Primary school teachers say the demand for children to take the entrance exam to "hot" first grade schools is increasing, and with that the pressure for children to be admitted to these schools has also increased significantly.
Many families are willing to spend money on tutoring their children to get into first grade. Photo: Pexels.
Interviews, language and thinking ability tests, aptitude tests… these are the tests that children need to go through to gain admission to “hot” private schools in Hanoi.
Although 2024 is not yet over, a series of private schools in Hanoi have announced their enrollment plans for the 2025-2026 school year. Accordingly, children will have to take tests and assessments set by the school and meet the requirements to be admitted.
For example, children who want to enter grade 1 at Ly Thai To Primary School need to join the Grade 1 Preparation Club so that the school can assess their thinking and cognitive abilities. Or at Newton Inter-level School System, the school requires candidates to pass the school interview to win a place.
Entrance exam to grade 1 is no longer a rare thing.
Talking to Tri Thuc - Znews about private schools enrolling first graders, which has led to parents rushing to send their children to school and practice for the exam, Ms. Le Thao, a primary school teacher in Hanoi, said that in fact, children taking the first grade entrance exam is not rare, on the contrary, it has become a trend in recent years. Each year, the number of applications for the first grade entrance exam increases.
As an elementary school teacher with experience in teaching first grade, Ms. Thao has also been asked by many parents about teaching pre-primary school and reviewing for first grade entrance exams for their children. One parent even offered to pay Ms. Thao a high salary to send their child to review for the exam, but the teacher refused.
For Ms. Thao, teaching children to prepare for the first grade entrance exam is a huge challenge, much more difficult than simply teaching pre-primary school. Pre-primary classes teach children how to read, write, use a pen, organize supplies, books, etc., but preparing for the first grade entrance exam is a more “upgraded” version. Teachers will have to teach English, guide children on how to walk, answer questions, and help children gain skills to recognize and understand some familiar objects and phenomena in life.
“Preparing children for the entrance exam to first grade at 'hot' schools is very difficult. I am not a professional in preparing children for the exam so I do not dare to take on classes. Parents have high expectations, I do not want to disappoint them,” Ms. Thao told Tri Thuc - Znews.
Similarly, Ms. PA, a primary school teacher in Hanoi, also said that sending children to prep for the first grade entrance exam is becoming more popular than before. As the person who opened a pre-primary and first grade exam preparation class, Ms. A. only accepts about 6 students each year to ensure the quality of the children's review, even though the demand for parents to send their children to prep is many times higher than this number.
Speaking more about the exam preparation for children, Ms. A. said that the children in her class are usually 4-5 years old, some of them have been taught by their parents so they are more proactive, but some of them are completely "blank slates" and she has to guide them a lot.
However, the most difficult challenge for Ms. A. is not teaching children to read and write, but teaching them social skills so that they can participate in school competitions. Teaching skills requires long-term support because if taught for a short time, children may learn and forget.
“Some schools also evaluate whether children have a lisp or not. Correcting children’s speech and responding to questions is also a big challenge. I think that is also part of the reason why families send their children to tutors,” Ms. PA shared.
Many schools evaluate children on speaking ability and social skills to enroll them in first grade. Illustration: Phuong Lam.
The battle to get into first grade is getting more and more intense?
Assessing the current situation of first grade entrance exams at schools, Ms. Le Thao said that the race to enter first grade is increasingly tense for many reasons.
Firstly, as life becomes more developed, families with better conditions want to invest more in their children's education. Ms. Thao said that many families have the idea that their parents did not have enough education in the past, so now they want to give their children the best.
Second, many families have planned and mapped out a path for their children since they were young, so they have decided to invest in sending their children to good schools right from kindergarten and elementary school. For families who want their children to study abroad, they are willing to let their children practice from a young age to get used to exams, improve their skills and knowledge as a foundation for studying abroad later.
Third, families also believe that “a good learning environment will help their children improve”. Therefore, they are willing to invest in their children to get into “specialized schools and selective classes”. When their children are educated and trained in an environment full of excellent students, they believe that their children will also become excellent and progress like their friends.
Fourth, Ms. Thao said that the entrance exam for first grade is more competitive in big cities due to the large population, large number of children but few places. The teacher gave an example that the quota for public schools is usually 45-50 students/class, but private schools - where the entrance exam is held, only fluctuate at 30-35 students/class and the whole school only takes about 10 classes.
Thus, in terms of competition ratio, hot private schools will have to compete more fiercely, making the race to enter first grade more intense.
In addition, Ms. Thao also mentioned another reason is the “FOMO mentality” of some families. The teacher said that parents sometimes have the fear of missing out, so when they see other families’ children practicing for the first grade entrance exam, they let their children do the same “to keep up with their friends”.
“In general, I think that letting your child take the first grade entrance exam is not a bad thing, on the contrary, it can help your child develop some necessary learning and social skills. However, parents also need to pay attention to making a clear plan, letting their children practice at a level that is within their ability and not putting pressure on them to avoid affecting their health and spirit,” Ms. Thao emphasized.
Source: https://danviet.vn/vao-lop-1-tro-thanh-cuoc-chien-thi-kho-ty-le-choi-cao-20241124131928877.htm
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