Ho Chi Minh City officially proposes a foreign language as the third exam subject.

(NLĐO) - The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has proposed granting schools more autonomy in organizing the 10th grade entrance exam, including: Choosing a third exam subject that suits the specific characteristics of each locality.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training (GD-ĐT) has officially sent a document to the Department of Secondary Education - Ministry of Education and Training, providing feedback for the second time on some proposed amendments and additions to the Ministry's Regulations on Secondary School and High School Admissions.

According to the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, based on feedback from the District Departments of Education and Training and general education institutions in the area, the department has compiled opinions and recommendations for the Ministry of Education and Training to consider adjusting some contents. Specifically:

Regarding the content "On organizing the entrance examination for 10th grade in high schools :   The basis for admission is the student's conduct and academic performance in all years of the lower secondary education program (GEP) or the lower secondary continuing education program. If a student repeats a grade, the results from the repeated year will be used.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training commented: Using the academic and behavioral performance results of the four years of junior high school as a basis for admission could create unfairness in the admissions process, leading to a lack of parental consensus. This is because students' academic results at different schools can be influenced by various factors, creating discrepancies in teachers' evaluations. In the long run, this could lead to the practice of "beautifying" academic records to increase students' chances of admission.

Candidates in the 2024 10th grade entrance exam

Regarding the organization of the 10th grade high school entrance exam : There are 3 subjects, including mathematics, literature, and a third subject or combined test. The third subject/combined test is chosen by the Department of Education and Training or the higher education institution from one of two options, and is announced before March 31st of each year.

The third subject is chosen from among the graded subjects in the lower secondary education curriculum. The choice of the third subject changes over the years to achieve the goal of comprehensive education in the basic education stage. The combined subject exam is also chosen from among the graded subjects in the lower secondary education curriculum.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training commented: The 2018 General Education Program was built on the basis of the Party and State's viewpoint on fundamental and comprehensive reform of education and training, inheriting and promoting the advantages of previous programs. The actual implementation of the program has shown many strengths and improvements, most notably a greater focus on developing the qualities and competencies of learners.

At the lower secondary level, Circular 32/2018 of the Ministry of Education and Training clearly stipulates that students must be able to access basic knowledge and issues, understand principles, and determine their own orientation, as a basis for choosing suitable subjects at the upper secondary level for in-depth study and research, and as a foundation for career orientation at the university level according to their strengths.

Therefore, the decision on the third exam subject must ensure that it does not affect students' psychological well-being, revision process, and subject choices at the high school level. Based on the 2018 General Education Program, high school has six compulsory subjects: Literature, Mathematics, Foreign Language, Physical Education, National Defense and Security Education, and History. Of these, the foreign language is compulsory and students must study it throughout grade 3 to grade 12; for the remaining subjects, students may choose not to study them during their three years of high school, depending on their career aspirations. Therefore, randomly selecting subjects other than Mathematics and Literature leads to students having to take exams in subjects outside their career path, causing psychological "shock" and stress before the exam.

Based on this, choosing a foreign language as the third subject ensures psychological stability and aligns with the career orientation goals of all students, given the consistent nature of the 2018 General Education Program. The selection of a foreign language meets the objectives set forth by the Politburo in Conclusion 91-KL/TW regarding the gradual introduction of English as a second language in schools, aiming to cultivate learners into future global citizens.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has requested the Ministry of Education and Training to promptly issue regulations so that provincial departments can develop enrollment plans, guidance documents, and prepare facilities.

Regarding the simultaneous announcement of admission scores and exam results, the Department of Education and Training suggests : Allowing localities to decide the timing of the announcement of admission scores based on their local enrollment characteristics, ensuring the rights of candidates and aligning with the Ministry of Education and Training's school opening schedule. This aims to help localities proactively adjust their enrollment plans to suit the actual conditions and needs of the region. It avoids situations where a single candidate is admitted to multiple schools and types of education simultaneously, causing imbalances in enrollment quotas. It also allows high schools to proactively prepare appropriate facilities and personnel; ensuring fairness in enrollment and optimizing the allocation of students according to their aspirations and abilities.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the issuance of a unified national regulation on secondary and high school admissions is necessary. This regulation will serve as a basis for provincial Departments of Education and Training to develop admission regulations suitable to their localities. This will help make secondary and high school admissions increasingly open and transparent, meeting the demands of society, especially in the 2025-2026 school year, the first year of organizing the high school entrance exam under the 2018 general education program.

To facilitate the development of appropriate regulations and provide effective support to localities, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training proposes that the Ministry of Education and Training consider granting autonomy to provincial Departments of Education and Training in organizing the exam, including: selecting a suitable third subject; developing regulations for organizing the work, invigilation, marking, and marking; selecting personnel to participate in the exam; and deciding on the time for announcing the results. This decentralization will allow provincial Departments of Education and Training to flexibly adjust the organization of the exam according to the development goals of each locality.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, regulations need to be issued soon so that provincial Departments of Education and Training can develop enrollment plans, guidance documents, and prepare facilities, etc.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thi-lop-10-tp-hcm-chinh-thuc-de-xuat-mon-thi-thu-3-la-ngoai-ngu-196241217134203897.htm