63%); other reasons (3.58%).

“Choosing a career path after graduating from junior high school that is suitable for the individual’s learning and career development needs, corresponding to the development of society, is a positive trend among students and parents today. This also reflects the types of schools, continuing education centers - vocational education, colleges, intermediate schools, and vocational schools in the city have gradually affirmed their reputation and training quality to the people,” the Department of Education and Training commented.

This year, Ho Chi Minh City has more than 88,000 students graduating from grade 9, while the quota for grade 10 in public schools is more than 70,000 students.

Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of Office of the Department of Education and Training, said that with the above target, the rate of junior high school graduates entering public grade 10 is about 79%, an increase of 14% compared to last year. It is expected that the Department will propose to the City People's Committee to allow Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted and Nguyen Thi Dinh High School for the Gifted to accept more students; at the same time, assign the target to a newly built school in Binh Tan District. If approved, the rate of students entering public grade 10 will reach over 80%. Continuing education centers will recruit 17,000 students; nearly 100 private and international schools will also recruit tens of thousands of students, ensuring enough space for students who fail the public grade 10 exam to study.

Science in examination and selection

For many years, Ho Chi Minh City has always organized entrance exams for grade 10 with 3 subjects: Math, Literature and Foreign Language. Previously, the entrance exam score for grade 10 was Math and Literature with coefficient 2, Foreign Language with coefficient 1. But from 2021, all 3 subjects of Math, Literature and Foreign Language will be calculated with coefficient 1.

“This change aims to affirm the importance of foreign languages. This is also an important subject, the foundation in the process of training high-quality human resources for the city,” said Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training.

Over the years, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has applied a number of methods to reduce psychological pressure on students and parents. The head of the city's education sector has always required schools to increase career counseling so that parents and students, especially grade 9 students, have full information about the streaming process. Schools guide students to register their admission wishes to grade 10 in the spirit of respecting the choices of students and their families.

Students relax after the 10th grade exam in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nguyen Hue

According to regulations, each candidate can register 3 wishes in order of priority 1, 2, 3 to enter grade 10 at public high schools that are suitable for their learning ability, close to their place of residence to facilitate going to school when admitted and reduce traffic pressure according to the city's policy. For candidates applying to specialized schools, integrate the wish to take an additional specialized subject exam right after taking the regular subject exam.

In mid-April every year, the Department of Education and Training will announce the quota for public grade 10. Students then have about 10 days to register their wishes online. When registration closes, the Department of Education and Training will compile the number of students registering for each school according to their first choice and publicly announce it, so that parents and students know the competition ratio of each school. After that, the Department of Education and Training will give students 5 days to adjust their wishes if they want.

“This regulation is to help candidates increase their chances of entering public grade 10. Because the first time, students register their first choice but do not know the total number of choices to enter that school. For example, a school has an enrollment quota of 500 students but statistics show that there are 1,000 first choices. If it remains the same, about 500 students will definitely fail. However, if adjustments are made, students can change their first choice to another school with fewer choices/quotas, and the chance of being admitted will be higher. This does not affect the quality of the city's annual grade 10 enrollment,” said an official from the Department.

For private schools and continuing education centers, the recruitment process is carried out over a long period of time, proactively but not exceeding the assigned quota. From this year, private schools will also recruit students on the Department's management system, with the Department of Examinations and Education Quality Assessment responsible for and guiding.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tphcm-thi-tuyen-sinh-vao-lop-10-nhu-the-nao-2391198.html