On the afternoon of October 7, at the regular Government press conference, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong said that this school year, the entrance exam for grade 10 high school and the high school graduation exam according to the 2018 General Education Program will fall between June and July 2025.
Therefore, the Ministry of Education and Training is urgently developing regulations for entrance exams to grade 10 high school and high school graduation exams.
It is expected that by November 2024, the Ministry will issue the High School Exam Regulations. At the same time, it is expected that on October 15, the draft Regulations on the entrance exam for grade 10 of high school will be posted on the Ministry of Education and Training's electronic information portal.
Regarding the entrance exam to grade 10 high school, the Ministry of Education and Training identifies 3 core principles and viewpoints.
The first is not to put pressure or cause costs to parents, students and society, with a concise spirit. Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong said that this is the consistent principle according to Resolution 29 on comprehensive fundamental innovation of education and training.
The second principle is that examination regulations must promote educational activities, especially comprehensive education, so that students are equipped with basic qualities and abilities and have the conditions to continue studying at higher levels.
Or if students change or stream to vocational training, they will also have a foundation of capacity to practice their profession. Accordingly, the subjects and methods of examination must also be linked to the process of regular testing and evaluation, and final examination and evaluation.
Students are guaranteed a foundation and competence between natural sciences, social sciences and instrumental subjects suitable for current innovation trends such as foreign languages, science and technology, STEM...
The third principle is to ensure State management at the macro level. That is, the Ministry of Education and Training stipulates a framework to serve the work of inspection, examination, and assessment of premises. At the same time, there must be decentralization, delegation of authority, clear authority, and responsibility of the Departments of Education and Training in the contents under their authority.
From these three basic principles, the Ministry directed the development of regulations for admission to grade 10 high school with basic contents on examination methods. There are three examination methods: entrance examination, selection and combination of entrance examination and selection.
All of these contents are under the local authority's advice for the province to approve and select based on the number of inputs... Regarding the exam subjects, there are compulsory subjects which are literature and math. The third subject is an optional subject which will be selected by the local Department of Education and Training and decided by the People's Committees of provinces and cities.
Regarding the selection of the third subject in the 10th grade entrance exam, there are opinions that if localities choose it themselves, it may be influenced by the subjective will of the leaders, causing many consequences; but if a fixed subject is chosen, the ministry is worried that it will cause a situation of rote learning, lopsided learning...
Therefore, the Ministry of Education and Training is seeking opinions in many different ways. This year, it may be natural science, next year social science, or by drawing lots for the exam subjects.
The Ministry of Education and Training is responsible for implementing a unified "framework" and stricter regulations on test setting, invigilation, grading... to avoid risks and shortcomings.
The Ministry will continue to consult with departments to develop circulars based on the principles of ensuring consistency in State management, ensuring scientific assessment and ensuring output according to the objectives of the new general education program.
