High School Graduation Exam: Deploying a series of solutions to support disadvantaged students

There is just over a week left until the 2024 High School Graduation Exam officially takes place. Localities have been making efforts to support disadvantaged students, leaving no one behind.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Chi encourages students to review for graduation exams in Lao Cai province. (Photo: Ministry of Education and Training)

Making a list and calling on benefactors to support students' accommodation expenses for exam preparation, contacting them to arrange accommodation for them during exam days, planning to bring students from far away to exam locations... are a series of solutions to accompany candidates that have been implemented by localities with the goal of not leaving any student behind.

Call for funding, set up a special task force

According to Director of the Department of Education and Training of Dien Bien province Nguyen Van Doat, the Department has made a list of nearly 500 candidates taking the High School Graduation Exam this year who are in difficult circumstances, and coordinated with the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee and the People's Committees of the districts to call on benefactors to support the students.

In addition to students in difficult circumstances, since June 1, the province has nearly 2,000 12th graders studying at boarding schools who are not eligible for state support (because the school year has ended). To help students study for exams with peace of mind, the Department of Education and Training of Dien Bien province has directed schools to coordinate with parents to mobilize resources to organize meals for the students.

“As a mountainous province, people's living conditions are difficult, so this is an annual activity of the Dien Bien education sector during the annual graduation exams,” said Mr. Doat.

During the 2023 exam, Dien Bien also mobilized and received support of more than 156 million VND, helping nearly 500 students in especially difficult circumstances with an average support level of 300-500 VND/student.

Students diligently review for upcoming exams. (Photo: Pham Mai/Vietnam+)

Similarly, in Lao Cai, Director of the Department of Education and Training Duong Bich Nguyet said that she had directed schools to set up special working groups, with the principal as the group leader; the school’s Youth Union Secretary as the deputy group leader, and the homeroom teacher as a member, to grasp the students’ thoughts, aspirations, and circumstances and provide timely support. The goal is to ensure that no student has to drop out of the exam due to difficult circumstances.

Lao Cai also actively mobilizes funds from organizations, individuals, and parents to organize free or low-cost lunches for disadvantaged students. Exam sites are located near educational institutions with boarding areas to arrange accommodation for students from schools taking the exam; coordinate with parents to cook for candidates staying at district boarding schools for ethnic minorities to ensure hygiene, food safety, and student management. The education sector coordinates with the youth union to effectively implement youth volunteer programs, exam support programs, etc. to provide maximum support for candidates.

Intensify exam preparation

In Quang Nam, Mr. Thai Viet Tuong, Director of the Department of Education and Training, said that the province has 9 mountainous districts, including 6 highland districts, with many areas facing difficulties and shortages in teaching and learning. Therefore, in the upcoming High School Graduation Exam, the province is very interested in creating conditions and supporting schools and candidates in the area to effectively review for the exam.

Specifically, the Department of Education and Training of Quang Nam has established a team to support high school graduation exam review directly for units in disadvantaged areas with few teachers and a team of young teachers.

Director of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Nam province, Thai Viet Tuong, informed about the exam preparation work. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

In Yen Bai, support and creating the best conditions for candidates to take the exam are also given special attention. The Yen Bai Department of Education and Training has assigned a Deputy Director of the Department to be in charge of directing and coordinating with units and localities to develop plans to support students in difficult circumstances.

In districts such as Tram Tau and Mu Cang Chai, students are supported with rice for meals during the exam preparation month outside of the time they are entitled to the State's support policy. Many schools have arranged free lunch for candidates living far away.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Yen Bai province, To Thi Anh, there are currently about 2,000 candidates receiving support in many different forms such as support for reviewing and improving knowledge, support for consulting, support for funding, support for rice, support for accommodation... Of which, cash alone is about 400 million VND.

The 2024 High School Graduation Exam will take place on June 27 and 28 with the participation of more than 1 million candidates nationwide. This is also the graduation exam for the last batch of students studying under the old 2006 general education program./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-trien-khai-hang-loat-giai-phap-ho-tro-hoc-sinh-kho-khan-post959914.vnp