On May 23, information from Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee said that Vice Chairman of Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee Dau Thanh Tung had just issued a directive, assigning the Department of Education and Training to consider and handle citizens' petitions related to the case of a 9th grade student who won a high prize at a national competition but was not directly admitted to 10th grade.
Ms. Pham Thi Hoa, residing at house number 28 Cao Thang, Hac Thanh ward, has a petition about her son Nguyen Viet An Minh winning the second national prize at the "Youth and Children's Creativity" Contest, but not being directly admitted to 10th grade high school.
After receiving Ms. Hoa's petition 3 times, Vice Chairman of Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee Dau Thanh Tung directed the Department of Education and Training to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units if necessary, to consider and resolve the case thoroughly, ensuring compliance with legal regulations and the rights of students.
The Department of Education and Training is required to have a written response to Ms. Hoa and report the results of the resolution to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee before May 28.
According to the reflection of Ms. Pham Thi Hoa, her son Nguyen Viet An Minh, a 9th grade student at Minh Khai Secondary School, participated in the 21st National Creative Contest for Youth and Children in 2025. The contest was co-organized by the Provincial Youth Union, the Union of Science and Technology Associations, the Department of Education and Training, and the Department of Science and Technology of Thanh Hoa province. At this contest, An Minh won the second national prize.
After the above competition, An Minh continued to win the Gold Prize at the Seoul International Innovation Fair.
With this achievement, families and students believe that An Minh will be directly admitted to 10th grade. However, on May 15, the Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training issued an official dispatch not accepting direct admission.
According to the Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training, based on Circular No. 30/2024/TT-BGDDT dated December 30, 2024 of the Ministry of Education and Training promulgating the Regulations on enrollment in secondary and high school, in Article 14, Clause 1, there are regulations on direct admission to high school for some cases, including students who won prizes in scientific and technical research competitions.
After studying documents related to the 21st National Youth and Children's Creativity Contest in 2025, the Department of Education and Training determined that this contest did not have a document signed for coordination between the Ministry of Education and Training and the organizing unit. Therefore, the Director of the Department of Education and Training did not include the contest in the list of priority direct admission.
Based on Official Dispatch No. 1106/BGDĐT-KHCNTT dated March 12, 2026 of the Ministry of Education and Training on participating in sponsoring the National Youth and Children's Creativity Contest, which clearly states "The Ministry of Education and Training does not participate in sponsoring the contest", Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training does not include this contest in the direct admission category.
Before the feedback from the Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training, Ms. Hoa said that the Department's basis for the Ministry of Education and Training's official dispatch to not apply the priority regime is inappropriate, because the contest has ended and awards will be awarded from October 2025, while the Ministry's response document was issued in March 2026.
