Secretary's schedule, closed exam reviews
Right from the beginning of the school year, Nguyen Thi Bao Nguyen - a 9th grade student at Hong Ha Secondary School (Hanoi) - has determined that this school year she will have to focus highly to pass the entrance exam to the desired public school. In addition to the main school class mornings at school, Bao Nguyen spent the entire afternoon and 2 afternoons studying 3 subjects: Math, Literature, and English. The rest of my time was spent studying by myself.
"I am quite worried about Math, especially the Math part. I am combining studying in class, center-level learning and self-study. In class, teachers often help children have an overview and provide basic, core knowledge. After that, I will practice additional expanded exercises at the center. At home, I will re- systematize my knowledge again by marking and re-reading. Then I will do the projects that I find interesting online, and refer to the solutions" - Bao Nguyen shared.
Hoang Ngoc Huyen - a 9th grade student at Tan Lap Secondary School (Hanoi) - spends more time self-study. In addition to the school schedule, I study a Math teacher 2 sessions/week. The remaining evenings, I study from 8 - 11am.
"At home in the evening, if I am tired, I will sleep early and wake up from 3:30 to 5:30 in the morning to be more alert" - Ngoc Huyen said.
Not only Ngoc Huyen or Bao Nguyen, every grade 9 student in Hanoi has to go through a stressful review period because each year, the public school system only meets about 60% of the needs of learners. The rest will study at private schools or vocational education centers. Therefore, to win a place in a public school, students have to make a lot of effort.
Proposing many solutions to reduce pressure on students
The stressful and stressful exam preparation period makes many parents and students want to reduce the pressure of degrees and exams.
Recently, at a meeting with voters of 11 wards of Hanoi before the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly, General Secretary To Lam emphasized the viewpoint of popularizing high school education and reducing exams. According to the General Secretary, after phoising preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools, the whole country is now fully qualified to phoise high school, meaning that all children can complete high school.
The popular view of high school is receiving the approval of many parents, students and teachers. Many opinions suggested removing the 10th grade exam and said that this would not only reduce the pressure of taking the exam but also create conditions for all students to have the opportunity to continue studying after high school.
Mr. Nguyen Van Luc - former teacher of Trinh Phong Secondary School, Khanh Hoa - supports the above policy and believes that this is the right direction, creating opportunities for all students to continue studying and developing after secondary school. However, Mr. Luc believes that to do this, a roadmap is needed.
"To eliminate the 10th grade exam, it is necessary to increase the construction of classrooms and have enough teachers to teach. Students who have finished grade 9 (14 years old) if they do not continue to study in grade 10 will not have enough awareness and health to start the labor market. The State should speed up the construction of schools and train enough teachers to implement the plan of dropping the 10th grade exam" - Mr. Luc said.
On the part of learners, Nguyen Thi Bao Nguyen also wants to reduce the pressure of the senior exam, but raises the question, if she quits the 10th grade exam, what form will she use to enroll in the 10th grade entrance exam?
"If the exam is canceled on October 10, students will be much less pressured to leave when they just need to complete the program well in class. We also have more time for activities and personal interests such as learning singing, learning drawing, learning foreign languages other than English according to our preferences... However, if we only consider our academic records, it will not be really comprehensive.
For example, there are students with low academic records but will focus and accelerate in the final months. If we only consider academic records, it will make students lose motivation to re-work, or strive to improve" - Bao Nguyen said.
Dr. Hoang Ngoc Vinh - former Director of the Department of Vocational Education (Ministry of Education and Training) - proposed expanding the scale of schools and teaching staff.
In addition, it is necessary to promote socialization, allowing vocational colleges to participate in high school program training, thereby increasing the choice for students and reducing enrollment pressure.
