Hundreds of students are specially recognized as excellent students
In 2024, the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh province decided to specially recognize 157 12th grade students as excellent students in the province. Accordingly, special treatment is given to 156 students with an IELTS score of 7.0 or higher and special treatment is given to 1 student with an international certificate in French subject DELF B2, with a score of 79.00, and is exempted from taking the Ha Tinh Province 12th grade excellent student selection exam for the 2024-2025 school year.
Of the 157 students specially recognized as excellent students in the province this time, 2 students achieved 8.5 IELTS points, 12 students achieved 8.0 IELTS points (equivalent to the First Prize), 56 students achieved 7.5 IELTS points (equivalent to the Second Prize), 86 students achieved 7.0 IELTS points (equivalent to the Third Prize for Excellent Students in English), 1 student achieved the DELF B2 French certificate was specially recognized as First Prize. Most of them are students of Ha Tinh High School for the Gifted and Phan Dinh Phung High School (Ha Tinh City).
In 2025, Ha Tinh will give special recognition to 224 students who are excellent students in English major in grade 11. Of these, 73 students were recognized with first prizes, including 20 students with 8.0 IELTS points, 53 students with 7.5 IELTS points; 69 students were recognized with second prizes (equivalent to 7.0 IELTS points); 82 students were recognized with third prizes (equivalent to 6.5 IELTS points). The Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh province also specially recognized 44 excellent students in the 10th grade of Foreign Language in the 2024 - 2025 school year.
Many concerns and shortcomings
The above special treatment for excellent English students, according to the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh province, aims to create motivation to promote the foreign language learning movement for students, thereby contributing to improving the quality of foreign language teaching and learning in the area.
However, many teachers and experts believe that the above regulation still has many shortcomings.
Teacher Nguyen Thi Hoa (an English teacher in Ha Tinh) said that the English proficiency exam activities of the local education sector and the IELTS certificate exam have many differences. The excellent student exam is for high school students, aiming to assess their learning capacity within the framework of the national education program, especially in terms of in-depth knowledge in subjects. The IELTS international certificate exam is an exam for those who want to assess their foreign language proficiency, regardless of age and not limited to the high school curriculum. The main purpose of IELTS is to confirm the ability to use English in an international environment, especially for the purpose of studying, working or settling in English-speaking countries.
According to Ms. Hoa, students with high IELTS scores are not necessarily good at achieving high scores in the English exam.
" Suppose a 7th or 8th grade student achieves IELTS 8.0, will he be recognized as an excellent student in English in grade 12?" - Ms. Hoa proposed.
On the other hand, the fact that too many students of Ha Tinh High School for the Gifted are specially recognized as excellent students means that these students are admitted directly to top universities, causing dissatisfaction and frustration for students in other provinces and cities that do not apply special regulations. Many students have reported this problem to Lao Dong Newspaper.
On the other hand, there is currently no legal document guiding and regulating the special recognition of the title of excellent student in English based on the IELTS certificate.
The reporter discussed with the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh about the above shortcomings and concerns and was informed by the leaders of this department that they will seriously accept and consider making necessary and reasonable adjustments.
This regulation has been in place since 2017. Previously, when the quality of English subjects in the province was still low, the special regulations on excellent students in the province created motivation for students to improve the quality of this subject. Up to now, when its "mission" is completed, we will consider adjusting it accordingly" - said the leader of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh.
