From the dawn of innovation...
As a reporter following the field of Education, over the past three years, I have wondered many times: "What more can I do besides reporting and promoting the innovation of the curriculum?".
And I gradually realized that I not only took notes and reflected but also truly lived with the emotions of the contestants and parents, to understand and accompany them. It is not just the story of an individual, but of an entire generation going through an important transformation of Vietnamese education.
In the 2022 - 2023 school year, the entire industry will implement the 2018 General Education Program with grade 10. Sitting there playing the first lines of the news, I felt excited and eager. As an educational reporter, I understand what I need to do.
I started that journey from seemingly small things - closely following each workshop to give ideas for the new program, listening to the debates surrounding the choice of compulsory subjects or exam policies with many conflicting opinions. There are days when I squeeze through schools and halls, racing against time just to take a new thought, a passionate share from teachers, or a concern raised from students and parents.
In those classes, lectures are no longer shaped. Teachers are forced to update and innovate to meet the requirements of developing learners' abilities. Students can choose their own subjects according to their preferences, excited about new lessons. Both teachers and students have entered a new journey full of challenges but also full of excitement.
It has been 3 years since the day the 2007 student entered grade 10. I still quietly follow the journey to adulthood of a special generation. And now, they have completed the 2025 high school graduation exam - the first exam applying the new general education program. This is the result of the entire process of innovation, from teaching methods, learning methods to capacity assessment, a memorable milestone for both learners and educators.
... To the sunny days at the exam site
At the end of each competition season, I often spend time to gain valuable professional experiences. Each slice of memory is reduced into a small piece of paper, deep into the corners of the heart. On special occasions, I open up, quietly reflect on what I have gone through, how I have grown up and how I have contributed?
The 2025 exam season is special for both candidates and me. Students entering the important exam after 12 years of studying, emotions mixed with anxiety and excitement as the first group of students to study and take the exam under the new program. As for me, I was excited to prepare for the live broadcast at the exam location.
The idea of directly connecting many regions on the morning of the first exam day was a group in me for many weeks before the exam. I want to bring the authentic exam atmosphere to viewers through direct images, vivid sounds and the genuine emotions of candidates and parents before entering the exam room.
Immediately, I started working on the outline and contacted reporters at the connecting points of Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, and Can Tho. We discussed the content framework, time, how to book the device, and suggested some quick questions for the contestants. Everyone tried the transmission line signal a few days before, check the camera angle, light, 5G network, and beware of tangled connections.
I was assigned to lead directly at the Yen Hoa High School bridge point (Hanoi). At 5:30 am, I was present at the exam location, holding a microphone while observing the schoolyard starting to bustle. Candidates flock to the exam site with many different expressions. I went back to the school gate, opening the broadcast with a natural quotation: "Ladies and gentlemen, the 2025 high school graduation exam has officially begun...".
That day, I felt more mature and more confident when facing unexpected situations, knowing how to stay calm in the rush moments and learning to listen, respecting the true emotions of the contestants.
Then burst into tears with the country's martyrs
At the time the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) announced the 2025 high school graduation exam scores, I was assigned to work at another event. Sitting behind a motorbike driven by a colleague, I opened my phone, continuously monitoring each update line from the Ministry of Education and Training, and quickly discussed with colleagues at the newspaper to get information. Each color analysis chart is sent in an internal group, I read and process the data, then transfer it to the publishing house to design the video news.
The phone kept ringing with messages from the newsroom, the group of reporters, the group of collaborators and even information from the hot press conference of the Ministry of Education and Training. Every moment I press the "send message" button, I hold my breath just hoping that the transmission line will not be interrupted. Only when the post was posted on the page did I dare to breathe a sigh of relief. That was one of the unforgettable memories.
Then the next day, when the Ministry of Education and Training announced the exam scores, the atmosphere in the office was as tense as a wind. We are busy answering a series of questions: Who is the head of the A00 block? Who is the national valedictorian? Who is the student who achieved 10 Maths, 10 English?... We focus on the "hunting" race to find the most outstanding faces, bringing their stories to readers.
I sat in front of the computer screen, continuously updating data, asking for each student's name to find the head of the department. The moment the system announced the candidates who achieved absolute scores in the exam, I did not have much time to think, immediately tried to contact the school, family and candidates with the fastest - best - most accurate criteria.
After six seasons, I am no longer a young reporter in the early days. Now, I am more steady in my writing style, breathing rhythm and empathy. Each line of text I write, each article I send carries a simple wish: Candidates and parents can feel my companionship with them.
