The trend of choosing to take fewer subjects

SUPPORT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF EXAM SUBJECTS

In early October, according to the results of synthesizing opinions on the number of subjects for the high school graduation exam plan from 2025 by the Ministry of Education and Training, nearly 60% of teachers' opinions in some localities participating in the survey (Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, Tay Ninh, Lang Son and Bac Giang) proposed that the high school graduation exam from 2025 will only test 4 subjects, including 2 compulsory subjects: literature and math, plus 2 optional subjects from the remaining subjects studied in grade 12 (including foreign languages ​​and history).

Candidates taking the 2023 high school graduation exam

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the above number of exam subjects has 3 advantages: reducing exam pressure for students, reducing costs of money and time for students' families and society (candidates only take 4 subjects compared to the current 6 subjects); does not cause imbalance between admission combinations, helping students spend time studying subjects suitable for their career orientation; candidates can choose 2 optional subjects to promote their strengths, have favorable exam results to be considered for admission to universities.

Previously, when the Ministry of Education and Training only proposed two options for the number of subjects (one was 4 compulsory subjects and 2 elective subjects; the other was 3 compulsory subjects and 2 elective subjects), the majority of opinions chose the 3+2 exam option. However, since the addition of the 2+2 option as above, public opinion has leaned towards the 4-subject exam option including both compulsory and elective subjects. This shows that the general trend is to reduce the number of subjects, reducing stress and pressure for this exam.

As one of many teachers supporting the 2+2 option, Ms. Cao Thanh Ha, an English teacher at Cau Giay High School (Hanoi), also did not feel "disappointed" that the subject she teaches would become an optional exam subject. She stated her opinion: "This option reduces the most pressure on students, while still ensuring that universities can use the results as data for admissions."

Many opinions also say that currently, students outside urban areas, especially in remote areas, are not guaranteed good foreign language teaching conditions like in urban areas, but are still required to take English exams, leading to very low results. Therefore, allowing students to choose whether or not to take this subject would be fairer.

Professor Pham Hong Quang, Chairman of the Thai Nguyen University Council, also supports the 2+2 exam plan and believes that taking two compulsory subjects, math and literature, is appropriate, reducing pressure and costs. Choosing a foreign language, history or any other subject is equally valuable.

According to Mr. Dao Tuan Dat, Principal of Einstein High School (Hanoi), the 2+2 exam plan will balance the proportion of students choosing between natural sciences and social sciences. "In fact, over the past many years, more and more students have chosen the social sciences combination exam plan, leading to a shortage of students in natural sciences. This is a very worrying thing when basic science majors lack human resources," said Mr. Dat.

The high school graduation exam plan from 2025 is expected to be announced in the fourth quarter of this year.

IMPORTANCE IS NEEDED ON PROCESS ASSESSMENT INSTEAD OF PRESSURE ON AN EXAM

Associate Professor Chu Cam Tho, Head of the Education Evaluation Research Department (Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences), said that the 2018 General Education Program in particular, and the education and human development goals of Vietnam in general, focus on developing learners' qualities and abilities. Therefore, it is impossible to rely solely on achievements and final results to evaluate students.

According to Ms. Tho, with the design of the new General Education Program, students will have more experience, have the opportunity to choose subjects; access diverse learning methods (online, direct, using technology...). Therefore, the hope for the high school graduation exam from 2025 will certainly focus on how to assess the learners' abilities in a modern, fair, and sustainable way.

To do that, Associate Professor Chu Cam Tho said that the graduation assessment includes the results of the learning process and the final exam (through the exam) instead of focusing only on the graduation exam results. Assessing the results of the cultural subjects selected in the exam is only a part, the rest needs to demonstrate the learning process throughout high school of the learner. Next, the exam must aim at differentiation appropriate to the subject choices that the learner has chosen. This has the meaning of orienting the development of the individual and the learning stream, connecting with the process of establishing a career of the student.

STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS ARE VERY "ANXIOUS"

It is now November, but the Ministry of Education and Training has not yet announced a plan to reform the high school graduation exam from 2025 in line with the reform of the 2018 General Education Program. 11th grade students are almost "finished" the first semester but still do not know how they will graduate from 12th grade.

Many teachers said that not only teachers and students but also parents are very "anxious" about this issue. "We always receive questions from students and parents about how the graduation exam for the first batch of students under the new program will take place, but my colleagues and I do not have any official information to answer, we only encourage students to focus on studying and not worry about exams", a teacher at Le Quy Don High School - Ha Dong (Hanoi) shared.

Sharing the expectations of teachers and students, National Assembly delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Hai Duong delegation), member of the National Assembly's Culture and Education Committee, said that the exam plan needs to be finalized soon so that the Ministry of Education and Training as well as localities, especially students, teachers and schools, can proactively develop a thorough preparation plan for the exam.

"The program has many innovations compared to the old program; from the innovation of the program, it stipulates innovation in teaching and learning methods; from the innovation in teaching and learning methods, it stipulates innovation in testing and evaluation methods. Therefore, if there is no careful preparation from early on, from afar, it is easy to fall into passivity and confusion," Ms. Nga analyzed.

Propose a solution if option 3+2 is chosen

Choosing the 2+2 option has the advantage of reducing the pressure of exams for candidates, reducing costs for families and society because candidates only take 4 subjects. The number of exam sessions is 3, reducing the number of exam sessions compared to the present. This option also does not cause an imbalance between admission combinations, creating conditions for candidates to spend time studying the subjects of their choice that suit their career orientation. The disadvantage of this option is that it can affect the teaching of history and foreign languages ​​- these are 2 compulsory subjects.

The 3+2 option also has the advantage of being easy to organize and take; candidates only take 5 subjects. This option is also more balanced for students to choose subjects and choose between the combination of Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. Being able to choose 2 subjects to take helps candidates develop their strengths, creating favorable conditions for using high school graduation exam results for university admission. 3 compulsory subjects is also a stable, long-term option that has been and is being implemented. However, the disadvantage of the 3+2 option is that it can affect the teaching and learning of history for students who do not choose this subject to take the exam and can lead to an increasing trend of choosing the combination of math, literature, and foreign languages. To solve this problem, if choosing the 3+2 option, it is possible to add a condition that the history subject must have a final year score of 5 or higher to be eligible to take the exam.

Master Ho Sy Anh

High school graduation in a compact way

The leader of the Department of Quality Management (Ministry of Education and Training) said that the Ministry is urgently completing the plan for the high school graduation exam from 2025, submitting it to the Government for comments so that it can be announced in the fourth quarter of this year as planned. From synthesizing international experience in high school graduation exams or assessments in many countries, the Department of Quality Management believes that there is a common point in the method of exam and recognition of high school graduation in a streamlined direction; ensuring that students have access to careers, choose careers that are suitable to their abilities and interests, conditions and circumstances to continue studying, learning a trade and evaluating the teaching and learning process and other purposes.

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