The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) issued Circular 30/2024, deciding to apply the admission method for junior high school admission from 2025, which has received widespread consensus from the people.
This is, first of all, a right step to reduce the pressure of the transfer exam from primary to secondary school, especially for private schools and high-quality schools in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Previously, secondary school admission, especially to "hot" schools such as Cau Giay Secondary School, Thanh Xuan Secondary School or Foreign Language Secondary School, often required students to participate in selection exams with competition ratios of up to 1/10 or even 1/15.
This not only creates great pressure for students but also forces many parents to spend millions of dong on exam preparation and extra classes to increase their children's chances of admission.
The new circular of the Ministry of Education and Training promises to end the above phenomena by applying the admission method based on academic records and other criteria.
Another benefit of applying the selection method is to reduce administrative procedures in the admission process. This not only saves time but also reduces the financial burden on families.
However, there are still many concerns about the fairness and accuracy of this admission method. Because at present, primary education still does not have tools to assess student quality comprehensively and objectively.
Relying on transcripts for evaluation can lead to the possibility of intentional misrepresentation to enhance a student's profile, increase the request for grades, or even cheating to improve their academic performance.
This not only causes a loss of fairness in admissions but also affects the quality of education when secondary schools may admit students who are not truly deserving.
Furthermore, applying the admission method without careful preparation in terms of assessment and monitoring can create inadequacies in the education system.
Schools can easily exploit loopholes to inflate academic scores, leading to uneven student quality.
To solve the above problems, the Ministry of Education and Training needs to closely coordinate with localities and schools to build a more comprehensive and objective student assessment system.
This could include developing tools to assess students’ soft skills and creative thinking. At the same time, it is necessary to establish strict monitoring and inspection mechanisms to prevent fraudulent behavior and enhance academic records.
In addition, training and raising awareness among teachers, parents and students about the importance of substantive learning is also an important factor to ensure the success of the new admission method.
If the new admission method reduces pressure and procedures but lacks transparency, creating opportunities for negativity, the goal of reducing the burden will not be achieved!
