This is a reasonable solution to reduce exam pressure and is suitable for educational conditions among localities.
According to the plan the Ministry of Education is seeking local opinions, the public 10th grade entrance exam will be reduced from 3 subjects to 2, including only Math and Literature.
Formerly a middle school teacher, I also went through the 10th grade entrance exam for high school in the 1980s. At that time, all students in our group, after finishing 9th grade, were granted a Certificate of Completion of the Middle School program and then took the 10th grade exam with two subjects: Literature and Math very gently, without the pressure of competition, taking extra classes, and exam preparation to pass the "dance" to enter 10th grade like today.
Why is the current public 10th grade entrance exam so stressful, many people even think it is more stressful than the university entrance exam? In my opinion, because of the following reasons:
Firstly, in terms of facilities, schools and classrooms do not meet the learning needs of students and parents. Lack of classroom equipment to meet teaching requirements affects the quality of student learning.
Second, regarding teachers, with the current "shortage" of staff, a difficult problem to solve, the current situation of local surplus and shortage means there is not enough teaching force to meet the increase in enrollment targets. Many localities do not have recruitment resources, especially in remote areas, for specific subjects such as art, physical education, English...
Third, frankly speaking, the plan to stream students after secondary school has not been as effective as expected and the goals set out by the education sector, for many reasons, including the psychology of placing importance on degrees, teachers over workers, the quality of training at intermediate schools and vocational colleges has not created trust, and students graduating cannot find jobs.
So, I think if and only when the above reasons are resolved, enrollment in grade 10 is no longer a matter of discussion, but the concern is the quality of teaching when the demand for learning is increasing.
In my opinion, this is just a temporary solution in the context of the very stressful public 10th grade entrance exam as mentioned above. Exams for two or three subjects along with three current admission methods: entrance exam, entrance exam, combined entrance exam with admission ultimately do not address the nature of learning and testing, and the learning needs of students.
When enrolling students, there are only 2 subjects: Math and Literature, which means students can reduce one exam subject and reduce some of the exam pressure. The choice of two exam subjects: Math and Literature has a scientific basis, these are two core tool subjects.
On the contrary, many opinions believe that the current number of 10th grade entrance exam subjects should be maintained in Mathematics, Literature and Foreign Languages (English...), with the argument that English is a communication tool, the key to opening the door to human knowledge in the current situation of Vietnam's deep integration with the world, especially implementing the strategic policy of making English the second language in schools.
The above opinion is reasonable, especially in large cities, it is very suitable, but teaching and learning foreign languages in many localities today is still difficult, the most difficult is the lack of English teachers.
The teaching facilities and equipment for this subject are also not satisfactory, so the quality of English teaching requires a long-term investment strategy instead of using it as a third exam subject with difficult pressure for many students who do not have favorable conditions to study for the English exam.
There is also an argument that if we remove the third subject because localities choose the annual public 10th grade entrance exam, it will lead to students focusing only on studying Math and Literature and neglecting to focus on other subjects.
In my opinion, all entrance exam options and the number of exam subjects have positives and limitations depending on the actual educational situation.
Concerns about students learning deviations are not of concern because the current assessment and grading of students is carried out according to regulations. If the school and teachers are serious and fair, this is a reliable basis for conducting exams in both Math and Literature, which is enough to ensure a gentle exam to reduce pressure on students.
With the spirit of innovating testing and evaluation work, ensuring substance and effectiveness, reducing exam pressure, cutting unnecessary exams and competitions, and reducing pressure on students, teachers and parents hope to implement it soon.
