The ministry abolished the lottery but the department could not do otherwise?

T CHANGES OVER THE YEARS SO DO WE STILL HAVE TO DRAW LOTTERY?

On October 19, the Ministry of Education and Training announced the draft Regulations on Secondary and High School Admissions. The most notable information is that there is no longer a regulation requiring Departments of Education and Training to organize a lottery to randomly select the third subject for the 10th grade entrance exam as proposed by the Ministry earlier.

Candidates finish the foreign language exam, the third subject, the 10th grade entrance exam of Ho Chi Minh City in 2024

However, the draft Regulations generally stipulate the implementation of 3 exam subjects, including math, literature and a third exam subject or a combined exam selected by the Department of Education and Training, the university with a high school and announced before March 31 every year. The third exam subject is selected from the subjects assessed by scores in the general education program at the secondary level. The selection of the third exam subject has changed over the years to achieve the goal of comprehensive education in the basic education stage. The combined exam of subjects is selected from the subjects assessed by scores in the general education program at the secondary level.

A principal of a secondary school in Hanoi shared that reading the draft, there is no longer the phrase "drawing lots for the third subject" but the Ministry requires the third subject to change every year, so the Departments of Education and Training have no other choice but to draw lots to choose the third subject. If the choice is based on the subjectiveness of the department leaders, many problems will arise such as: information "leaks", students and parents can guess by the method of elimination (this subject was tested last year and not tested next year)...

Therefore, according to this person, it is best that the Ministry of Education and Training only strictly regulates the exam of 3 subjects; the choice of the third subject will be left to the local authorities to decide, it is best to take 3 fixed subjects (math, literature, foreign language). "No matter what, there should be no drawing of lots, even for the third subject. Education needs to be clear and stable. It is not because of "incompetence" in managing teaching and learning at the secondary school level that teachers, students and parents must be put in a situation of luck or misfortune," said this principal.

In contributing to the draft, the Department of Education and Training of Phu Tho province proposed that the selection of the third subject should be assigned to the People's Committees of provinces and cities, depending on the actual situation of the locality, to decide and be responsible for the quality of education. This is to ensure the strengthening of decentralization of state management of education and training. However, if the third subject is drawn by lot, only one of the following subjects should be implemented: English; natural sciences, history and geography, civic education. It should not be implemented with the subject of information technology and technology because many schools in mountainous areas, islands, remote areas have insufficient and difficult conditions in terms of facilities and computers; conditions for teaching staff are also lacking; the subject of technology has many modules, causing difficulties in organizing review, compiling exam questions, and organizing exams.

This Department also proposed that if a lottery must be drawn, it should be done before December 31 every year, helping to ensure time to review and consolidate knowledge; helping the Department of Education and Training have time to advise the Provincial People's Committee to soon approve and promulgate the enrollment plan and enrollment plan according to regulations.

The draft Regulations on Secondary and High School Admissions stipulate that the 10th grade exam will consist of 3 subjects, including math, literature and a third subject or a combined exam selected by the Department of Education and Training and the university with a high school and announced before March 31 every year.

SHOULD STUDENTS CHOOSE A THIRD SUBJECT?

Explaining the regulation that the third subject must not be fixed but must change every year, the Ministry of Education and Training said that high school enrollment must promote educational activities, especially comprehensive education, so that students have full qualities and abilities, and are qualified to continue studying at high school; or if they change streams, vocational training will also have a foundation of qualities and abilities to study and practice their profession immediately.

An examination expert with many years of experience in the industry said: "It is necessary to base on the purpose of the exam to build the exam subjects to meet the set goals. Here, it is admission to grade 10, so the number of exam subjects will be based on the assessment of what abilities are needed to be able to study successfully in high school and to be able to classify candidates to ensure the selection process, so there is a difference with the purpose of the junior high school graduation exam, which is to take many subjects and follow the direction of "studying as you take the exam" to minimize rote learning and biased learning".

Furthermore, according to this expert, according to the provisions of the 2019 Education Law, 9th grade students must ensure that they have graduated from junior high school to be able to take the entrance exam to grade 10, so taking multiple subjects or choosing any subject to avoid rote learning or biased learning is not in line with the purpose of the entrance exam. It is possible to allow students to take a third subject to create a foundation of specific abilities for students to study at high school level conveniently (at university level, admission by 3 subjects to study majors is also based on this principle).

Mr. Dang Tu An, Director of the Vietnam General Education Innovation Support Fund, also believes that students should be allowed to choose a third subject for the 10th grade entrance exam. This way, they will have career orientation and be classified earlier, not just after 3 years of high school. If they have to draw lots to choose the subject, it is a way to evaluate the qualities and abilities of education managers.

According to the draft Regulations on Secondary School and High School Admissions, there are 3 methods of admission to grade 10 of high school, including: entrance exam, selection or a combination of entrance exam and selection. The selection of the admission method is under the authority of the locality.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mon-thi-thu-3-vao-lop-10-bo-bo-boc-tham-nhung-so-khong-the-lam-khac-185241019210355815.htm