Minister of Education and Training: Maintaining the high school graduation exam is very necessary

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that at this time, maintaining the high school graduation exam is very necessary. This is the basis for making policies and adjusting policies for the entire general education system.

On the afternoon of September 29, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man chaired a conference of full-time National Assembly deputies to give opinions on the draft law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Education .

Regarding the high school graduation exam, there are two opinions. The first opinion suggests that the exam should still be held, giving the authority to set the exam questions to the Minister of Education and Training, and giving the authority to organize the exam to the localities. The second opinion suggests that the exam should not be held but should be considered for graduation.

The draft law abolishes the junior high school diploma and keeps the high school diploma. Students who complete the high school program and meet the requirements set by the Minister of Education and Training are allowed to take the exam and, if they meet the requirements, will be awarded a high school diploma by the school principal.

Delegate Nguyen Van Huy ( Hung Yen ) agreed to continue organizing the exam, because the exam is not only to assess the level of general education standards of students but also to create a more objective measurement standard.

"Once an objective measurement standard has been created to assess students' abilities, linking this exam with university and college admissions as it is now is appropriate," delegate Huy analyzed.

Delegate Nguyen Van Huy. Photo: National Assembly

However, delegates said that improvements are needed to make the exam concise but still assess students' comprehensive abilities.

Regarding the junior high school diploma, Mr. Huy agreed with the proposal to abolish it, because this diploma is just a formality, mainly confirming that students have completed the 9-year compulsory education program, while it has been shown through the transcript.

However, he pointed out that in rural and disadvantaged areas, the junior high school diploma is still considered an important certificate to apply for a job or prove educational level, and if suddenly removed, it can cause psychological disturbance.

He proposed adding regulations on building a system to confirm the completion of junior high school program by using certificates or electronic data instead.

Delegate Tran Van Lam (Bac Giang) stated that deciding on the exam is very difficult, agencies need to analyze, evaluate, and clarify the advantages and disadvantages of each option so that delegates have a basis for decision.

According to him, the important thing is the requirements and goals set, to improve the quality of education and the effectiveness of education.

Delegate Tran Van Lam. Photo: National Assembly

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son affirmed that at this time, maintaining the high school graduation exam is very necessary.

The organization of the high school graduation exam for graduation recognition currently has very specific goals, including: Assessing the level of learners according to the requirements for developing qualities and capacities of the general education program, using exam results to consider recognition of high school graduation.

The exam results are also used as one of the bases to evaluate the teaching quality of general education institutions and the direction of educational management agencies.

The Minister also stated that the exam not only provides reliable data for universities and vocational training institutions to use in enrollment but also to assess the level of general education standards, providing national data for research, development and adjustment of education policies. The exam also assesses the quality of education in regions.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son speaks. Photo: National Assembly

Regarding the shortage of preschool teachers in ethnic minority areas, the Minister of Education and Training said that the current mechanism allows teacher training colleges to select instead of taking entrance exams, creating preferential conditions for ethnic minority children. This mechanism will continue to be promoted through admission regulations without needing to be included in the law.

The drafting agency will fully absorb the opinions, continue to review and complete the draft laws to submit to the National Assembly in the next sessions, and will have written detailed responses to each issue raised by the delegates.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/bo-truong-gd-dt-duy-tri-ky-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-la-rat-can-thiet-2447379.html