Primary school admission in Ho Chi Minh City: Not rigidly following administrative boundaries

REDUCE PROCEDURE TIME BY UP TO 80%

Earlier this week, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training held a preliminary review of the 2024-2025 school year's enrollment work and deployed the 2025-2026 school year's enrollment plan.

According to the assessment of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, after 2 years of implementing the online admission model at https://tuyensinhdaucap.hcm.edu.vn , and applying GIS maps, the admission process in Ho Chi Minh City has achieved positive results, the admission process is more convenient and effective through the application of information technology.

Specifically, the enrollment system integrated with the city's education database significantly reduces the number of documents parents must submit; the processing time is shortened to 10 - 20 minutes, no longer requiring multiple trips as before and reducing the time to process procedures by 70 - 80%. The simplified enrollment process allows parents to track the status of their applications online, reducing travel and waiting.

Candidates taking the 10th grade exam in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2024-2025 school year. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, enrollment for the first grade classes for the 2025-2026 school year will be completed in June.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

In addition, according to the survey, 62.7% of parents were completely satisfied and 23.8% were somewhat satisfied with the school's admission instructions, while only 1.6% were dissatisfied. Notably, 51.9% of parents did not encounter any difficulties during the admission process, with the rate of evaluating the procedures as faster and more convenient reaching 45.4% at the beginning of primary school, 40.3% at the beginning of secondary school and 33.3% at the beginning of high school.

However, according to the Department's view, there are still some issues that need to be resolved such as lack of coordination between units, ineffective propaganda and guidance work, and some issues regarding transparency in the admission process.

FLEXIBLE ADMISSION ACCORDING TO 3 CRITERIA

Regarding the enrollment work for the 2025-2026 school year, the leader of the Department of Education and Training said that the online enrollment process is centralized through a single information portal ( https://tuyensinhdaucap.hcm.edu.vn ), integrating data with the industry management system, ensuring accuracy and synchronization.

After 2 years of implementing online enrollment using GIS maps in student zoning to schools, by the 2025-2026 school year, the Department of Education and Training will develop more reasonable and flexible enrollment criteria, ensuring fairness in enrollment with a transparent process.

Specifically, the city prioritizes the allocation of students based on their "current residence", creating conditions for students to study near home. Allowing parents to flexibly register according to 3 criteria: Residence, previous place of study, parents' workplace... This year's primary school admission process has been improved to shorten the time for one round of admission. Automate the process, minimize errors and manual intervention. Divide priority subjects reasonably, creating fair opportunities for students.

Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that with the above criteria, the admission process for primary schools will meet the diverse needs of the people. There are solutions for special cases such as workers' children and students living in border areas. From there, the allocation of students is flexible, not rigid according to administrative boundaries. At the same time, the number of students between schools is balanced, ensuring the quality of education.

According to the leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, in the 2025-2026 school year, the enrollment of the first grade classes in Ho Chi Minh City will be conducted online at https://tuyensinhdaucap.hcm.edu.vn , through the student's identification code and "actual residence" on VNeID. Ensuring that 100% of students of enrollment age at all levels (including general education subjects) have their information fully declared at https://csdl.hcm.edu.vn.

Thu Duc City People's Committee and districts shall base on the actual school situation in the locality to build flexible enrollment areas, not following the administrative boundaries of wards, to create conditions for students to study near their current residence, and ensure that schools recruit enough students according to the education development plan.

At the same time, combine the use of the city's shared digital map system to calculate the travel distance of students, not allocating students according to ward administrative boundaries, to create conditions for students to study near their current residence and in accordance with the actual local situation.

For schools located on local borders, the Department of Education and Training proposed that the Thu Duc City Primary School Admissions Steering Committee and districts develop appropriate admission plans to create favorable conditions for students to study near their place of residence.

Ho Chi Minh City has 2 years of implementing the online enrollment model for primary schools.

Photo: Nhat Thinh

TRANSPARENT AND OPEN ADMISSION

To prepare for the implementation of the enrollment work for the 2025-2026 school year, the Department of Education and Training has proposed solutions to strengthen management and coordination to improve efficiency. The Department will clearly assign responsibilities among specialists and develop legal documents to demonstrate the working process. Synchronously and timely deploy directive documents from the Department to schools. Strengthen supervision and coordination of enrollment work, ensuring that the board of directors clearly understands the process and supporting information. Clarify the role and responsibility of leaders in enrollment work, develop a monitoring mechanism and sanctions for violations.

The Department's leaders also emphasized that the Admissions Board of Thu Duc City and districts should enhance transparency and support parents. Strengthen review and coordination with localities, especially in the work of universalizing education. Add a team to support online registration and provide full admission information to parents. Improve communication work, especially information on special cases. Enhance transparency in the admissions process, provide full evidence and admission lists. Build a strict inspection and monitoring system and an effective complaint handling mechanism.

Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc suggested that local admission boards implement active support solutions for parents such as arranging support points at schools and ward/commune People's Committees for parents who are not yet proficient in technology. Establish hotlines and support groups throughout the admission process. Quickly handle arising issues, ensuring people's rights.

Adjust the admission time for the first level earlier

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training said that enrollment for the first grades (from kindergarten to high school) for the 2025-2026 school year will be completed in June, instead of August as usual.

To prepare for this work, in the context that the whole country is implementing the arrangement and merger of provinces and cities, and completing the district-level tasks according to Conclusion 127-KL/TW dated February 28, 2025 of the Politburo and the Secretariat on implementing research and proposing to continue arranging the organization of the political system, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has deployed a number of contents with the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City and districts to ensure the enrollment of preschool, grade 1, grade 6, grade 10 on schedule and most appropriately.

Specifically, the enrollment of preschool, grade 1, grade 6, grade 10, and high school graduation will be completed by Ho Chi Minh City in June 2025. In particular, the grade 10 entrance exam will take place on June 6 and 7; the high school graduation exam in 2025 will take place on June 26 and 27.

After the Ho Chi Minh City government finishes its district-level tasks, meaning the district-level enrollment steering committee finishes its role, the Department of Education and Training will issue a document directing the establishment of a grassroots enrollment steering committee to continue enrollment work.

Currently, the Department is waiting for the City People's Committee to decide to recognize high-quality schools (advanced schools, international integration) in the new period, from which to advise the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to issue a plan to enroll students in the first grade classes.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tuyen-sinh-dau-cap-tai-tphcm-khong-cung-nhac-theo-ranh-gioi-hanh-chinh-185250326173202645.htm