Continuing the winning streak

In the early days of spring 2026, the results of the National Excellent Student Selection Examination for the 2025-2026 school year once again affirmed the position of Lao Cai province's leading education sector, continuing its impressive streak of achievements with 134 awards, an increase of 5 awards compared to the previous school year, ranking 8th nationwide in the number of awards.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training , Lao Cai province had 134 out of 200 participating students in 10 teams winning awards, including 2 first prizes, 25 second prizes, 47 third prizes, and 60 consolation prizes, ranking 8th nationwide in the number of awards.

Behind those impressive numbers and proud awards lies a long and arduous journey, filled with the dedication and determination of the coaches and students of the national teams.

Nguyen Ngoc Thuy Chi, a 12th-grade student specializing in English at Nguyen Tat Thanh High School for the Gifted, won third prize in the national English competition in the 2025-2026 school year and always considers English as a tool to open the door to the world .

To achieve those results, Thùy Chi's secret lies in nothing more than focusing on expanding her vocabulary through repeated writing and studying; mastering advanced grammatical structures; and practicing essay writing and analytical writing with clear thinking and rigorous argumentation.

Thùy Chi shared: "Besides classroom lessons, I practice listening by watching English videos on a variety of topics. All four skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – need to be honed equally, with particular attention paid to speaking and writing. National-level competitions for gifted students require not only strong English skills but also a broad understanding of society, a diverse vocabulary and sentence structures, and a well-structured and logical essay. This ensures that my written and spoken work avoids repetition, is insightful, and persuasive."

Thùy Chi regularly practices her listening skills by watching English videos.

Looking back at this year's exam, Thùy Chi assessed that although it presented many challenges, it was appropriate for a national-level gifted student. She really liked that the difficult questions stimulated her brain and provided an opportunity to overcome her own limitations.

This year's achievements also reflect the systematic investment of the Lao Cai education sector over the years: early identification of gifted students, building a team of highly specialized teachers, and creating increasingly better learning conditions, materials, and facilities.

Despite being the first school year operating under the merged province, facing numerous organizational and personnel challenges, the Provincial Department of Education and Training immediately directed Nguyen Tat Thanh Specialized High School and Lao Cai Specialized High School to implement the program of nurturing gifted students.

From instilling the right mindset, organizing conferences to discuss coordination, developing plans and strategies for training, to selecting core teachers and preparing accommodation for the team members, everything was coordinated seamlessly.

The two schools have granted autonomy to 10 teams to proactively develop their programs, assign teaching responsibilities for specific subjects, and select and invite experts for each subject. The Department of Education and Training has also established a core team of 91 teachers to participate in teaching.

A training session for the Math team at Lao Cai Specialized High School.

Teacher Tran Hoai Vu - a teacher of the national math team at Lao Cai Specialized High School - shared: The process of training gifted students for the national competition is carried out seriously in three stages. Stage 1 involves learning with core teachers at the two specialized schools, stage 2 involves learning from experts, and stage 3 involves consolidating knowledge and honing skills.

During the training process, we intensified the practice of test-taking skills, presentation skills, and organized mock exams... We not only taught knowledge but also provided emotional support, helping the students regain their balance when they were tired.

During their time on the team, the students also made many new friends, broadened their perspectives, and learned many new things.

Between October 1st and December 22nd, 2025, core teachers directly taught 978 sessions, exceeding the plan by 378 sessions, invited 71 experts to teach 410 sessions, along with countless exchanges and discussions that lasted for hours, days, and locations.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Lan, Principal of Nguyen Tat Thanh Specialized High School, said: “Before inviting experts, core teachers had built a solid foundation of knowledge and skills for students. Experts were invited to teach each topic as it was taught, with specific requests to ensure that the experts' teaching supplemented and enhanced the students' needs. In addition, we organized mock exams every 2-3 weeks, increased practice with expert-designed questions, and invited experts to grade and correct the papers.”

Under that guidance, the students went through a series of diligent study and review sessions, repeatedly testing their abilities, adjusting their methods, and overcoming their own limitations. It was also a persistent process of cultivating willpower, resilience, and a desire to conquer the heights of knowledge for each student.

Leaders of the Department of Education and Training met with and encouraged students before the exam day.

Nguyen Phan Thao Nguyen, a student from Chu Van An High School in Mau A commune and a member of the History team, shared: "We are extremely grateful to our teachers – those who have dedicated their hearts, minds, and time to training the team. Not only have they imparted in-depth knowledge, but they have also always encouraged and motivated us, helping us to be more confident and mentally strong."

Concluding an emotionally charged exam season, today's achievements are not just the result of an exam, but also a measure of the vision, capabilities, and aspirations of Lao Cai's education system. This series of "golden achievements" affirms the province's leading position in education nationwide, laying the foundation for a future generation rich in knowledge and capabilities, ready to shoulder responsibility for their homeland.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/tiep-noi-chuoi-thanh-tich-vang-post892225.html