Researcher Nguyen Quoc Vuong: 'High school graduation exams should be abolished because they are no longer necessary'

TPO - Looking back at the overall high school graduation exam, many education experts believe that there are still many limitations and it should not continue to be implemented for the purpose of both graduation and university and college admission.

Due to the high classification of the 2025 high school graduation exam this year, many readers believe that the high school graduation exam model is creating too much pressure and suggest a clear separation between the graduation and university admission goals.

Tien Phong reporter interviewed education researcher Nguyen Quoc Vuong to better understand this issue.

Keep or drop the "2 in 1" exam?

With the current way of studying and taking exams, many people believe that next year students will still flock to extra classes. What is your opinion on this issue?

In my opinion, extra classes are a need, extra teaching is also a need. It cannot be banned. Regarding extra teaching, my opinion is that it is enough to ban teachers on the payroll or with long-term contracts who are teaching at public schools from giving extra teaching in any form.

Teachers recruited in this form will have a stable salary (the highest level in the civil servant system), social insurance and other relatively good benefits.

Furthermore, they need to focus on their work as educators instead of just imparting pure knowledge. These teachers will often also be homeroom teachers and other educational jobs in the school including leadership positions, organizations... so focusing on expertise and work at school is necessary. Freelance teachers, short-term teachers, private school teachers can teach extra or not depends on the contract signed with the place of work.

Many people think that the high school graduation exam model is creating too much pressure and suggest a clear separation between graduation and university admission goals. What is your opinion on this issue?

I have repeatedly suggested that the high school graduation exam should be abolished because it is no longer necessary. The university entrance exam should be separated and managed by the schools. Schools can recruit students through various methods, from reviewing academic records to taking exams.

Education researcher and translator Nguyen Quoc Vuong was born in 1982 in Bac Giang . He has translated and written nearly 100 books on education, history, and culture. Having studied for a master's degree in Japan and been a lecturer at Hanoi Pedagogical University, Nguyen Quoc Vuong now chooses to write and translate books and focuses on reading promotion activities.

Regarding the difficulty and ease of the 2025 high school graduation exam, it is natural that it is difficult because it is both a graduation exam and a university entrance exam. When there is a conflict in standards like this, it will cause suffering for everyone from the test makers, examiners, teachers, students, and universities. If it is easy, the standard score will be high, making it difficult to choose. If it is difficult, it will affect students taking the graduation exam on a large scale. Determining the "assumed subjects" to create the exam is therefore very difficult because in our country there is a big difference between rural and urban areas, between the lowlands and the deltas.

To solve the problem once and for all, the only way is to abolish the graduation exam and transfer the right to decide on graduation to the high school principals based on the students’ high school studies and training. Anyone who has completed 12 years of study will graduate. That is normal, nothing terrible.

Need to clarify educational philosophy in accordance with universal values ​​of the world

How do you see the consequences when students have to take extra classes just to pass exams?

In my opinion, when the graduation exam is eliminated and graduation is considered, there will only be students taking university entrance exams and taking extra classes based on the needs of their families and the students themselves. Schools will teach according to the needs and abilities of students, that is, teaching in a "personalized" way instead of setting a pre-set target (how many % are good, how many % are average, how many % are graduated) for schools and teachers and then making them try their best to get that number, that is, creating achievementism and virtual numbers.

Studying just for exams leads to a reduction in educational content for both teachers and students (study what is on the exam, don't study what isn't on the exam).

What is more dangerous is that when teaching for exams, people will focus on knowledge, problems that will be tested, and test-taking techniques instead of training students' thinking and ability to detect problems, pose problems, and reflect on problems.

In the long run, studying for exams leads to individuals who, although intelligent, cannot create or invent, and have poor civic attitudes because they are indifferent to social issues.

The view that Vietnam has no educational philosophy is controversial. What do you think about this?

Educational philosophy will be a recurring topic because the goal of educational philosophy will determine the method of examination. It guides learning, examinations, and even the attitudes of parents, teachers, and students toward learning. It is necessary to clarify the educational philosophy in accordance with universal values ​​of the world and unify it so that everyone can understand and aim for it. Each school, based on that common philosophy, can build its own philosophy suitable to its own conditions.

Thank you!

Do Hop

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nha-nghien-cuu-nguyen-quoc-vuong-nen-bo-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-vi-khong-con-can-thiet-post1758510.tpo