Ho Chi Minh City: How do the two Tran Dai Nghia schools operate?

Học sinh Trường THPT chuyên Trần Đại Nghĩa trong một hoạt động ở trường - Ảnh: Nhà trường cung cấp — Students of Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School participating in a school activity - Photo: Provided by the school.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training's proposal to separate Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School proposes the following enrollment targets for the 2024-2025 school year for the two new schools: Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School (headquartered at Lot P2, 38.4-hectare resettlement area, An Khanh Ward, Thu Duc City, hereinafter referred to as the Thu Duc City school) will enroll 35 students per class in specialized classes of mathematics, literature, physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science, with 4 classes of 140 students each.

Tran Dai Nghia Secondary and High School (located at 53 Nguyen Du Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, hereinafter referred to as the school in District 1) is recruiting 350 students for grade 6 and 450 students for grade 10.

If this proposal is approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the enrollment quota for 6th grade this year will be significantly lower than last year (last year's quota was 535 6th grade students).

The specialized classes are still held in District 1.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu (Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training) said: "In the 2023-2024 school year, Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School will have a training scale of 106 classes with 3,540 students. This includes 62 junior high school classes with 2,177 students; and 44 high school classes. The high school level comprises 27 specialized classes with 796 students, 9 non-specialized classes with 311 students, and 8 integrated classes with 256 students."

The Department proposed a transitional period when separating Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School. For the first two years, 11th and 12th grade students (including non-specialized classes) will continue to study and live at the District 1 campus, although their administrative structure will belong to the school in Thu Duc City. This means that the old classes will study in District 1 until graduation to ensure stability and avoid negatively impacting the psychology of parents and students.

Specifically for students in grades 7, 8, and 9, the school separation plan proposes transferring these students entirely to the school in District 1. However, some parents believe this would disadvantage students, especially those who aspire to apply for scholarships to study abroad after completing junior high school.

"Back in 6th grade, our children took the entrance exam and passed to enter the 6th grade at Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School. Although the junior high school level doesn't offer specialized programs, having the title of a student from a specialized school is an advantage when applying for scholarships to study abroad. Now that the school has been separated, our children have become students of Tran Dai Nghia Junior High and High School, meaning there is no longer a specialized school," one parent stated.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Hieu affirmed: "The Department will take into account the parents' opinions and is considering the best solution based on ensuring the rights of the students."

Regarding the teaching staff, initially, teachers from Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School will teach at both new schools according to the coordination and agreement of the principals of the two schools.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu (Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City)

Identify the operating model

According to Mr. Hieu, the school in Thu Duc City will operate under the regulations for specialized schools. The school will continue to recruit high school students aged 15 and above who are intelligent, have achieved good results in their studies and training at the junior high school level, and have sufficient ability to study at a specialized school.

The school in District 1 enrolls students from junior high to high school who are healthy, have good morals, and have an average or above-average academic record. The school will operate under a high-quality, internationally integrated school model (not the advanced, internationally integrated school model that many high schools in Ho Chi Minh City are currently implementing).

Specifically, admission to grade 6 will be conducted through an entrance exam set by the department, while admission to grade 10 will be done jointly with the city-wide grade 10 entrance exam.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training stated that one of the criteria for separating Tran Dai Nghia School is to avoid increasing the number of employees receiving salaries from the state budget. Financially, it ensures that the existing level of financial autonomy is not reduced. However, both schools need to utilize existing facilities while simultaneously building and supplementing equipment to expand their operations according to the established model.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, both new schools are capable of providing boarding facilities, meaning students can study and live at school all day. The school in Thu Duc City has a total land area of 22,219.4 m2; 30 classrooms, a gymnasium, mini football field, basketball court, badminton court, aerobics room, and sports field...

The school in District 1 has an area of 12,381.1 m2; 80 classrooms, and a campus with shady trees, flower gardens, ornamental plants, and playgrounds... Both campuses have sufficient functional rooms such as a library, physics, chemistry and biology laboratories, technology laboratories, computer rooms, foreign language classrooms; a multi-purpose hall and auxiliary areas for offices.

The school in District 1, in particular, has a state-of-the-art, smart library with complete equipment and a computer system connected to the Internet, meeting the research, teaching, and learning needs of teachers and students.

Based on the provisions of the Education Law

Assessing the social impact after the separation of Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training stated that: The school in Thu Duc City will still maintain its attractiveness in recruiting students for specialized classes at the high school level; helping to develop the school's strengths in nurturing gifted students and providing comprehensive education. Specialized students will still have opportunities when participating in admissions, applying for scholarships, and participating in international academic exchanges...

Schools in District 1 continue to implement the junior and senior high school curriculum, as well as the high-quality school model with international integration (i.e., educating students in a way that approaches the educational standards of the region and internationally), meeting the needs and aspirations of students and parents.

The proposed school separation will not cause major disruptions to the organizational structure, personnel, or the organization and implementation of the educational program. At the same time, the school in District 1 will continue to leverage its strengths in educating secondary school students.

It is understood that the separation of the school stems from regulations in the Education Law and the regulations for specialized schools, which prohibit the existence of non-specialized classes within specialized schools.

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