First graders had to write essays about books: Adjusting the contest rules

On May 22, the leader of the Department of Culture and Sports of Quang Binh province confirmed that they had adjusted the rules of the Reading Culture Ambassador contest. The adjustment revolved around the announcement that the organizing committee would not require students to participate, especially in the lower grades of primary school.

Regarding the question in the above contest rules, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Binh said that this question was drafted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and applied nationwide.

It is known that after the press reported on the shortcomings in organizing the contest, the Library Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism contacted the leaders of the Quang Binh Provincial Library, requesting to send documents and papers related to the organization of the contest in this locality for consideration and appropriate adjustments.

Authorities in Quang Binh have adjusted the rules of the Reading Culture Ambassador contest to clarify that students participate voluntarily (Photo: Tien Thanh).

As Dan Tri reported, recently, many parents with children studying at Primary School in Dong Hoi City, Quang Binh Province received a notice from the school, requesting their children to participate in the Quang Binh Province Reading Culture Ambassador Contest in 2024.

According to many parents, letting their children participate in a contest is completely normal, however, when reading the rules, many parents were shocked by the requirements in the exam for primary school students, including first and second graders.

Specifically, in the contest rules, primary and secondary school students will choose 1 of 2 exam topics, each with 2 questions.

In the first topic, there are 2 questions, including: "In the works you have read, which character has inspired you, guided you towards a positive lifestyle, being responsible to society, arousing your desire to contribute and develop the country?" and "Please develop an action plan to develop a reading culture for yourself and the community, especially for children in remote areas, ethnic minority children, and children with disabilities".

In topic number 2 there are also 2 questions, but the only difference from topic number 1 is the first question: "Write a continuation of a story or a book that you have read to spread the love of reading, thereby arousing responsibility for yourself, your family and society and arousing national pride and love for the Fatherland".

Regarding the exam format, students are required to do one of two ways, handwritten or typed, no more than 5,000 words, or less than 15 typed pages, and participate in the exam by video , clip, minimum 5 minutes, maximum 10 minutes. The rules also require that the exam must be done by the individual candidate.

Some parents said that according to the school's announcement, all students from grades 1 to 5 are required to participate in the contest. However, the contest rules include exam questions that are not suitable for primary school students, especially grades 1 and 2, because the exam questions require writing essays about books and developing plans to develop a reading culture, which is beyond the students' ability.

The leader of the Department of Culture and Sports of Quang Binh explained that when implementing the contest to the units, there was no intention of forcing students to participate, but any student who felt suitable could participate. However, the contest implementation document did not clearly state that participation was voluntary, so some schools informed all students to participate.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/vu-hoc-sinh-lop-1-da-phai-viet-bai-luan-ve-sach-dieu-chinh-the-le-cuoc-thi-20240522155229906.htm