Candidates are indifferent to basic science

RECRUITMENT IS NOT ENOUGH QUALIFICATION, LOW STANDARD SCORE

Dalat University is one of the few schools that offers basic science training in both natural sciences and social sciences. Dr. Tran Huu Duy, Head of Training Department, informed: "Every year, the school recruits 30 students for each major in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology, but every year it only recruits about 10 students/major, some years only 5-6 students/major. However, the school still has to maintain the majors because these are very important majors, and to keep teachers employed. Similarly, majors in social sciences and humanities such as literature, history, and sociology also have very few candidates (TS)".

Because there are so few students registering, the school's benchmark for these majors has to be lowered to only 17 points based on high school graduation exam scores.

Most students today are more interested in economics and technology than basic science and engineering when choosing a major for university admission.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

At the University of Education (University of Danang), the majors of chemistry and engineering physics are also the two majors with the lowest number of students. In 2022, the major of engineering physics recruited 23 students but only 5 students were admitted in both methods of considering high school graduation exam scores and academic records. In 2023, this major recruited 50 students but only 10 students were admitted; the standard score was also very low, from 15.35 - 15.8 for the method of considering exam scores. For the major of chemistry, in 2022, it recruited 59 students but only 42 students were admitted, the standard score was 16; in 2023, it recruited 50 students but only 44 students were admitted, the standard score was 16-17.8.

Previously, Da Nang University of Education had to stop some basic science majors that were difficult to recruit, such as applied mathematics and physics.

Our country’s current investment in basic science is not worthy. Employment opportunities in these fields are limited. Graduates who work in universities and research institutes have low incomes while doing hard intellectual work.

Dr. TRAN HUU DUY (Head of Training Department, Dalat University)

At the University of Natural Sciences (Ho Chi Minh City National University), the geology major in 2022 had a quota of 40 but only 11 students enrolled, and in 2023 it was reduced to 30, with 21 students enrolled. The geological engineering major also failed to meet its quota when in 2022 and 2023 there were only 8-10 new students each year. Similarly, the oceanography major also had years when it failed to recruit 50% of its quota. The benchmark score for these majors in the graduation exam score method was only 17, in some years it was as high as 19, and in the competency assessment test score method it was also among the lowest, only 600-660 points.

According to Dr. Pham Tan Ha, Vice Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University), basic science majors at the school such as religious studies, philosophy, history, geography... often have very few PhDs registered.

Career guidance is very important for candidates and parents to understand the profession clearly.

Photo: Dao Ngoc Thach

"I WANT TO STUDY MAJORS THAT CAN MAKE MONEY IMMEDIATELY"

A professor who is the former director of a research institute under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology said: "Countries with outstandingly developed science and technology are all because they invest "huge" budgets in basic science. It is impossible to produce nuclear power without physics and chemistry; it is impossible to produce electronic chips and semiconductor microcircuits without scientists in physics, chemistry, geology researching, searching for, and exploiting rare earth elements... All applied scientific products today, including semiconductor microcircuits, artificial intelligence, medicines, vaccines... are the results of research in basic sciences".

Explaining why students are indifferent to these fields, the professor said that the main reason is jobs and income. He commented: "Currently, people still have low incomes. Therefore, people's needs are for their children to learn and do things to earn money right away. Meanwhile, basic science fields are difficult to study, even hard and painful, but after graduation, it is not certain that they will have a job to earn money."

Dr. Tran Huu Duy also assessed that basic sciences are the foundation of all science and technology, creating economic value for the country and sustainable development for a nation. "However, our country's current investment in basic sciences is not worthy. Job opportunities in these fields are still limited. Graduates who work at universities and research institutes have low incomes while doing hard mental work," said Dr. Duy.

Dr. Pham Tan Ha believes that partly due to the market economy, young people often choose majors based on trends. Many students, for economic reasons, choose majors that are easy to earn, even though they may have a passion for basic sciences.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Trung Hieu, Head of the Department of Geology, University of Natural Sciences (Ho Chi Minh City National University), geology is one of the basic sciences in the field of earth science, extremely important in the current context and the jobs are increasingly open, but not everyone understands it clearly. "There must be geologists to survey, analyze, and evaluate to determine the location to build a metro system, find places to build underground gas tunnels, explore and find new resources to replace resources that have been exhausted by humans. Not only that, engineers and bachelors of geology can also do the job of appraising precious stones... Many construction projects also need engineers who have graduated from this field. Every year, due to the low quota and number of students, the school does not have enough resources to supply businesses," Dr. Trung Hieu informed.

From another perspective, Master Hoang Thanh Tu, Deputy Head of the Information and Communication Department, University of Natural Sciences (Ho Chi Minh City National University), commented that the level of access of PhDs to basic sciences is not high. In high schools, students also receive little career guidance in these fields. "Some parents are concerned that if they study fields such as geology, oceanography, nuclear engineering... they will have to do a lot of surveys, or be exposed to environments that affect their health..., while they do not see specific job opportunities. Therefore, career guidance for candidates and parents to understand is very important," Master Tu shared. (continued) .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-sinh-tho-o-voi-nganh-khoa-hoc-co-ban-185250331211940086.htm