Instead of waiting until the last minute, as soon as the 10th-grade exam results were released, Ms. Tuyet Hong's family (Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) proactively took their child to visit and learn about vocational training programs in the city.
Choose vocational training for safety.
"I don't put pressure on my child regarding exams, nor do I force her to get into a public high school. However, when exam scores are no longer safe, parents must help their children explore new paths instead of letting their education be interrupted," Ms. Hong shared.
Similarly, Mr. Minh Tuan (Dong Thanh commune) said he had submitted an application for his son to enroll in a college near his home, under the 9+ program (a training program for students who have graduated from junior high school). Coming from a family with a tradition in engineering and mechanics, Mr. Tuan's son also wanted to pursue vocational training from an early age.
According to Mr. Tuan, getting accepted into a public high school is great, but failing to get into any of the three preferred choices is also okay. The most important thing is for the family to support and help their child determine their future career path.
Speaking to reporters on June 21, Dr. Hoang Van Viet, Head of the Training Management and International Cooperation Department at Ly Tu Trong College in Ho Chi Minh City, said that this year the school has allocated approximately 2,000 places for the 9+ intermediate level program. To date, the school has received over 200 applications.
"Compared to last year, the number of applications this year seems to be 'slow'. However, as soon as the cut-off scores for public high schools are announced, the number of applications for vocational schools will increase. Especially in some 'hot' majors, the quotas will be filled quickly," said Dr. Viet.
According to Dr. Viet, students who complete vocational training can absolutely transfer to college or university. This is a path that saves both tuition costs and time, while also allowing students to gain experience and enter the labor market sooner.
Parents should proactively research career paths after lower secondary school so that their children can make suitable choices. (In the photo: Students and parents during the 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: HOANG TRIEU)
Learn from the South Korean model.
During a recent business trip, Dr. Phan Thi Le Thu, Vice Principal of Vien Dong College, had the opportunity to survey the vocational high school model in Gyeongsangbuk-do province, South Korea.
According to Dr. Thu, after graduating from junior high school in South Korea, students can choose to attend vocational high schools with a 3-year program. During that time, they will both complete the full high school curriculum and receive vocational training in their chosen field, such as: information technology, digital communication, international trade, nursing, mechanics, electronics, tourism , finance, beauty care, artificial intelligence, etc.
Experience from South Korea shows that career guidance is not about "straying" but about "turning in the right direction." When students are exposed to career paths early, they are more motivated to learn, reducing the tendency to focus on certain subjects or study only superficially, and increasing their chances of finding employment after graduation.
"This is also an effective solution to address the shortage of skilled technical workers at the intermediate and college levels that Vietnam is currently facing," Dr. Thu affirmed.
According to Dr. Thu, the South Korean vocational high school model and the 9+ model of Vien Dong College have many similarities. However, the biggest difference lies in the structure of the cultural and vocational programs and the diploma system upon graduation.
In South Korea, vocational high school students complete the full regular high school curriculum over three years. Upon graduation, students receive both a high school diploma and a national vocational certificate.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam today, according to the 9+ program regulations, most vocational schools only teach four cultural subjects as stipulated in Circular 15/2022/TT-BGDĐT of the Ministry of Education and Training, which regulates the teaching of high school-level cultural knowledge in vocational education institutions. Upon graduation, students receive a certificate of completion of high school-level cultural knowledge from the vocational school, not a high school diploma.
"To create more opportunities for learners, Viễn Đông College proactively collaborates with continuing education units to organize the teaching of a 7-subject cultural program according to the high school-level continuing education curriculum. Thanks to this, students can both learn a trade and complete the high school cultural program, and are fully capable of participating in the high school graduation exam to apply for university admission," Dr. Thu emphasized.
Proactively explore new directions.
Instead of studying abroad only after finishing high school, Ms. Vo Thanh Huong, Head of Admissions and Communications at Ho Chi Minh City International College, said that many students have proactively built their study abroad plans early after graduating from junior high school. This is considered a strategic step that helps students save time and optimize their study costs.
The most notable scholarship is the INTENSE scholarship. This is a 100% free scholarship for students studying at the International College of Ho Chi Minh City who wish to transfer to an international university in all majors, especially semiconductor technology. Students will study for two years at the International College of Ho Chi Minh City, while also studying Traditional Chinese to achieve TOCFL A2 level before transferring to Taiwan (China).
In particular, this program offers extremely favorable support policies: students only pay 30% of the tuition fee for the Chinese language course at the college, and if they pass the interview, the tuition fee will be refunded; studying in Taiwan, students receive 100% free tuition, 100% free dormitory accommodation, and a living allowance of over 22.5 million VND/month.
Ms. Huong stated that not only Taiwan, but also markets like Japan and Germany are experiencing a shortage of nursing staff. Students who acquire additional Japanese or German language skills can easily access job opportunities in these countries with high recruitment demand.
According to Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Vocational Education Association, the labor market is experiencing a clear shortage of manpower in four major sectors. First and foremost is the high-tech, electronics-semiconductor, and manufacturing sectors, due to the surge in FDI enterprises opening factories, leading to unprecedented demand for production engineers, CNC technicians, and machine maintenance personnel.
In addition, the green shift has led to a shortage of solar power operation engineers, installers, and project managers in the renewable energy and infrastructure construction sectors.
Maximum tuition fee support
Dr. Dinh Van De, Acting Principal of Ly Tu Trong College in Ho Chi Minh City, believes that one of the key factors attracting more students to vocational education and training (VET) is the diverse tuition fee support policy system. According to current regulations, students graduating from junior high school who choose to pursue intermediate-level training at VET institutions will receive a 100% tuition fee waiver.
Furthermore, to encourage human resources to serve socio -economic development, Decree No. 238/2025/ND-CP also stipulates a 70% reduction in tuition fees for students studying strenuous, hazardous, or specialized occupations. Thus, at public vocational training institutions, students in this category only need to pay approximately 30% of the prescribed tuition fee, with the remainder being covered and directly subsidized by the State.
Calculating the cutoff scores for 10th grade in Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking with a reporter from Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, said that previously, in the old area (Area 1 - Ho Chi Minh City), the admission process was carried out sequentially: considering all first-choice applications, then moving on to second and third choices.
Following the merger of Ho Chi Minh City, the Examination Steering Committee agreed to switch to a method of simultaneously considering all three nguyện vọng (preferences/choices) and announcing the results together.
"The delay in announcing the cutoff scores by the Department of Education and Training is not due to a lack of time to process the information, but because the department is striving to minimize the rate of 'ghost' applications, avoiding a situation where students from specialized schools are simultaneously admitted to regular schools, thus depriving other students of opportunities and quotas," Mr. Phong affirmed.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, after students admitted to specialized 10th-grade classes, integrated English classes, and those admitted through direct enrollment confirm their enrollment on June 23rd, the Department will calculate the cut-off scores for the general 10th-grade program.
This is Ho Chi Minh City's standard procedure for calculating the most accurate 10th-grade entrance exam cutoff scores. Additionally, there are cases each year where hundreds of students pass the entrance exams for specialized or integrated English programs but do not enroll, instead applying to regular programs. If the cutoff scores for general 10th-grade programs are determined without considering this group, the results may be inaccurate.
D. Trinh
Source: https://nld.com.vn/tim-cua-sang-sau-khi-biet-diem-thi-lop-10-196260621204851648.htm
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