The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has recently issued a circular guiding the implementation of the secondary education tasks for the 2024-2025 academic year. In this circular, MOET reminds schools of certain specific issues related to the examination and assessment of the Vietnamese language subject.
Secondary and high schools are advised to avoid using pre-learned texts and excerpts from the textbook as examination materials for assessing students' reading comprehension and writing skills in regular exams.
In addition, assessments must be conducted in accordance with the regulations, without exceeding the requirements of the curriculum, and by increasing the frequency of regular exams through practical assignments and project-based learning.
This requirement is aimed at addressing the issue of students only memorizing and copying existing content.
The positive effects of this approach are evident, as teachers of Vietnamese language have observed that when pre-learned texts and excerpts from the textbook are not used as examination materials, it helps to eliminate rote learning, copying, and plagiarism, and allows for a more accurate assessment of students' abilities.
The initiative also encourages students to be more proactive, creative, and independent in their learning process. Students are able to express their ideas in a clear and creative manner, and are able to develop their critical thinking and writing skills.
Furthermore, the elimination of pre-learned texts and excerpts from the textbook is expected to address the issue of students taking extra classes to learn by heart.
In reality, the use of external examination materials has been implemented in schools since the 2022-2023 academic year. Although the effectiveness of this approach is acknowledged, many teachers have faced difficulties in adapting to and implementing it, particularly in selecting suitable examination materials.
Teachers must carefully select examination materials that meet the common requirements, which include promoting students' abilities and qualities. The selected materials must have aesthetic value, both in terms of content and artistic expression, as well as humanistic and compassionate values.
To select high-quality examination materials, teachers of Vietnamese language must enhance their ability to evaluate and select materials that meet the requirements. This requires teachers to overcome their own limitations and contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning.
Additionally, students who have been accustomed to the traditional teaching method of "teacher reads - student copies" may require time to adapt to the new approach.
In summary, while there are many challenges, teachers must adapt to the new teaching context and improve their skills to meet the demands of teaching Vietnamese language. However, from these challenges and limitations, many teachers have proposed that the Ministry of Education and Training should provide training programs for teachers to select and develop examination materials that are suitable for students of different ages and levels.
