Ho Chi Minh City considers plans to replace specialized classes in regular schools

Students taking the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2023-2024 school year - Photo: MY DUNG

Responding to the calculation of options for students with capacity and need to be able to study advanced after Ho Chi Minh City stops enrolling specialized 10th graders in regular high schools from 2025, Mr. Ho Tan Minh - Chief of Office of the Ho Chi Minh City Departmentof Education and Training - said: "In the coming conditions, Ho Chi Minh City will study more about a specialized high school. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training will study and propose this later, depending on the educational land situation of the city, but currently there is no project".

From the 2025-2026 school year, Ho Chi Minh City will stop enrolling in specialized classes in regular high schools, including: Nguyen Thuong Hien High School, Mac Dinh Chi High School, Gia Dinh High School and Nguyen Huu Huan High School.

Why did Ho Chi Minh City stop recruiting specialized classes in regular high schools? According to Mr. Minh, the reason for stopping specialized classes in regular high schools is because there is no longer much demand from students.

On the other hand, under the conditions of the 2018 general education program, specialized content must be implemented more specifically, so the specialized class model in high schools is often no longer suitable.

This is to allow Ho Chi Minh City to focus on two large specialized schools: Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted and Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted.

However, for stability, in the 2024-2025 school year, Ho Chi Minh City will still enroll specialized 10th graders in the 4 regular high schools mentioned above.

From the 2025-2026 school year, Ho Chi Minh City will only enroll specialized 10th graders at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted and Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted. The establishment of a third specialized high school is being calculated and considered by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training.

10th grade admissions consultation session at Nguyen Du Secondary School, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City at the end of April - Photo: MY DUNG

The specialized class model in high schools was implemented by Ho Chi Minh City 15 years ago, from the 2007-2008 school year with 4 high schools: Nguyen Thuong Hien, Mac Dinh Chi, Gia Dinh, and Nguyen Huu Huan.

Each year, these schools recruit more than 700 specialized grade 10 students.

Ho Chi Minh City implements this model because Ho Chi Minh City is large and to meet the desire of students to participate in specialized models, without forcing students to travel from far away areas such as Cu Chi, Thu Duc to District 5, District 1.

Training results over the years show that students from these specialized classes are also effective when Ho Chi Minh City's national and international excellent students also have students from regular high schools.

Mr. Minh affirmed that when the enrollment of specialized 10th graders in regular schools is stopped, the teachers teaching in these classes will not be affected. Because they not only teach specialized classes but also regular classes.

"However, teachers who have the need and are qualified can apply to transfer or go to the environments of the two specialized schools. The city still gives priority because every year the city re-evaluates teachers of specialized schools, and any teachers who do not meet the requirements will be transferred out of the specialized schools," said Mr. Minh.

How is the specialized class content implemented?

According to Mr. Ho Tan Minh, the implementation of specialized subjects in specialized schools still ensures the current 2018 program, then develops advanced programs for those subjects. Specialized content is assigned to the principal to build and train according to the specialized school strategy.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tp-hcm-tinh-phuong-an-thay-the-lop-chuyen-trong-truong-thuong-20240501141723322.htm