Worry about falling graduation rates
The workshop “Improving the quality of education and improving the average score of high school graduation exams” was held on October 26. The purpose of the workshop is to summarize and share experiences related to the management of educational activities and the organization of high school graduation exams according to the 2018 General Education Program, aiming to improve the average score of high school graduation exams from the 2024-2025 school year and improve the quality of education in Ca Mau province.
The workshop had 14 presentations sharing experiences in management and necessary factors to improve the quality of education, improve the quality of high school graduation exams; experiences in directing the organization of review for exam subjects and topics related to review in high school graduation exams; as well as providing solutions to improve the quality of average high school exam scores in 2025 and the following years.
At the workshop, Director of the Department of Education and Training (GDDT) Ca Mau Nguyen Thanh Luan said that the high school graduation rate in 2024 of the province reached 99.11%, down from the last 2 years of 2022 (99.16%) and 2023 (99.22%), but the average score of all exams/subjects increased compared to the previous 4 years. This shows that the quality of teaching and learning has increased. According to the synthesis, the average score in 5 years is 0.01 points higher, ranking 1 level higher than the region and the whole country.
"However, the most worrying thing for the whole industry is that the average score of the high school graduation exam is always in the bottom half of the national rankings. And according to the assessment of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in 2024, the average score of the high school graduation exam in Ca Mau province is at a "negative" level. This is a parameter that requires the whole industry to pay attention and have drastic solutions in the coming time," the Director of the Department of Education and Training emphasized.
Dr. Tran Nam Dung - Vice Principal of the High School for the Gifted, Ho Chi Minh City National University - shared: "To get good exam results, the exam preparation work must be implemented systematically, at the same time guiding students in skills, practicing how to choose right and wrong questions, exploiting basic knowledge right from the 10th and 11th grade. Only then will students have a good foundation, gradually improving the quality of education and average scores of high school graduation exams in 2025 and the following years."
Review from the first days of school
Meanwhile, high schools in Ca Mau province have organized review sessions in the first weeks of school to create initiative for students.
Mr. Vo Thanh Hung - Principal of Ca Mau High School - said that the school's goal this school year is not only to increase the graduation rate but also to improve the average score of the subjects. Therefore, right from the end of the 11th grade school year, the school has guided students to register and choose subjects to review for the graduation exam, and at the same time organized a meeting for parents to announce the options to get consensus, thanks to which by the end of 11th grade, students have made their choices.
Right from the first weeks of school, the school has had students review for graduation exams in parallel with regular classes, in order to consolidate and improve their knowledge, ensuring that they are best prepared for the exam. For subjects with few students registering, the school combines classes, has a plan to teach intensively, creating all favorable conditions for students to study and review with peace of mind.
Mr. Pham Viet Hung - Principal of Dam Doi High School - shared: "Discussing solutions and implementing familiarization with the 2025 high school graduation exam is not too early, but is extremely urgent and must be done right from the beginning to maintain the quality of teaching and learning at the school."
Through quality assessment exams, screening students who have not yet achieved graduation scores, the school has its own support program, from tutoring to personal counseling sessions, to help students improve their academic performance to achieve the best results.
