Citing Resolution No. 02-NQ/HNTW dated December 24, 1996 of the 8th Party Central Committee requiring: "Do not organize specialized schools in primary and secondary schools", at the same time, the 2019 Education Law also only allows specialized schools at the high school level, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Xuan Nhi, former Deputy Minister of Education and Training, pointed out that the secondary school block in Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted has existed for decades, parents also assume that it is a "specialized school", every year the enrollment is stressful.
The entrance exam to grade 6 at this school is like "a war" every year, with high pressure when competing for admission with a ratio of 1:10, 1:20. The exam has caused a lot of controversy and opposition from experts and parents in recent years.
He supports stopping enrollment in non-specialized classes in specialized high schools, especially middle school, "this should have been done a long time ago, not just discussed now".
Students take the entrance exam to grade 6 of a specialized high school. (Photo: LN)
Specialized schools were established with the goal of training students with special talents in cultural subjects. The existence of non-specialized classes in specialized schools is not in accordance with their functions and tasks. Not to mention, having non-specialized classes in specialized schools can easily lead to the commercialization of education.
The former Deputy Minister of Education and Training also said that primary and secondary education are being universalized, so there should not be unnecessary competition or too much pressure in the transfer process for students.
Sharing the same opinion, Dr. Nguyen Cao Hang, Hanoi National University, wondered why in the past 15 years since Hanoi organized enrollment and training for the junior high school system in Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, no functional unit has blown the whistle or requested compliance with regulations.
Educational models that go against regulations and laws need to assess social impacts and consider the management responsibilities of each level. Primary and secondary education is being universalized, so fairness is needed, there should be no differences or special mechanisms.
" If Hanoi has a special mechanism to open 6th grade in specialized high schools, other localities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong, and Can Tho will also ask for their own mechanisms, which will be very difficult to manage," the expert said.
The race to get into grade 6 at Amsterdam High School for the Gifted in recent years has created many consequences such as extra tutoring, causing waste, unnecessary pressure on children, and creating debate in society. We should let children develop at their age, not force them to lock themselves up for more than 12 hours a day in extra classes and exam preparation, the female expert added.
Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted.
The secondary school system of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted (often referred to as "Ams2") was established in 2009 by the decision of the City People's Committee. Since then, the enrollment (planning, preliminary selection, exam organization, exam questions, grading...) into grade 6 at Amsterdam school has been organized by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training.
Every year, the Amsterdam school's 6th grade exam recruits about 200 students. This is a notoriously difficult exam with extremely strict requirements right from the application round. After passing round 1, candidates continue to participate in the competency assessment test (round 2) with questions at a high level of application.
Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Oanh (36 years old, a teacher at a primary school in Dong Da district, Hanoi) commented that the questions in the entrance exam for grade 6 at Amsterdam High School for the Gifted were more difficult than the exam for gifted students, requiring candidates to have an extremely advanced knowledge base and complete the questions in a short time, with students having on average only 30 - 40 seconds to complete the multiple choice questions.
"In 10 years of teaching, only 5 of my students have passed the entrance exam to grade 6 at Amsterdam High School. To get into this school, students are systematically invested in by their families, running at full speed from grades 3 and 4, and studying for a long time to have enough ability to solve the questions on the exam," said Ms. Oanh, who supports the elimination of the junior high school system in specialized high schools so that students do not have to endure the pressure of taking exams too early.
On what basis does Amsterdam school recruit 6th graders?
At the end of January 2024, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training sent a document reporting to the Ministry of Education and Training on the enrollment of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted from the 2024-2025 school year, including the assessment of the training process of the secondary school system of this school. The Department proposed that the Ministry allow the continuation of the pilot model of implementing the secondary school system in the direction of high-level training and training of specialized students.
Responding to the proposal, the Ministry requested the Hanoi Department of Education and Training to direct the enrollment of students into specialized high schools in accordance with the provisions of the 2019 Education Law: "specialized schools are established at the high school level, there is no middle school level in specialized schools".
The Ministry of Education and Training stated that the secondary school enrollment model of Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted is no longer in accordance with regulations. Therefore, the Ministry requires that from this year onwards, the school will not be allowed to enroll sixth graders.
A representative of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training said that the implementation of the junior high school block in Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted has been maintained for 15 years and has achieved good results in creating a source of quality students.
The legal basis for organizing a high-quality secondary school system and training specialized students at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted is the Capital Law. Article 12 of the Capital Law states: “Build a number of high-quality preschool and general education facilities in the capital according to criteria on facilities, teaching staff, programs, teaching methods and educational services. Studying at high-quality educational facilities is on the principle of voluntariness”.
Another basis is Decision No. 5029/QD-UBND in 2009 of the Hanoi People's Committee on piloting the high-level secondary school system and training specialized students at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted.
In terms of practical basis, according to the assessment of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, in recent years, the secondary school system of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted has successfully completed its mission as the main source system for high school specialized classes to achieve excellent results in national and international competitions for excellent students.
For the above reasons, the Department representative also said that they will continue to advise the city to continue proposing the plan to maintain stability for students applying for grade 6 at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School. In the long term, the Department of Education and Training will study and advise the city on a plan to request a special mechanism for Hanoi in maintaining the secondary school system at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted.
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