The Minister of Education and Training (GDDT) has just issued Circular 06/2024 promulgating the Regulations on the National Science and Technology Research Competition for Secondary and High School Students, replacing the regulations issued since 2012.
Compared with the previous regulations, the new regulations have many changes and differences in purpose, requirements, and organizational processes.
Accordingly, in the new regulations, the competition will only be held at the national level, not at the provincial, district, or school levels as before.
The new regulations stipulate that “Each Department of Education and Training; each general school under the Ministry and ministerial-level agency (hereinafter referred to as schools under the Ministry); each university, college, institute, and academy with a general school is a participating unit”.
According to regulations, after the educational institution submits the competition project, the participating unit is responsible for organizing the selection of the competition project, preparing the profile and registering for the competition and sending it to the Ministry of Education and Training at least 30 days before the opening date of the competition.
According to the Regulations on National Science and Technology Competition for High School Students issued together with Circular 38/2012 dated November 2, 2012, the participating units shall direct and organize the Science and Technology Competition for High School Students in the locality and unit in accordance with actual conditions.
Based on the above regulations, every year, localities organize Science and Technology Competitions for high school students from school level, district level to provincial level, summarize and award prizes to students. The results of this competition are calculated with benefits equivalent to those of excellent student competitions in cultural subjects.
However, according to the new regulations issued with Circular 06/2024, the above content has been abolished; meaning that the competition will only be organized at the national level, not at the provincial, district, or school levels as before.
The new regulations also abolish the requirement for university and college lecturers to guide students in scientific research, and require general education institutions to assign teachers to guide and evaluate students' projects.
The new regulations also emphasize the requirements and goals of appropriateness, honesty and voluntary participation of students. Students who cheat and teachers who violate will be severely punished.
Previously, Lao Dong Newspaper and many other press agencies had many articles reflecting on the shortcomings, negative signs, and fraud of the previous National Science and Technology Research Competition for high school students.
These are phenomena with signs of duplicate projects, copying, adults doing projects on behalf of students to compete; many projects are beyond the level of high school students and have no practical application.
Many online marketplaces have appeared on social networks, openly selling topics and projects to participate in the Science and Technology Research Competition. Many people have spoken out against it, requesting that the competition be canceled because of negative signs.
Following the above developments, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Circular 06/2024 promulgating the Regulations on the National Science and Technology Research Competition with many changes as above.
